grasshoppers!

bower · October 18, 2019

We don't see grasshoppers very often here - years go by and I don't see a single one. Now and then we have a grasshopper year but still I don't often see many.
This year we had a lot more grasshoppers than I've seen before, and I noticed that mid october after at least half a dozen frosty nights there are still a few hopping around in the garden.
So I'm hoping to tap the great reservoir of grasshopper experience here, and let me know what I should expect? Do they overwinter and get worse the next year? I've read that grasshoppers can damage garlic and that's a concern - anyone had that experience? And last not least, what are the effective ways to manage grasshoppers if they do get out of hand? What are the natural predators that keep them in check?

TIA for all replies!

Worth1 · October 18, 2019

Duck and goose eggs from grasshoppers are to die for.

rxkeith · October 18, 2019

A flock of chickens will take care of grasshoppers. Most any thing else they see crawling or flying within reach. We have grasshoppers all over the place in season, but none in the yard where the chickens roam.

Keith

bower · October 18, 2019

Okay, if a chicken sized bird will eat em, maybe our grouse will take care of it.

DonDuck · October 18, 2019

We had some of the largest hoppers I've ever seen this summer, We didh't have a plague of grasshoppers, but they compensated by growing huge. Grasshoppers don't seem to over winter very well, but I've found a few buried in piles of leaves in mid winter.

On some chilly mornings, I've seen a few sitting on plants like frozen statue's. I use my middle finger as a thumper and send them flying into space like a bottle rocket. My children will attest to the fact that I have a wicked thumper. I never whipped my children, but they always watched for my middle finger when they transgressed. I have no doubt the thumped grasshoppers are expired when they return to earth after a thumpping.

When I see thirty or forty wild turkeys passing through my property a couple of times per day, I don't seen any grasshopper for a week or so.

October 19, 2019

Cats. Our neighbors cats regularly hunt grasshoppers in our yard. When we had cats, I don't recall them ever doing that, though.

October 19, 2019

Although we have grasshoppers that have survived some hard freezes, so far, I've never seen one survive the whole winter in my area. I only ever see babies in the spring.

I've never seen grasshoppers on our garlic, nor on our other alliums. I would think garlic would be too tough for them to bother.

Our grasshoppers like to eat softer things like amaranth and comfrey, but they'll eat lots of stuff with more moderation. They usually don't cause any problems, since they eat a little of this and a little of that. I don't consider them a pest, although they can cause problems for seedlings, sometimes (but they're easy to get somewhere else; if they're in a cloche, just lift it up and startle them a bit so they'll jump away; if they're in a small tent-like greenhouse, you can either pick them out or temporarily lift up the greenhouse and shoo them away).

Now, those southern grasshoppers that don't jump, I hear they are voracious.

We've got twostriped grasshoppers, mostly, but others, too (such as the brown ones and the gray ones with black and yellow wings that show when they fly and make a cool sound; they're camoflagued on roads and in dust). We have a very large kind that is a light green and almost looks glittery (it looks very cool). There are others. We used to have more kinds that were common, and the large glittery-ish kind was once quite uncommon.

bower · October 19, 2019

I googled for the ones in our area, and found a story about them eating SPRUCE!

But I won't worry too much, if they don't commonly damage garlic.

Lots of birds here that would eat them, and neighbor's cat might enjoy a few. Toad might get some as well.

Apparently they don't overwinter, but they lay eggs in the top 3 cm (?) of soil. One generation per year here. I will just make sure to take the mulch off in spring so the robins can do as last year, patrolling between the rows.

I saw several different colors of them. One a pea green, another pea green with reddish legs, and a third was all brown. I thought they may have seasonal color change, but maybe not.

Not sure why we would have none at all then suddenly three different kinds.

Nan_PA_6b · October 19, 2019

I have 2 small water features that annually produce a new crop of American Toads. Cures a multitude of ills.

SeanInVa · October 19, 2019

We've definitely noticed a plummet in grasshoppers since we started keeping chickens. When we moved in they were everywhere.

And speaking of chickens eating things - have you ever watched a chicken chase a june bug? it's hilarious!

Tormato · October 19, 2019

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Hopefully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw785H3YzIc

Grasshoppers, here, are very irregular in their showing up. I doubt they survive the winters.

