Last year we had grasshoppers and biblical proportions. They decimated crops in the home garden as well as the fields. With a mild winter, I need to be proactive to gain a jump on the grasshoppers before they arrive.

It’s Not All Grasshoppers and Plague

Naturally gain a jump on grasshoppers

When you see grasshoppers munching on your leaves it’s almost too late. In the spring in the early summer is the best time to take measures to limit their numbers. My favorite tool is the Nosema locustae spores found under a number of brand names. It is a naturally occurring protozoa that is mixed with a type of bait and applied while the grasshoppers or crickets are still nymphs.

When to apply the bait

The best time to apply the New Zealand is during the first hatch before the grasshoppers become adults. When I start seeing little half inch hoppers, I know it’s time to apply the beat to the tall grass in the edges of the garden we are grasshoppers feed. If it all possible, spread it with a whirlybird type unit, or by hand, in the morning. Don’t spread it if it’s going to rain within the next six hours. Different brands might call for a different application amounts, but generally it is a pound of bait per acre.

How Nosema locustae works to gain a jump on grasshoppers

The great thing about this particular tool is it perpetuates through the summer. When the grasshoppers or crickets, including Mormon crickets, eat the bait the protozoa damages their stomach and they die. And since grasshoppers and the like don’t shy away from cannibalism, when a grasshopper eats infected one, the protozoa is transferred to it continuing the process. This doesn’t mean you won’t have any grasshoppers, but at least it should help reduce the numbers.

Probably due to supply chain issues rippling from the pandemic, the Nosema locustae bait can be difficult to find in 2021. Hopefully this will change in the near future, but many of us are running out of time. If you do find some soon, but are not ready to use it, keep it in your refrigerator as it does break down relatively quickly. 

What to do if you run out of time

The nice thing about this is it is an organic option to knock down the numbers of an insect that does cause a lot of damage. If you cannot apply the bait this year, you can find other ways to protect your plants. One of my go to options is to use the floating row cover as a barrier between the grasshoppers in the plants themselves. It is best to use the lighter weight fabric that is more specifically geared towards pest control versus frost protection. This allows ample light to reach the plants and doesn’t overheat them. As with any of these row covers, it’s best to use a drip-type irrigation instead of overhead watering.

Other options include bringing in the poultry. Chickens and ducks will pick up tasty hoppers. Just be sure to fence off the garden to prevent the chickens from eating your plants, as well as pooping around them. It’s never wise to apply fresh manure before you’re going to harvest, even if it’s straight from the animal. There are a number of sprayed on concoctions, such as a garlic spray, but I’ve never really found these helpful.

I really hope the grasshopper numbers are not nearly as prolific as last year. I am keeping an eye open for any of the tiny grasshoppers so I can be ready with my protozoan army.