Grasshoppers

[darylhewston]

One for the gardening buffs.

Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have had all our new seedlings eaten off at ground level.  After investigation we found that grasshoppers were the culprit.  When we see them we sometime manage to catch them, unfortunately we can't be in the garden 24/7. 

We don't have chooks, and any sort of spray on pesticide won't work due to our watering schedule. 

We are currently trying the tops off soft drink bottles (also to act as a mini green house).

Have any of you had a similar problem and what did you do about it?

Cheers

Daryl

[greygardener]

Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen grasshoppers in our garden. Where are you based @darylhewston?

[darylhewston]

About 25 mins south of Perth

[CathD]

Sorry, I don't have any experience fighting the critters either. 

But I would go for this solution first before trying insecticides: Plant flowers, such as marigolds, calendula, sunflower, daisy, alyssum, or dill nearby to attract beneficial insects. A few good bugs, such as robber flies, attack grasshoppers.

This seems like another popular method: Chop up half a dozen small hot chillies and cloves of garlic. Put them in an old wine bottle and fill with water. Cap and let sit for a couple of days. Decant liquid into a spray bottle (probably cut 50/50 with water) and spray planst copiously. Top up wine bottle with fresh water and repeat, replacing the the chillies and garlic when they have lost their strength.

[Kermit]

How about getting your revenge...

[John1]

Come to Redland Bay Queensland and have a look at my garden it's called grasshoppers heaven. We cannot get rid of them up here. I'm sure they outnumber the cane toads by 2 to 1. We had a chook and she ate some but got sick of them and would only eat the ones I would catch. Still it never stopped the grasshopper plague. Now we just live with it.

I will now get to the point. I eagerly read items like yours as I live in hope that someone out there will give a reply that will solve both our problems. 

[Andy_Mann]

I Googled & straight up got a hit.

It's quite a gruesome site where posters rip grasshopper heads off, or pulverise them by applauding them with their thongs. Then there's the guy who wants fellow gardeners to identify whether the grasshopper is predatory (non-plant eating) or not, before taking it's life.

The one that impressed me was the guy who suggested placing flags in the garden, which he swears works, though I suspect that there was an ulterior motive for spruiking it as his opposite sex friend, happens to sell flags.

Nevertheless, this coming week could be the perfect time to put it to the test, & it won't cost you a cent.

The plan is to approach any political party, & tell them that you've never voted for them, but have now come to your senses. Then tell them that you want to be a flag waver for their cause, & I reckon you'll have more than enough flags at your first call.

An alternative could be to hop on the trendy bandwagon by becoming an apartment dweller, do breakfast, lunch & dinner at the places to be seen, & never have to stress over the confusion of a raised bed, no dig, contaminated soil, grasshoppers etc etc etc & flog off your exclusive kitchen on Gumtree.

[darylhewston]

@Andy_Mann

The last thing I want is a garden full of Turnbull's and Shorten's heads all over my garden.  Haven't heard of the flags though and will look further into this. You will never ever get me to live in an apartment.