Worth1 · October 19, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanInVa

We've definitely noticed a plummet in grasshoppers since we started keeping chickens. When we moved in they were everywhere.

And speaking of chickens eating things - have you ever watched a chicken chase a june bug? it's hilarious!

We had many laying hens and fryers running the hay fields when I grew up.
Plus ducks.

Now if they were as big as their dinosaur ancestors we would be in big trouble.

October 18, 2019	#1
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	grasshoppers! We don't see grasshoppers very often here - years go by and I don't see a single one. Now and then we have a grasshopper year but still I don't often see many. This year we had a lot more grasshoppers than I've seen before, and I noticed that mid october after at least half a dozen frosty nights there are still a few hopping around in the garden. So I'm hoping to tap the great reservoir of grasshopper experience here, and let me know what I should expect? Do they overwinter and get worse the next year? I've read that grasshoppers can damage garlic and that's a concern - anyone had that experience? And last not least, what are the effective ways to manage grasshoppers if they do get out of hand? What are the natural predators that keep them in check? TIA for all replies!

October 18, 2019	#3
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	A flock of chickens will take care of grasshoppers. Most any thing else they see crawling or flying within reach. We have grasshoppers all over the place in season, but none in the yard where the chickens roam. Keith __________________ don't abort. we'll adopt.

October 18, 2019	#5
DonDuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Corinth, texas Posts: 1,784	We had some of the largest hoppers I've ever seen this summer, We didh't have a plague of grasshoppers, but they compensated by growing huge. Grasshoppers don't seem to over winter very well, but I've found a few buried in piles of leaves in mid winter. On some chilly mornings, I've seen a few sitting on plants like frozen statue's. I use my middle finger as a thumper and send them flying into space like a bottle rocket. My children will attest to the fact that I have a wicked thumper. I never whipped my children, but they always watched for my middle finger when they transgressed. I have no doubt the thumped grasshoppers are expired when they return to earth after a thumpping. When I see thirty or forty wild turkeys passing through my property a couple of times per day, I don't seen any grasshopper for a week or so. Last edited by DonDuck; October 18, 2019 at 08:22 PM.

October 19, 2019	#6
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	Cats. Our neighbors cats regularly hunt grasshoppers in our yard. When we had cats, I don't recall them ever doing that, though. Last edited by shule1; October 19, 2019 at 12:56 AM.

October 19, 2019	#7
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	Although we have grasshoppers that have survived some hard freezes, so far, I've never seen one survive the whole winter in my area. I only ever see babies in the spring. I've never seen grasshoppers on our garlic, nor on our other alliums. I would think garlic would be too tough for them to bother. Our grasshoppers like to eat softer things like amaranth and comfrey, but they'll eat lots of stuff with more moderation. They usually don't cause any problems, since they eat a little of this and a little of that. I don't consider them a pest, although they can cause problems for seedlings, sometimes (but they're easy to get somewhere else; if they're in a cloche, just lift it up and startle them a bit so they'll jump away; if they're in a small tent-like greenhouse, you can either pick them out or temporarily lift up the greenhouse and shoo them away). Now, those southern grasshoppers that don't jump, I hear they are voracious. We've got twostriped grasshoppers, mostly, but others, too (such as the brown ones and the gray ones with black and yellow wings that show when they fly and make a cool sound; they're camoflagued on roads and in dust). We have a very large kind that is a light green and almost looks glittery (it looks very cool). There are others. We used to have more kinds that were common, and the large glittery-ish kind was once quite uncommon. Last edited by shule1; October 19, 2019 at 12:59 AM.

October 18, 2019	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Duck and goose eggs from grasshoppers are to die for.

October 19, 2019	#9
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	I have 2 small water features that annually produce a new crop of American Toads. Cures a multitude of ills.

October 19, 2019	#10
SeanInVa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Gloucester, Virginia Posts: 90	We've definitely noticed a plummet in grasshoppers since we started keeping chickens. When we moved in they were everywhere. And speaking of chickens eating things - have you ever watched a chicken chase a june bug? it's hilarious!

October 19, 2019	#11
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Hopefully. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw785H3YzIc Grasshoppers, here, are very irregular in their showing up. I doubt they survive the winters.