Grasshoppers Eating New Plants

[AlittleSalt]

Today, I checked on the tomato plants growing in my seed tray, and there it was... a grasshopper had just chewed the largest Green Zebra plant in half! I was going to plant it today, but not now.

I am thinking about making a small cage out of 1/4" rabbit cage wire. It will be about the size of a Pringles can so maybe it might help keep the larger grasshoppers off the new plants.

If anyone has any other ideas on what I could do or use - I would like to know.

[Dewayne mater]

I believe there is only one thing that stops grasshoppers, kaolin clay. Ugly stuff, but, powerful. Good luck!

Dewayne Mater

[Worth1]

Seven dust.
I have only had to use it once.
The problem is they have to eat it and if the plants are small---well it would be too late.

The time I used it I had thousands of grasshoppers in the garden and hated doing it but I had to.

One thing I have learned is to mow away from the garden as this drives them the right way.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

I believe there is only one thing that stops grasshoppers, kaolin clay. Ugly stuff, but, powerful. Good luck!

Dewayne Mater

I looked kaolin clay up online. That's an interesting idea using clay to confuse bugs. I've read about use on pomegranates and apples. Sounds interesting to try.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Seven dust.
I have only had to use it once.
The problem is they have to eat it and if the plants are small---well it would be too late.

The time I used it I had thousands of grasshoppers in the garden and hated doing it but I had to.

One thing I have learned is to mow away from the garden as this drives them the right way.

Worth

I've used 7 dust and malathion in the past. It's funny now, but I made a bad mistake by mixing some old boric acid with 7 dust. I thought they are both dust that kills bugs, but the boric acid burned the leaves so bad they turned to dust when I touched them.

I agree with mowing away from the garden too. I thought that putting the garden in an area around it has no grass or weeds - just dirt and shade, but grasshoppers know the garden is there anyway.

[Dewayne mater]

Suze - an original moderator on Tville and the best darn Texas tomato grower I've every seen recommended that years ago. Supposedly, it is effective on stink bugs too. I would think anything that had to bite and chew on leaves/fruit through clay would find a mouthful of it pretty disgusting, at least I think that is part of the way it works. Organic too.