Hello Folks, I've only been homesteading for a little over 2 years, and have yet to see the same thing from one year to the next. This spring/summer our area of Oklahoma was overwhelmed by grasshoppers. I'm trying to do everything in an organic manner, but I'd like to be able to have a garden next year. Everything was stripped this year by these little buggers, even the bushes and some trees. Even our orchard seems to be failing from lack of leaves. They didn't touch some of the herbs, but really loved our veggies. I didn't get one thing this year and that can be really disheartening. How can I get rid of these pests and still be organic? Thanks for all your help. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 01, 2001

Answers

I know that my kids will catch grasshoppers and feed them to the chickens. But you would probably need a hundred chickens, if there are as many as people say!!!

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), November 01, 2001.

Grasshoppers were bad here, too. Winter will get them. They are just part of the cycle.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), November 01, 2001.

At our home in Central Texas, we had a goodly number of free-ranging poultry. While we saw a few hoppers, it was nothing compared to what others had. In our new home this year, with no poultry helpers, we were just over-run with them. Since we can't let the chickens range quite as freely here, and don't want them in the garden, our plan for next year is to have a chicken run actually go around the garden.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 02, 2001.

I wonder what guineas do to a garden? How about a little chicken ark that you move about the perimeter of the garden--like chicken tractors? I love permaculture the original perpetual motion machine...

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 02, 2001.

Guineas are definitely less destructive to a garden than chickens because they don't scratch so much. I don't know about tasting things. We only had a few guineas at a time, so didn't find them to damage anything. You certainly have to be prepared for their vocalizing;), and usually wouldn't want to have them with close neighbors...I was able to cut down some on the grasshoppers in the garden this year by putting the rooster chicks in a temporary run between the garden and the grassy ditch where the hoppers were coming up. A portable coop around the garden would at least be of some help- -don't know if it would be enough.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 03, 2001.

Hey Folks. Thanks for all the ideas. Since reading your responses, I've been talking with my sister and her new fiancee about all of us doing a group garden next year. We might just build a new chicken run around the garden. I'll let you all know what happens. Thanks again. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 03, 2001.

iris, what herbs did they not touch? take that herb and steep it in warm water. 2 gal. take 1 small onion,1 hot pepper,3 cloves garlic and puree them. add this to the water and herb mix. let sit 2 hrs.strain and add 1tblsp murphys oil soap and 1tblsp veg oil. spray all over yor veggies 3x week. this should help. good luck cody

-- cody (urbusted@alltel.net), February 18, 2002.