John Hall wrote in
news
Yesterday I heard (from an acquaintance of a friend, so cannot vouch
for the veracity, merely relate it as told to me) that someone near
here accidentally dropped a container of garlic butter, which popped
open and splattered the contents on the ground. He was amazed to see,
several minutes later, hundreds of grasshoppers eagerly eating it.

He was even more amazed to see, about fifteen minutes later, hundreds
of dead grasshoppers. Apparently the Alberta Agricultural Research
organisation (IIRC) is following up on this.

Is this an Old Wives' tale, or an Urban/Rural Legend?

It won't cost anyone much to try this out.

Interesting, one web site lists garlic as a grasshopper repellant.
However, my guess is that the grasshoppers asphixiated themselves, since
they breathe through spiracles in their legs and the butter probably
clogged them up pretty good.

-- Salty