There have been grasshoppers everywhere for the past two weeks. Munching on the plants, clinging to the windows, hopping around. Anyone else noticed the infestation? I haven't done anything different to attract or deter them. I do use neem oil/soap/baking soda spray on my roses, no other insecticide use.
Attack of the grasshoppers?
Grasshoppers are a regular part of gardening here in central Texas, varying only on the number of grasshoppers and in the number of species. Last year was the worst. We had at least a dozen species emerging throughout the year. I lost all my small apple trees and many of my citrus trees to them. They eat both leaves and bark, girdling the trees. They denuded my rosebushes.
This year was wet enough that we had few numbers and fewer outbreaks. Nolo is the only organic bait developed specifically for grasshoppers but it has to be spread when the grasshoppers are nymphs early in the year and before they can fly. The parasite kills the grasshopper and is passed to other grasshoppers when they eat the dead.
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/noloinfo.html
Thanks Bettydee, I'll look into the Nolo product.
Brugmansias are toxic, but obviously grasshoppers aren't affected by the toxins because they ate leaves, stems and all last year. I never saw dead bodies.
hahahaha
Dr Bronners! Good for you CocoaLulu
lulu
I have become the grasshopper ninja with a pair of pruning shears! I take pleasure in chopping their ugly little heads off.
Have you ever killed two at a time?
It was like a locust infestation last year. Thousands and thousands of them. Anytime I walked somewhere, I would disturb a wave of jumping and flying grasshoppers of all ages ahead of me. What I needed was a great big vacuum cleaner to suck them up or a gigantic capture net of some sort. I didn't buy NoLo this year, but since we have had only the yellowish grasshoppers and a few Katydids hatch this year, they haven't done that much damage this year. The only problem with NoLo is that it has to be re-applied if it rains and we had lots of rain this year. Of course, almost everythings worth eating is gone. I decided not to replace it. Why provide more food for them. These numbers I can deal with. I'll have to remember the pruning shears. It sounds more effective than just picking them off and stomping on them. :-)
Pod, I love Bonner's and Aveda, both great organics with social responsibility. The difference, I can't afford to use Aveda on the bugs.
Laura, you are good! The only thing that flips me out more than a nasty bug in the garden, is a nasty bug trying to procreate in front of me. Am I right in assuming that's how you got them at the same time? Lol
Betty, have you noticed a 7 year cycle to the infestation? Do you usually use Nolo every year?
Lulu,
Haven't been here long enough to know, but they have been here in varying numbers all six years. Dry years are supposed to be worse and we did have a disastrous drought last year and the year before. I've used Nolo before, but not last year. I was told that the infestation was too big. Even if I had managed to get rid of the grasshoppers from my garden, grasshoppers will move into a void. All the pastures surrounding the garden were full of them. A bag of Nolo is about $140.00 a bag and I would need several bags to cover the garden and a few of the surrounding acres. After the loses I suffered last year, I'll be first in line to buy a handful of those big bags if it looks like we will have a big infestation.
heh heh lulu, you got it! And they are REALLY still when paired up. Its a two-fer.