Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Help Grasshoppers are eating my brugs, 1 by MyRee

MyRee wrote:
Grasshoppers? these are at least 2" long, they can eat a leaf or bud in no time flat. I took pictures of these two then knocked them off and smashed them flat. I usually can't catch them, but these two were rather........occupied. This was last week.

Kell, that doesn't look like any of my grasshoppers.I'm not sure what it is.

Bloom, a brick sounds rather nice right now. or Phicks a baseball bat...I was just outside talking on my cell phone to my sister, walking around the yard and I saw 2 more - this same position - on my dahlias. I finished talking and used my cell phone to knock them to the ground. I killed them with my phone. LOL. I hate these things. Some of my dahlia buds are half eaten. They still bloom, but are only half blooms. they look kind of sad.
I hate using insecticide because I may damage some good bugs.