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| 1402129 Grasshopper damage - by R J Reynolds Tobacco Company |
If you are seeing holes and gnarly places chewed in your
plants, it could be the result of hungry grasshoppers. Sometimes we do not
really think much about grasshoppers until they become large and begin showing
up everywhere. By then, it might be too late to control them.
If you live in the country, you may experience more
grasshoppers than your friends in town. This is because grasshoppers prefer to
lay their eggs in the fall, in dry undisturbed areas such as fields, pastures,
roadsides, or empty lots. Depending on the weather, the eggs will begin to
hatch in mid to late spring.
After the nymphs are born, they begin feeding on
lush green vegetation in the immediate area. As plants begin to dry up with the
summer’s heat, and moisture becomes less available, food sources grow scarce
and the hoppers begin moving to more desirable locations, namely your lush
yard.
A female grasshopper can lay up to 400 eggs, found
about ½ inch under the soil. Many of the nymphs will die before they become
adults, but with that many eggs being laid it doesn’t take long for their
populations to become extensive. Fortunately, there are many natural predators
such as birds, nematodes, blister beetles, robber flies, skunks, and
occasionally coyotes and wolf spiders to help control their populations. |
| Two striped Grasshopper, Linda Corwine |
While a few grasshoppers in the garden are expected,
and cause no real damage, populations can become quite large taking its toll on
your plants. Within 16 hours, a grasshopper can eat its own weight in green
food. This is not bad if you only have a small population to deal with. It is
said that if you have 7 grasshoppers per square yard over a 10-acre field, they
will eat the same amount as a cow! I am not sure how much a cow eats, but I
have seen plants severely damaged in a very short period.
The good news is, there’s a great organic pesticide
that can help solve the problem. Nosema
locustae, a fungi called
Microsporidia, is mixed with wheat bran, which is a favorite treat of
grasshoppers. As the unsuspecting grasshopper eats the bait, the fungus infects
the hopper’s stomach, producing a chronic disease. Because this takes a while
to act, patience is required. In fact, the populations may not decrease until
the following season. The bait can also control earwigs (which can be
considered either a beneficial or troublesome insect), cutworms, crickets, and
sowbugs. It’s not harmful to mammals or beneficial insects such as bees!
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| Nolo Bait, Linda Corwine Photo |
The Microsporidia is sold under
various trade names such as Nolo Bait or Semaspore. It i commercialized by mass
production in laboratories. You may have had a hard time finding Nolo Bait in
previous years because there was a fire at the factory in Durango in 2018. The
supplier of Semaspore put the business up for sale. However, it should be in
good supply again this season. Because this is a living organism, it only has a
one-year shelf life and must be stored carefully. Homemade baits can be made, but are not safe
around children and pets.
Baits will work much more effectively on young
grasshoppers when applied in the evening hours, and when it’s cooler. Some
grasshoppers actually prefer to feed at night, rather than during the day. Most
grasshoppers will stop feeding when temperatures become too hot.
Treating the areas where the grasshoppers are hatching
will give the best results, but this isn’t always possible. A barrier strip of
grass, weeds, or flowers, around your property can be a good place to treat
grasshoppers if chemicals are required. Just make sure that your barrier does
not consist of weeds that are invasive varieties. Carbaryl, permethrin, and
acephate are all effective products.
Grasshopper control is not a one-time shot with a pesticide.
In spite of your best attempts, some hoppers inevitably manage to find their
way to their favorite foods. Crops such as lettuce, rhubarb, tomatoes, and corn
are always on the menu. Because they feed on such a large variety of plants,
take time to inspect your garden and observe who’s having a hopping good time.
For additional information refer to Fact sheets
5.535 and 5.536
Linda Corwine McIntosh
Colorado Master Gardener Tri River Area, ISA Certified
Arborist, Commercial Pesticide Applicator
Question: Can it hurt birds in any way that eat these sick grasshoppers?
ReplyDeleteI have tried to rethink harmful insects in my garden as free, high protein bird food. Last year I had an invasion of blister beetles which ate my clematis plants. After reading about them, I found they had one redeeming quality, their larvae eat grasshopper eggs. Although my clematis grew back it didn't bloom, so I'm planning on using diatomcious earth around the area near these plants. My garden around my house is organic and although my plants don't always look perfect, I know I'm not going to be on a garden tour and I love all the birds that visit. Thank you for your interesting article. I plan to copy it in notes in case I get a grasshopper invasion.