I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions about how to combat grasshoppers in our garden and yard area. They are eating everything in sight. We have several hives of bees on the edge of our garden so I have been reluctant to spray or use other insecticides. Any suggestions?? I asked at our extension office and garden supply stores and they all suggest malathion, which I know would be a disaster for our hives. When I tell them about our hives near our garden, they are at a loss as to what to do. Help!!!

Clare

-- Clare Q (qk65327@navix.net), July 24, 2001

Answers

Dear Clare, Turn your chickens loose and go and buy a few Guineas, if there are adults for sale, that would even be better, and they will take care of the grasshoppers. Doubt they would do any substancial harm to either a maturing garden or bees. We are having a bad year with ants, two sizes. Huge and medium. I wish our barn was closer to the house at times like this, however, they do come to the garden and eat every bug in site. Maureen

-- Maureen Stevenson (maureen@mtaonline.net), July 24, 2001.

Hi Clare,

I have had good luck using diatamaceous earth on ant hills. Sprinkle it liberally on the hill openings and around the hills. I used a can with a screw on lid. Punctured holes in the lid and away I went and so did the ants. I can't tell where they moved to. Frankly I don't care! Diatamaceous earth isn't harmful to pets or people either and it is organic. Do a search on the 'net' to get more info and good luck!

-- Deborah (djdangel@mb.sympatico.ca), July 24, 2001.

Clare, Ducks are great at eating grasshoppers too. Also chickens as mentioned above, of course ducks are cuter and smarter! :-) You can tell I am not a bit prejudiced in favor of ducks! :-) Think carefully about the Guineas, they are noisy and a pain in the neck. In there favor though, they are pretty self-sufficient and will roost in trees for protection where as ducks must be penned up at night to keep them safe. Good luck with this. :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), July 24, 2001.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have been considering guineas too, but had a bad experience the last time I tried them. They got to fledgling stage and I couldn't keep them in the pen anymore, and as they flew the coop, they just dissapeared!!! I don't know if predators got them or what. We live close to a creek and there are plenty of critters that would like to eat them. Someone suggested a biological that will control hoppers, it is based on a bran and mollases granule and will make the grasshoppers sick when they eat it. The only drawback is it takes several weeks to see effects. I might try this and will keep you all posted on how it works. Thanks so much guys, I may still check out the guineas too, I am just afraid I will lose them, they are kind of expensive!!

-- Clare Q (qk65327@navix.net), July 24, 2001.

To keep your guineas in, keep their wings clipped short.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 24, 2001.

Somewhere in the archives, there was a recipe for grasshopper spray, which I tried, but it doesn't work well for me for long, as I am surrounded by acres and acres of pasture with millions more hoppers that come in to replace those that get killed. The spray consisted of 1 part dishwashing liquid to 1 part listerine, and sprayed on your plants. Doesn't seem to hurt the plants, either. Got guinea keets this spring, and just recently let them out into the garden. At first they got into two separate groups, and went everywhere, got lost, then we found them and herded them back to the chicken coop. They know now to come back there at night and are staying in the garden every day eating bugs. I may clip the wings at night, anyway. I did read on a poultry site that guineas will sit in front of a hive and pick off the bees as they come out. Don't know if it is fact as I haven't any bees, tho. Good luck, Jan

-- Jan in Co (Janice12@aol.com), July 25, 2001.