There are several hundred species of grasshoppers, but only a handful that cause damage to crops and ornamental plants. Many common garden species are 1-2 inches in length and gray, green or brown in color. All grasshoppers have large eyes and large hind legs specially developed for jumping. Adult females dig holes in the soil with their abdomen and lay eggs. One year later, wingless nymphs hatch in the spring. By summer, they have developed into mature winged adults.
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Favorite Plants
Some species of grasshoppers are general herbivores and feed only on grass. Others feed on just about any type of wild or cultivated plant available, including the leaves and flowers of plants. One interesting aspect of grasshoppers is that some of the vegetations they eat contain
Chemical
s that are either toxic or taste bad. These
Chemical
s are absorbed into their systems and used as a means of repelling would be predators
Damage
Grasshopper Damage occurs most frequently during dry summers. The potential for Damage increases as the summer progresses and crops start to develop fruit. Adults will be more likely to move into yards and gardens in July and August. Adults can quickly shred plants and either destroy or severely reduce potential yields.
Organic Methods of Control:
Cultural or Mechanical
Cover seedlings with row covers and valuable plants with metal screens.
Leave an unmowed grass border around the yard or garden to delay grasshopper movement toward crops and ornamentals.
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Fall plowing can help destroy some eggs.
Plant a "trap" crop like zinnias around the edge of the garden to attract and hold grasshoppers.
Biological
Attract grasshopper predators to the garden like birds, lizards, praying mantis, rodents and spiders.
Apply the beneficial protozoan Nosema locustae to the yard and garden if you live in an area plagued by grasshoppers. This attacks grasshoppers in the nymph stage and may take up to one year to see the full effects.
Chemical
Spray an insecticidal soap directly on the grasshoppers.
I have 7 acres, and raise goats, chickens, ducks, geese, quail, and one donkey. I have about 30 head of goats right now. There are thousands and thousand and thousands of grasshoppers this year. We had them last year, but not this many. I am sure these will lay eggs and there will be millions next year. I have contacted my Ag dept. They suggested Tempo. But I have critters that eat here. I can't use poisons. I am in northeast Texas.
When you walk hundreds and hundreds are leaping everywhere. I heard about NOLO bait, but I can't get my feed store to order it. It is a bit expensive. I tired to treat my place, but it is like a drop in a five gallon bucket. It does me no good to treat my 7 acres when the 3000 or so acres around me are not being treated. They just move on back in the next day after treatment. All the brown spots are grasshoppers.
We had an infestation of grasshoppers this year, and using several different methods we had it somewhat under control. I wrote a post with all the methods we used:
I have 7 acres, and raise goats, chickens, ducks, geese, quail, and one donkey. I have about 30 head of goats right now. There are thousands and thousand and thousands of grasshoppers this year. We had them last year, but not this many. I am sure these will lay eggs and there will be millions next year. I have contacted my Ag dept. They suggested Tempo. But I have critters that eat here. I can't use poisons. I am in northeast Texas. 
