Any suggestions of how to get rid of grassshoppers NOT using chemicals would be greatly appreciated.

-- D. Wallace (djwallace@ctos.com), June 18, 2000

Answers

Most poultry love grasshoppers (plus they make most excellent fishing bait). I've seen my turkey hen chase a grasshopper around the yard for a couple of minutes before she caught it.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), June 18, 2000.

Did you see the earlier post from Marilyn about mixing listerine and anti-bacterial soap and spraying it on your plants?

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), June 18, 2000.

Hi, I found that if you take a hose end sprayer like you ise to feed plants, fill it 1/4 with the yucky listerine or generic equivalent then fill the sprayer the rest of the way with anti bacterial dish soap and spray it on the hoppers it kills them pretty quickly. i am in Central Texas and we have had a plague of them this year. You just jave to be sure that the solution is still foamy when you spray it or it will only stun them. For more comments on this go to the pest thread at the bottom of the page...it's called Grasshopper Annihilation!!!!

-- Doreen (livinginskin@yahoo.com), June 18, 2000.

Doreen,

I'm sorry, it was your advice to use listerine and antibacterial soap. I don't know what made me think of Marilyn. My mistake, hope no offense was taken. I have a lot on my mind just now and I goofed!!!!!! Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), June 18, 2000.

Here in Texas we've had a terrible problem with grasshoppers the past few years. Finally we found what is supposed to be the best thing. It's called NoLo and it isn't toxic to anything but grasshoppers and some crickets. It isn't actually a toxin but some stuff that causes grasshoppers to come down with a virus that they are naturally prone to. One application is supposed to work for three to five years. Completely safe. I also have some Muscovy ducks that love to eat the grasshoppers and it's safe for them to be around the NoLo.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), June 19, 2000.

Kim, no offense taken at all!

Regarding the Nolo Bait....I have been using it for three years and still haven't been able to get the hoppers in check. This year they totaled my garden. I will get some tomatos and a few melons, and that's it. I bought 50lbs of Nolo to treat my four front acres this year, it's supposed to be a pound per acre every three to four weeks til it's in check. Last year I spent $220.00 on Nolo!!!!The fifty pound bag was $93.00, so it is much less expensive to get it that way. I did have to special order it from the feed store. I really hope it does take effect because hauling the garden hose all over the place is a bit irritating after awhile.I am using the Nolo Bait, but I just haven't seen any results from it. I'm glad that you have, though!

The guineas are helping quite a bit and the chickens try their best, but are just too lazy for the most part to catch a lot of the hoppers. This year the hoppers are worse than ever here in Central Texas.

-- Doreen (livinginskin@yahoo.com), June 19, 2000.

I just remembered. I read recently that you could set out several lids with think black molasses mixed about 1:4 with water and the grasshoppers will drink the stuff and it kills them. I haven't tried it but you know how it is, if it was in the paper it must be true....

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), June 19, 2000.

The most surefire way to get rid of them is to declare them a valuable and nutritious food crop. This will create an instant shortage of them making you eligible for disaster relief funds.

Yummy battered and fried! !)

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), June 20, 2000.