Description
Grasshoppers, also called locusts, are large (up to 2½ inches long), light green or brown and dark-mottled insects with hind legs enlarged for jumping. There are hundreds of different species throughout the United States, but only a few of these are damaging to garden plants. Grasshoppers are not a serious pest every year. Seasonal conditions must be ideal for them to build up to large numbers. They are found primarily in areas that receive only 10 to 30 inches of rain annually. When winter temperatures are mild and other conditions are optimum, grasshopper populations increase to tremendous numbers and food becomes scarce. Under these conditions, many types of grasshoppers become nonselective in their food preference. Millions of migratory grasshoppers have been known to form swarms hundreds of miles across, devouring every green plant in their path. When infestations build up to such tremendous numbers, these grasshoppers pollute water, invade homes, destroy fabrics, and become a hazard to motorists.
Control
Handpicking eliminates small populations of grasshoppers. In order to minimize damage, controls should be applied while the grasshoppers are young. (Young grasshoppers are distinguished from the adults by their lack of fully developed wings.) As grasshoppers mature they require larger quantities of food. They will migrate, usually from mature and drying crops and weeds to the garden to find food. Treat with an insecticide containing carbaryl, diazinon, or malathion. Repeat at weekly intervals if the plants become reinfested.
