well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5 big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

They are a normal part of summer in Texas. Best thing to do is what you have
done -- catch them and go fishing!

"whit" wrote in message ...
well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5 big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

Of all insects, these are my most reviled. I am petrified of them. I don't
know why, I just am. For the last three spring seasons I've put out NoloBait,
which is a biological control of grasshoppers. I put it out the second I see
the tiny nymphs in the garden. This infection is carried in bran, which
grasshoppers love to eat. I used to have many hundreds, or thousands of
grasshoppers and this year I've encountered about a dozen or so.

The best price on the NoloBait is Barton Springs Garden Center. Check the date
before buying it and buy the freshest batch they sell. This product does not
have a long shelf life.

I sprinkle it around by hand where I have seen grasshoppers en masse before. I
use very little, and I do successional treatments. I start with one go around
the entire property, a week later the same, another week the same...till I'm out
of bait.

It really works. I see a markedly different number of grasshoppers this year.


On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:40:09 GMT, whit opined:

well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5 big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

Thanks for the info, the little buggers are kinda hard to catch )

This is the first year I've seen so many in my yard- I guess it's the
first year I've had much yummy stuff for them.

I'll look into NoloBait, but my dog will eat almost anything too so I'll
have to check into that also.

I'm down in Corpus, and I'm wondering whether you have any grackles in
Austin, as the females do a darn good job of eating the bugs in my yard.
They just march back and forth through the grass all day. I even saw one of
them grab a cicada right out of the air a few days ago. Between the
grackles, sparrows, and spiders, I don't have to poison any bugs.
Taking them (the grasshoppers) fishing sounds like a great idea, though I
empathize with the person who doesn't like to handle them. If there are any
neighbor-kids, I'm sure they'd round up some grasshoppers for you.

Windy in Corpus

"whit" wrote in message ...
well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5 big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

Do we have grackles!? *Boy* do we have grackles, but it's one of the few
birds my dog will chase out of the back yard / They all sit up in the
trees and squawk. We have a couple mocking birds that are doing what
they can to help, but...


Sew-Sew Lady wrote:

I'm down in Corpus, and I'm wondering whether you have any grackles in
Austin, as the females do a darn good job of eating the bugs in my yard.
They just march back and forth through the grass all day. I even saw one of
them grab a cicada right out of the air a few days ago. Between the
grackles, sparrows, and spiders, I don't have to poison any bugs.
Taking them (the grasshoppers) fishing sounds like a great idea, though I
empathize with the person who doesn't like to handle them. If there are any
neighbor-kids, I'm sure they'd round up some grasshoppers for you.

Windy in Corpus

They do get loud...when the weather is nice and I have the screen doors
letting "fresh" air in the house, sometimes the males will walk right up to
the door and arch their backs and squawk....makes me jump right out of my
skin.
The females are much nicer to have around, I think. They stay here pretty
much year-round, quietly (compared to the males anyway) eating bugs, and big
flocks of males are here for just a few weeks at a time in the cooler
weather.

"whit" wrote in message ...
Do we have grackles!? *Boy* do we have grackles, but it's one of the few
birds my dog will chase out of the back yard / They all sit up in the
trees and squawk. We have a couple mocking birds that are doing what
they can to help, but...


Sew-Sew Lady wrote:

I'm down in Corpus, and I'm wondering whether you have any grackles in
Austin, as the females do a darn good job of eating the bugs in my yard.
They just march back and forth through the grass all day. I even saw
one of
them grab a cicada right out of the air a few days ago. Between the
grackles, sparrows, and spiders, I don't have to poison any bugs.
Taking them (the grasshoppers) fishing sounds like a great idea, though
I
empathize with the person who doesn't like to handle them. If there are
any
neighbor-kids, I'm sure they'd round up some grasshoppers for you.

Windy in Corpus

I was spraying with Neem oil mix once a week and that kept them down.
When it got all rainy, I didn't want to spray every other day so I
quit and haven't started back up yet. And they've eaten almost all the
leaves off my Japanese Red Maple, et. al.

They won't eat leaves with Neem on them (it doesn't actually kill the
grasshoppers -- they just go away) and it isn't poisonous to the
animals - unlike about everything else I've tried.

No-Lo bait I've never tried, but I understand it is a preventative and
has to be done before you have them to do any good. Since we have huge
grassy fields only two blocks away, they seem to me to just kinda
swarm across the neighborhood in waves and I don't feel like treating
a whole field at a time. Plus it doesn't get rid of the ones I have
right now.

John


"whit" wrote in message
...
well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done
quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other
plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing
them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of
each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5
big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got
back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I
went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

Get some Wolf Spiders to spread around.


"whit" wrote in message ...
well not quite an invasion, but in the last few weeks they've done quite
a number on one of my palmetto's, some wisteria, and a few other plants,
but most everything else seems OK. I suspect a deficiency causing them
to go after these plants as we have two palmettos within 5 ft of each
other one got hit pretty hard, one seems unscathed.

The worst of it was when I was out of town for a week, I caught 5 big
hoppers off one of the palmettos in about 5 minutes the day I got back-
they're In a jar and I'm going fishing soon )

Any suggestions on getting a handle on these buggers, yesterday I went
out and had a half dozen more jump out of my way as I walked thru my
yard.

Thanks

Howdy folks,
In regards to No Lo bait, here is a link to their site giving
details:

http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/nolo.html

The site does mention that it's effectiveness is limited once the
invasion is in full swing. It's a disease that is spread from
grasshopper to grasshopper by the bugs charming habit of canibalizing
their dead.

take care,
Steve Coyle
www.austingardencenter.com

This is my experience with Nolo Bait (nosema locustae). In early spring, for
the past three years, I buy a fresh container at Barton Springs Nursery. It's
the best price anywhere at about 12 dollars. It's enough to do an acre. When I
see the first tiny nymph I sprinkle the bait around where I saw the nymphs,
since probably that's where eggs were lain. About one week later, I do another
very small application. I have half acre so I can do four applications in the
spring.

Three years ago, I could not walk in the garden without being hit by hoppers,
freaking out at their size and I am desperately afraid of them (for some
reason). There were so many, I couldn't garden if my husband wasn't home with
me. I'm talking phobia.

I continued to apply the bait in early spring for four applications a week apart
after seeing the first nymph. By that time I knew where on the property were the
heaviest populations so I'd sprinkle a bit more there. First I would wet the
foliage, then judiciously sprinkle the bait so it would stick to the foliage.

Okay, this year. It's nearing the end of August and I think I've seen about 20
grasshoppers on my property this year. Now, we did have that late freeze with
the ice and snow. The week or few days before that, it was in the 80s, if
anyone recalls. That may have warmed the soil enough to cause a hatch and the
freeze got a lot of them, but each year I've had less and less grasshoppers.

Finally, this year I can say I have them managed. I can deal with a few dozen,
but not the many hundreds and hundreds I had. I should also add that our
property has many hundreds of lizards in all stages of life. They are
everywhere, all day, all the time. They do eat grasshoppers, as do other great
living creatures like mockingbirds, which I have three pairs.

So, that's my grasshopper report.

NoloBait works if it is applied properly, when nymphs first hatch out.

victoria


On 28 Aug 2003 09:30:20 -0700, (Steve Coyle) opined:

Howdy folks,
In regards to No Lo bait, here is a link to their site giving
details:

http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/nolo.html

The site does mention that it's effectiveness is limited once the
invasion is in full swing. It's a disease that is spread from
grasshopper to grasshopper by the bugs charming habit of canibalizing
their dead.

take care,
Steve Coyle
www.austingardencenter.com