Grasshoppers, locusts or cicadas are insects that are regularly found in the garden, when you pass by they tend to jump to move around and sometimes become pests and can completely destroy crops. Today we are going to know some remedies to try to keep them at bay.
Grasshoppers or grasshoppers are usually in the orchard from spring until the onset of the first frosts, that is, when they go into hibernation, in the coldest places, while in the warmest places, they are present throughout the year, being more active and voracious in summer.
There is a wide variety of grasshoppers of many species, sizes and colors. Generally they do not present a serious plague except when there is a shortage of green plants and when they go to eat the crops, one observes leaves bitten by the edges, similar to the holes left by the caterpillars. They are also a serious problem when you have small trees, since there are some that eat the hardest leaves and, of course, since it is a tree with few leaves, losing them completely affects it seriously because it will not grow and may even die.
Contents
Life cycle
Male grasshoppers sing while rubbing their wings with their jumping legs to attract females. After the courtship, the females lay eggs on the ground where the future grasshoppers will hatch, which look a lot like the adults except that they are millimetric and have wings only at their adult size. Grasshoppers, like most insects, shed their skin to grow, this is because the “little costume” is left on them. They usually stay still and emerge with the new moult, they are initially whitish in color and weak to the touch until their skin hardens again. In colder places, they overwinter as eggs, emerging when good weather arrives in spring.
Adult grasshoppers can measure from a few millimeters to 15 cm depending on each species. And something you probably didn’t know is that they have ears on their biggest paws, the ones they use for jumping.
Natural predators
Grasshoppers are the lowest link in the food chain, which means they have many predators such as:
- Birds: Kestrels, crows, falcons, shrikes, curlews, mosquito nets…
- Mammals: Hedgehogs, mice, shrews, foxes…
- Amphibians: Frogs, toads, salamanders…
- Reptiles: Lizards, smooths, skinks, chameleons…
- Insects: Insectivorous grasshoppers, praying mantis, bed bugs, killer fly…
- Arachnids: scorpions, tiger spider, wolf spider…
- Myriapods: centipedes, centipedes…
We just have to be eco-friendly and nature will give us a hand. We can use perches as predator attractants for grasshoppers.
How to Repel Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are difficult to fight because nothing can eliminate them completely, what we can do is prevent them from feeding on certain crops because we put spicy remedies or other flavors that they do not like. Even if you’re one of those who use chemicals, many grasshoppers have become immune to poisons and, as always, the cure is worse than the disease.
- Garlic tea: Garlic does not like many insects as you may see your garlic plants go unnoticed as they have hardly any insect attacks. It is a good medicine that we can use.
- Apichi: It is a famous homemade insecticide that is usually made in South America as its ingredients are very common in homes there.
- Chop the garlic: In vegetable gardens, if you have spoiled garlic at home, you can reuse it by breaking it into pieces and scattering it around the pots.
- Chile: If you have chilli or chilli, you can chop it and boil it in a liter of water. When it cools, strain it and spray it on affected plants.
- Safety net : If you have small trees or certain plants that you don’t want to lose, you can put a hedge around and above them to prevent grasshoppers from getting to them.
- Decanter: If the trees are very small, you can put a large bottle or jug around them and leave the lid open so air can get in. In this way, the light will penetrate them well and they will have heat to develop.
- Neem oil: This will have an effect on the small grasshoppers, we can apply the recommended dose in the 16 liter backpack or with a smaller sprayer on the cultivation area or where we see the most grasshoppers in our garden.
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- 🥦 It can be used in pots, gardens, hedges, horticultural, ornamental plants, fruit trees, it is an Italian product and for lovers and respectful of the environment.
- 📑 In case of prevention or maintenance, just: Dilute 4 ml of neem in 1 LT of water and spray every 7 days. If the plants are attacked by pests, insects or if you have problems with…
- Chickens or ducks: If we have chickens or ducks in the garden, we must release them so that the grasshoppers can eat them, they will not leave a single one. If we do not want the crops to be eaten, we can put them controlled by zones through the portable chicken coop or with the electric fences.
- If you dare capture them It won’t be easy because the more sun there is, the more they will see and they will go faster. It’s best done early or late in the day, you can also use a white bag with one hand as a distraction and with the other you grab it in a quick motion. If they are on a branch it will be easier, you just have to catch it with a quick movement. You can release them elsewhere or feed them to the chickens.
- You can eat them, it’s no joke, they are eaten in many places around the world, they are high in protein. I haven’t tried them but it’s an option if you dare.
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