Grasshoppers

Overview

Grasshoppers can be green or brown, and range from under 2 inches to over 4 inches in length. All are distinguished by their large, chewing jaws and are tremendous jumpers. While they gained notoriety as the plague of Dust Bowl farmers, nowadays grasshoppers are not a major pest for most gardeners. They actually prefer grasses, clovers, and some weeds to prized flowers and garden vegetables. However, if drought renders their favored foods scarce and there are sufficient numbers present, grasshoppers may strip the leaves and stems of your crops.

Fortunately, grasshopper populations are usually kept in check by a number of predators and parasites, which includes frogs, toads, birds, cats, skunks, coyotes, and even yellow jackets and hornets. If there are not enough of these natural controls in your environment, you can also use commercially available parasitic protozoa marketed as "NOLO Bait" or "Grasshopper Attack" or insecticidal soap to reduce their numbers. Bifenthrin is also effective.