Managing Grasshoppers in the Garden: Strategies That Work

Grasshoppers are common across North America, recognizable by powerful hind legs and wings. They chew ragged holes in leaves and are among the toughest garden pests to control due to their mobility.

Control Methods

Attract beneficial insects: Plant marigolds, calendula, sunflowers, daisies, alyssum, or dill to invite predators like robber flies.

Biological control: Nosema locustae is a microsporidian disease that infects young grasshoppers. It's slow-acting, species-specific, and must be applied in egg-laying areas to be effective.

Insecticides: Carbaryl or permethrin products kill grasshoppers but don't provide complete control because insects move freely between yards. They also don't prevent new arrivals.

Weather help: Cool, wet early summers naturally suppress populations by starving young nymphs.