If wishing them away would do the trick, they’d be gone. I so badly do not want to see them this year, but they’re here.
Grasshopper
Desperation has set in. I called a lady about getting some guineas. If we have too many (I truly don’t know how many) chickens running around, turkeys running around and a few guineas, surely they can make a dent in the grasshopper population.
Do you know they don’t have them in town? They’re only out in the country. I can’t believe it . . I wish I didn’t even know that. I can hardly stand to think about dealing with them again.
Last week I was walking around out back and I saw a white grasshopper. He was huge and solid white . . til he moved his legs to hop and his back legs (which I’m sure they have another name besides back legs), right next to his body, were green and red striped. It was an amazing thing to see but I still don’t want them around eating the crops and getting in my mouth when I’m trying to talk and eating the screens off the windows. I do not want them here!
Theresa says
Your idea of using natural controls (hens and guinea fowl) is the safest for your garden. There are some fungus/nematode/bacterial solutions that only work on grasshoppers, but most are finicky and only work on eggs or young grasshoppers.
It’s too bad that they’re only yummy for the hens and not for us.
Theresa says
One website did mention that you can suck them up with a small shop vac filled with soapy water, in the early morning or at night before they get active. That would be my husband’s idea of fun.
shauna says
have you ever tried
http://www.planetnatural.com/product/ecobran-grasshopper-bait/
it might be worth a try. My uncle used it and it helped, didn’t totally make them go away but reduced them. But he didn’t have chickens
Howdy says
LOL – you are too funny… “…getting in my mouth when I’m trying to talk…”
Out in town they have probably soaked everything in pesticides… I’d rather have grasshoppers… and of course chickens to eat them!
Kathy Bjelke says
Hi Judy,
I’ve heard that guineas are the best! Also, for getting rid of ticks and fleas .. They are great at sounding the alarm for anything out of the norm. Here is something that I learned about them though, you need to put them in a pen for about two weeks so that they know that they are home. Otherwise, they will walk away as soon as you let them go after bringing them home. That happened to a neighbor of mine.
JudyL says
It’s pretty much that same thing with most fowl. We’ll keep the turkeys in a pen/coop or a while, feed them at the same time every day and hopefully, when we let them loose, they’ll stay close to home.
Norece says
My aunt in Oklahoma planted a border of flowers around her garden. She said it kept the grasshoppers out of garden, gave them something to eat and shelter. She would then spay the flowers and kill the grasshoppers. Not sure what kind of flowers she planted and I am sure she used a chemical spay that you wouldn’t want on your veggies. I am sorry that they are invading your home again. I wonder if you could find out where they lay their eggs and then spray in that area in early spring before they hatch…..
Terri says
How do they keep them away from the town?
JudyL says
Grasshoppers prefer tall weeds and woods over asphalt, or, they came in from the south and just haven’t made it that far yet. I have no idea but I’m glad for the folks in town that they don’t have them.
Jo says
Oh Judy, guineas are the best bug eaters ever! If you get keats you can train them to roost in a coop…i know, i know, another coop…grown guineas are a little hard to train but it can be done. There’s a wonderful little book called Gardening with Guineas and an online forum that is great. Guneas are so much fun…and they come in about 10 dufferent colors. I have chocolate brown, light blue and dark blue guineas, altho I do think the “original” guinea is the prettiest. And they are very easy to care for, much cleaner than chickens..minimal coop cleaning. The biggest problem is that they do get picked off by owls and hawks if they roost in the trees. Well, I bet you knew all this, but you can tell that I get excited about guineas!
Sherrill says
Oh YUCK! I can’t stand grasshoppers! Do you want to borrow my two rugrat nephews? They LOVE to catch grasshoppers and would probably dismember them for you as well!! HA
Angie says
They eat the screens off the windows! Oh-my, that with the snakes would make me want to move someplace else. I hope the Guinea hens help. They are such interesting birds. Hoping this years the grass hoppers and all their eggs get ate by the chickens and guineas!
Katie Z. says
We just gave away our guineas due to neighbor issues, but they were the most fabulous bug eaters! Get some!
JudyL says
I am still doubtful that guineas are good for us but we’re willing to try anything to get rid of the grasshoppers.
Susan says
Ugh, I agree. Tennessee has some nasty looking black ones that I hate, and they ARE in town. I hope the chickens and turkeys all manage to wipe out the population on your property!
Peg H says
OMG – ALREADY?!? Grasshoppers say “height of summer” to me (no idea why) and here in Ohio spring is still tentative about making her appearance. Yowzer! I hate grasshoppers. I hope the guineas help.
JudyL says
100 degree days say height of summer to me and we’re there! 🙁 Don’t have the guineas yet. We’re going to talk to the lady on Monday that has them.
barbara says
it seems like the grasshopper season just ended. have you contacted your agi agent? what are other people doing?
JudyL says
There have been several articles in the newspaper . . there’s nothing right now that can be done. They’ve destroyed acres and acres of hay so my problems with them are small compared to what some are facing. Anything that might kill the grasshoppers, and so far, nothing has been real effective, isn’t something I would spray on my garden. The one thing, and I can’t remember what it is, that has any results at all with the grasshoppers, also kills bees so we wouldn’t use that and I don’t think anyone has had enough good results with it to justify using it. They say we need a wet spring because there’s a fungus that kills the babies as they hatch but we’ve had less rain this spring than I think they said we’ve had in about 25 years. Not good on so many counts.
Ranch Wife says
I was REALLY hoping they wouldn’t show up for you this year. Snakes and grasshoppers are on my mind every time I set foot outside and I’m always hoping to not see either one. I’m thinking the upside to us being so dry is that we don’t have grasshoppers. Who knew there was an upside to drought. I’m anxious to see how y’all get along with the guineas if you chose to get them. We’re thinking along those lines too, but it’ll be June before we can get them here.