What to do about locusts/flying-grasshoppers and how bad are they?

z_willus_d · May 28, 2012

I recently seeded thirty rather expensive sweet-corn seeds in a 31-gallon EarthTainer (plan was to cull out half). Things were looking nice after five days as I noted a lot small green corn blades shooting up. Yesterday, I went outside in the morning to find the crop had been demolished, as if a lawnmower had run over the lot of my corn seedlings. Their tops had been chewed off and half-way discarded. At first I thought it must be the birds -- they're everywhere of all types right now. Later in the day as I was working I espied a very larger locust just resting on a blade of my Lemon-Grass. It was probably 5" across if not more. I tried taking a swipe at it with my watering bucket, but I must not have had it in me as my swipe was weak and it just disappeared.

Later in the day I was vibrating my tomato blossoms with the old vibrating tooth-sexizer, and I noted yet another one of these things perched on my tomato plant (opposite side of the yard, 100' away from the first). This time I was more deliberate, and I swung at it with my vibrating brush head. I think I took off one of its large hopping legs, but it didn't seem too fazed. I saw it fly off to a nearby young Oak (blended in and disappeared), but then 1/2 hour later there it was in front of me on the tomato plant. Blasted I thought. What am I too do now?

So, I assume these things will eat up my corn seedlings and any number of other stuff, like my cucumber leafs and maybe even the tomatoes, right? What's the best deterrent for these monstrous insect beasts from the plague era? Do you think little birds might have eaten up my six dollars of corn seedlings, or shall I blame these buggers? I should have snapped a pic...I will next time I see one.

Thanks for helping.
-naysen

May 28, 2012	#1
z_willus_d Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,313	What to do about locusts/flying-grasshoppers and how bad are they? I recently seeded thirty rather expensive sweet-corn seeds in a 31-gallon EarthTainer (plan was to cull out half). Things were looking nice after five days as I noted a lot small green corn blades shooting up. Yesterday, I went outside in the morning to find the crop had been demolished, as if a lawnmower had run over the lot of my corn seedlings. Their tops had been chewed off and half-way discarded. At first I thought it must be the birds -- they're everywhere of all types right now. Later in the day as I was working I espied a very larger locust just resting on a blade of my Lemon-Grass. It was probably 5" across if not more. I tried taking a swipe at it with my watering bucket, but I must not have had it in me as my swipe was weak and it just disappeared. Later in the day I was vibrating my tomato blossoms with the old vibrating tooth-sexizer, and I noted yet another one of these things perched on my tomato plant (opposite side of the yard, 100' away from the first). This time I was more deliberate, and I swung at it with my vibrating brush head. I think I took off one of its large hopping legs, but it didn't seem too fazed. I saw it fly off to a nearby young Oak (blended in and disappeared), but then 1/2 hour later there it was in front of me on the tomato plant. Blasted I thought. What am I too do now? So, I assume these things will eat up my corn seedlings and any number of other stuff, like my cucumber leafs and maybe even the tomatoes, right? What's the best deterrent for these monstrous insect beasts from the plague era? Do you think little birds might have eaten up my six dollars of corn seedlings, or shall I blame these buggers? I should have snapped a pic...I will next time I see one. Thanks for helping. -naysen