Those blasted grasshoppers! There are more of them this year than there was last year but so far, it’s mostly the smaller versions and not so many that are as big as Speck.
Fig Tree
They are destroying everything. They have finished off the onions . . chomped them down to the ground. Same with the garlic tops. Lucky for me, they’re after Vince’s fruit trees and vines too he’s declared war on them. Tonight we sprayed everything with a Listerine mixture. Of course, it isn’t going to kill them but supposedly they don’t like the taste of Listerine. I’m kinda thinking . . who does? But, we’ll try anything.
I just received confirmation that our Red Thyme Essential Oil has been shipped. I guess that’s another remedy he’s trying.
Who ever thought there would be so many grasshoppers in any one place?
Angie says
The problem using these organic mixtures to keep away pests is it’s a constant regiment of spraying. Like every 2-3 days as the stuff does not last very long. I hope you find something that works long term. What a shame, all that work being ate by grass hoppers.
Ranch Wife says
OK. That’s one thing we don’t have to deal with here, I think it’s too dry and hot…even for grasshoppers. It’s going to be 110° here today and I guess there’s nothing for them to eat here. I hope you find the right solution quick.
vickie van dyken says
Good Luck…..I remember the monster ones from last year. Do they come every year, that thick….yeech…good luck with the fruit trees…It is such a shame that those voracious grashoppers wreck all you have accomplished
Jo C. says
Ahhh, Listerine you love it but you hate it!
Hilary McDaniel says
My brother has been putting NoLo bait down. It seems to be working. He doesn’t want chickens. We have 20 large laying hens and 1 Mama w/13 babies. They are month old. They have lived in the garden since they were born (the mama &babies) As soon as a grasshopper shows up, the babies goes wild to get them. The laying hens aren’t allowed in the garden because of scratching. But they parade the perimeter so we don’t have many grasshoppers. Our chickens keep the plants free of bugs and the pests to a minimum. We do fight blossom end rot on the tomatoes, though. That’s frustrating.
JudyL says
It would take at least 10,000 chickens to make a dent in our grasshopper population. I see the chickens chasing and catching them all day long and there are still so many grasshoppers, that they fly into our face and out mouth and our clothes when we’re walking out there.
Doug R says
Glad to hear you have the small ones. I’ve already been seeing the super sized ones here. UGH! What is our garden in store for?
JudyL says
Yes, we have a few of the giant ones too. They really came in full force towards the end of the summer last year. I’m so sick of bugs!
Micki Clemens says
Wow! Revolting! What do the large( commercial) farms do? I hope your non chemical s work.
AngieG9 says
I still think you should catch some of them and try deep frying them. Then coat with chocolate for a nice crunchy treat. I ate one once before I knew what it was and really liked it, but after they told me what I just ate I turned down seconds. I never thought of using Listerine to get rid of pests, but I can understand why they hate it. It seems like someone would come up with something that tastes better than that for a mouthwash. That stuff is just too horrible to put in your mouth. You could look on the small bright side — you are saving on chicken feed when they eat the ‘hoppers. 🙂
Carolyn says
OH NO 10K chcickens1 you wouldn’t get any quilting done! LOL
Susan says
Oh, ugh. Where are the seagulls when you need them?
Carolyn B says
No question about it, I wouldn’t care how idyllic life in Texas is, I could never tolerate the grasshoppers, the snakes you have to watch for everywhere, the spiders – absolutely none of them. I like gardening, but I can think of much better climes to do it in – IMHO.
I hope you’re left with something salvageable from this grasshopper scourge, especially after all you hard work.
Hugs,
Carolyn
Linda says
I can’t even imagine. I know the impulse to just wipe them out would be, but even potent pesticides wouldn’t wipe them all out and, of course, you don’t want that stuff around your plants or animals. I hope you find something that’s good for you and the planet, but bad for grasshoppers!
Lee Ann L. @Unfocused! says
Warning! Big grasshoppers are back too. At least, they are down here. I can only assume that they’ll show up at your place in a few. We had (still have) small grasshoppers first before the big ones showed up.
Mary Mekelburg says
Chuck’s cousin had a grasshopper problem until he got some african guinea fowls.. They eat grasshoppers and kill snakes. His sizeable acreage around the house which is surrounded by farmland is devoid of both and they don’t eat the garden. They roost in the trees which is hilarious. He has 27 and they dont require special care, just access to some water.
Janice Stockwell says
I hate when critters destroy your garden. We have groundhogs that wipe out every good thing in sight! We got a Have-a -heart trap and have caught groundhogs, possums, raccoons and even a skunk ( he was fun to un-trap) . Almost ready to give up the garden….sigh!