grasshopper infestation

I live in central Oklahoma, outside of town, and have an organic vegetable and herb garden. This year we are experiencing a meadow grasshopper infestation. Does anyone know how to get rid of these eaters?

I read an odd little article that said to use plain old white all-purpose flour, not the self-rising one as it has salt in it...and liberally dust your plants with it. The Gluten in the flour gums up the mouth parts and the grasshopper can't eat.

http://pestcontroloptions.com/insect-control/get-rid-of-grasshoppers-the-eco-friendly-way

That's interesting because I read that, too, in a different article, but read that I had to sprinkle the flour directly on the hoppers in the morning when there is dew on the plants. They always hop away whenever I come near them so that's been unsuccessful. I'll
sprinkle flour on my plants tonight. Thanks!

That's very interesting about using flour. This year's "Old Farmer's Almanac" had a great article with lots of assorted organic gardening tips. One of the tips was to sprinkle flour on plants to get rid of aphids. They said it constipates them...yes it really said that.

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I bet it would work on other insects, too.

I'm trying it today and will let y'all know what happens. I read that you leave the sprinkled flour on plants for only two days then wash it off. Hope it doesn't hurt the beneficial critters.

Most of the beneficial critters eat the "bad guys" or the polllen/nectar, not the plants, so they'd probably be okay. I think, just to be on the safe side, I'd keep the flour off any flowers so it wouldn't get on the pollen or nector, though.

Excellent idea! Thanks

It was my understanding that you dust your plants with all purpose at night before dew fall, and that it was not necessary to dust the grasshoppers themselves since the dew wets the flower and makes it sticky so when the grasshoppers eats the plant, it gums up in the grasshopper's mandibles..making it very difficult for them to eat.

Thank you, themoonhowl, for that info. They are eating our oak tree leaves...some don't have hardly any leaves on them anymore. It's horrible. And they devoured my orange mint and some of my baby marigolds, too, but not the bigger ones. Seems they love the new leaves. Maybe I'll put flour in the wet vac and blow it into the trees!

Your are most welcome Daisyannie. But, I really don't think it would be safe to use the flour in your shop vac. Flour dust can be ignited and explode. All it takes is a spark from your shop vac and you could have a serious fire/explosion to deal with. I am very much afraid it would be you blown into the trees. You can hand sprinkle the flour around your plants, but please take care when you do.


http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/03/the-explosive-t/

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/dust-potential-factor-statesville-flour-mill-explo/nXHTK/

http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/73washburn.html

Thank you for this info! I used the sprinkled flour in the veggie garden but I can't really tell if it stopped the hoppers or not, there are so many of them everywhere. We've decided to wait and see what happens.

Grasshoppers are very hard to control because they are migratory. Once you control the ones there new ones can move in.

One product I have tried is Semaspore. Semaspore Bait contains Nosema locustae, a naturally occurring single celled protozoan infects all stages of developing grasshoppers. Nosema when ingested creates a disease that is specific to these pests. It will not harm any other living species. This wont kill all of them but can provide a good barrier.

http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/semaspore-organic-grasshopper-control/246

This thread is many years old. Nolo & Semaspore appear to be unavailable. Anything new on the grasshopper removal front? My garden is stripped.