Grasshoppers are a large group of chewing herbivorous insects that belong to the family Acrididae, suborder Caelifera, and placed in the informal group Acridomorpha under 1966 classifications. Grasshoppers typically live near the surface of the ground, and they possess energetic hind legs that they use to jump from one place to another. They can be located at places where plenty of food is available, like grasses and ground covers. Grasshoppers are voracious eaters and can eat 16 times more than their body weight in a single day. Usually, they feed all day long but, in urban settings, they also feed at night. They have a migratory habit so, fly long distances to search for food. It always remains a threat for their invasion in the lush green gardens in summer throughout the temperature regions of the US.
Most of the grasshopper species hail from South America. The researchers also claim their origin that dates back to 59 million years. Tropidacris collaris is a big South American blue-winged grasshopper common from Colombia to Argentina. Whereas in North America, the American grasshopper (Schistocerca Americana) is in the east of the Great Plains, throughout the southeast, and north to near Iowa and Pennsylvania. Also, common throughout Florida, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Now, more than 6816 grasshopper species exist throughout the world. Several species of grasshoppers are found throughout the US in turfgrasses, landscaped areas, and crops, and most of them are from diversified origins. However, they exist in numbers in tropical, semiarid, and grassland areas of the US.
American grasshopper color ranges from pinkish-brown to reddish-brown and turns yellowish-brown when it reaches maturity. The light-colored wings are with somewhat dark brown spots. Adults have a different appearance than nymphs. A male grasshopper measures between 39 to 45 mm, whereas the is a bit longer (42 to 55 mm). The eggs usually remain 7 to 8 mm long and light orange. Nymphs remain aggregated but in small groups and move from plant to plant feeding companionably. If the nymphs are high in numbers, yellow remains their dominant color and green when they're less. The first instar grasshoppers are pale green measuring 6 to 9 mm long with 13 segmented antennae, 2nd instars measure 12 to 16 mm long, 3rd 16-20 mm, 4th 20-26, 5th 27-35, and the 6th 32 to 45.
The Schistocerca Americana may have two generations in a year. They overwinter as adults, unlike most other grasshopper species, which overwinter as eggs. Overall, The American Grasshoppers hatching periods are from early spring to early summer. Then they may have a second generation in the late summer, and often both generations overlap. A female grasshopper lays her eggs 2 to 3 cm below the surface of the soil using her ovipositor in grasses or ground cover. The eggs are in clusters of 60 to 80, which bind together with the help of grasshoppers secrete. A single female often lays 3-egg pods. The nymphs emerge from the eggs within 28 days, are deposited in the soil, and come out of their hatching places soon. The nymphs often undergo 5-instars and rarely six before becoming adults.
Grasshoppers may feed on anything green that comes their way. Most of them are herbivorous but, only a few species are considered crop pests due to their exponential migratory habits. The short-horned grasshoppers are often more destructive and swarming. One such prominent species is the Desert locust that maintains the history of devastating crops in the near past. Their infestations are more common during the summer months in the tropical regions across the world, while temperate regions are famous for their large sizes and chirping sounds they produce during the summer months. Higher destructions are often associated with 3rd, 4th, and 5th Instars when they cause severe damage to the vegetables, corn, citrus, and palm trees.
Grasshoppers hatch from the eggs in the spring and early summer deposited deep under weed covers, grasses, and fencerows. It’s the abundance of food and the weather together that allow the maximum vegetation in your garden area that helps grasshoppers to trigger their population. Such conditions are often mild winters, augmented rainfall, zero tillage, and rich ground covers that help grasshoppers survive and grow abundantly. Additionally, such conditions also save the grasshopper from predators, especially, birds as it becomes difficult for the predators to locate them under the denser vegetation.
If all the preventive measures fail, look forward to the biological & organic control and as the final resort move to chemical control;
NOLO Bait is a biological insecticide that contains 0.05% of Nosema locustae. Nosema locustae is a microsporidium fungus with almost one billion viable spores per pound of the product. NOLO BAIT suppresses grasshoppers as this pathogen sticks to the bodies of grasshoppers and kills them. Healthy grasshoppers feed on the dead bodies of the victims and are killed, ultimately. The affected populations could hardly survive about 30 to 40 days. Nosema locustae keep on multiplying over the bodies of the grasshoppers and could sustain themselves for many years.
It performs excellent when grasshoppers’ densities cross 8 per 10 square feet. The best to apply remains when during the 2nd and 3rd Instars. The ideal mix rate is ½ ounces per gallon of water or 1 pound per acre.
BotaniGard contains a lethal fungus, 22% of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA, that induces a skin disease in grasshoppers when they are in the direct coverage of the spray application. It infects grasshoppers but, the infections are not lethal. However, it widely suppresses their molting process, and those infected at the earlier stages of the growth could die. BotaniGard is a complete biological insecticide that leaves no harmful effects on the environment, humans, and edibles.
Add one tablespoon of BotaniGard per gallon of water and spray on grasshoppers’ bodies.
Niban LB is 5% Granular Boric acid in a 4-pound shaker bottle. Boric acid is a stomach poison that extends toxicity to the grasshopper nervous system. Some borate salts also have abrasion effects on the exoskeleton of the grasshoppers. The boric acid cytotoxicity for grasshoppers makes it an ideal insecticide to apply during all stages of their growth. However, results are more proven when applied during the initial growth stages of grasshoppers. Many Borate formulations are OMRI listed, and their active material ranges from 5 to 21% that can be used on all edible plants without fearing any residue.
A shake bottle allows the gardeners to sprinkle granular directly on the bodies of grasshoppers.
This soap contains 49.52% of Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids that kill many soft-bodied insects when poured directly on their bodies. Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids come from botanical sources that could weaken and break down insect skin. Dehydration occurs in grasshoppers that kill them. It also contains a seaweed extract that remains gentle on plants, nourishes them, and kills pests. Safer- Soap Concentrate is OMRI and can be used freely for organic gardening since no residual effects are associated with the application of botanical salts on edible plants.
16-ounces of soap concentrate can make 6 gallons of spray-able solution. Otherwise, mix 2.5 to 3 ounces per gallon of water according to the grasshoppers' density in your garden area.
The product contains 5% Carbaryl that belongs to the Carbamate group of insecticides and is used to control the severe infestation of grasshoppers and other pests, instantly. This product has a considerably long residual effect that could sustain up to 90 days in the environment and the edibles. However, it can be used on long maturing vegetables, ornamental plants, and grassy lawns for severe and sudden infestations of grasshoppers when no other remedy works well against them.
For dusting around vegetable beds, use 5 pounds of the product per 1000 square feet and water them immediately. Avoid applying on the plants' foliage directly due to higher toxicity levels associated with the product.
Check out our other guides on common garden bugs.
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