# What to do about Grasshoppers?



## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

What to plant for bees and not grasshoppers?????


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Just net them and throw them in a vat of chocolate. You may have to fry them first. I'm not sure.


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## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

:thumbsup:Get you a bunch of chickens, they'll help with the grasshoppers. And free yard eggs to boot.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I second the chickens. I've never had grasshopper issues when I've had chickens in the yard. Free chicken feed.  I also never had issues with ticks with chickens in the yard.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

For sure chickens is the way to go, my wife's chickens roam free in the yard and around the hives and have kept our place free from grasshoppers and ticks for years now and they give us fresh eggs as well.


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## Edcrosbys (Oct 26, 2010)

Careful with those chickens. I was told they are a "gateway animal".


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## CharlieN (Feb 23, 2011)

Chickens or Guineas - if you don't mind the noise I think Guineas are the best - and they make wonderful watch birds... NOTHING can come around without them alerting you.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Agreed, Guineas are best for insects IF you can stand the racket...


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

Edcrosbys said:


> Careful with those chickens. I was told they are a "gateway animal".


They are and were; I got tired of feeding the hawks and owls and penned up , the price of oyster shell and feed was worth more than the chickens 

Glad those livestock days are over, down to 2 dogs and my bees . Yeah


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## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

I used Nolo-bait years ago with good success. It a biocontrol containing Paranosema (Nosema) locustae. No grasshopper problems for years! 

From the website:
The Paranosema (Nosema) locustae spores are ingested by the grasshopper they become activated in the grasshopper's mid-gut. The spores germinate or extrude a filament from the cell wall. In the process of extruding this filament, the spores pierce the mid-gut wall of the grasshopper and in very young grasshoppers death usually occurs very quickly. This is due to septicemia or bacteria invading the grasshopper and causing death. In more mature grasshoppers the spores continue to reproduce, utilizing the fat body of the grasshopper for energy. As the Paranosema (Nosema) locustae population increases inside the grasshopper it becomes lethargic, reduces its feeding and has lowered reproduction capability. In addition, grasshoppers are quite cannibalistic and healthy grasshoppers will feed on their slow, sickly companions. This enables the Paranosema (Nosema) locustae to spread throughout the population and infect other grasshoppers that migrate into the area. Infected female grasshoppers can also pass the infection along in the sticky substance that surrounds the egg pods. As the newly hatching grasshoppers chew their way out of the egg pod they also become infected and will mostly likely die before reaching the first molt.


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

Walliebee said:


> I used Nolo-bait years ago with good success. It a biocontrol containing Paranosema (Nosema) locustae. No grasshopper problems for years!
> 
> From the website:
> The Paranosema (Nosema) locustae spores are ingested by the grasshopper they become activated in the grasshopper's mid-gut. The spores germinate or extrude a filament from the cell wall. In the process of extruding this filament, the spores pierce the mid-gut wall of the grasshopper and in very young grasshoppers death usually occurs very quickly. This is due to septicemia or bacteria invading the grasshopper and causing death. In more mature grasshoppers the spores continue to reproduce, utilizing the fat body of the grasshopper for energy. As the Paranosema (Nosema) locustae population increases inside the grasshopper it becomes lethargic, reduces its feeding and has lowered reproduction capability. In addition, grasshoppers are quite cannibalistic and healthy grasshoppers will feed on their slow, sickly companions. This enables the Paranosema (Nosema) locustae to spread throughout the population and infect other grasshoppers that migrate into the area. Infected female grasshoppers can also pass the infection along in the sticky substance that surrounds the egg pods. As the newly hatching grasshoppers chew their way out of the egg pod they also become infected and will mostly likely die before reaching the first molt.


This is close, (maybe all of) what I was looking for. My buckwheat is 4 inches tall, and although there are grasshoppers everywhere near it, there are none on it!

It is wet, wet, wet, so maybe that is the trick. No deer or turkey either??????

Maybe we can have some flowers in a couple weeks.


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## CBoggs (Jun 20, 2014)

Walliebee. Sounds like your the man I've been wanting to talk to. I assume you had bee's when you were using the Nolo bait. I realize the Nosema strain is different in Bee's than in the Nolo, but I wanted to actually talk to someone who had been, or is using it at this time for grasshopper control, and that it did not have any negative affects on the Bee's. So, is this the case?
Thanks


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>What to plant for bees and not grasshoppers????? 

Chickens...


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## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

CBoggs-Never had any problems with it around the bees. Because it is a naturally occuring bacteria that is host specific, it only affects the family Acrididae (grasshoppers), not Apidae (bees).


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Is this a definitive - Nolo bait around my gardens won't hurt my bees?


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> Agreed, Guineas are best for insects IF you can stand the racket...


I liked when I had guineas. But sadly, guineas and roads do not go well together! Guineas will stand in the middle of the road and watch as a vehicle approaches - and then they continue standing there. I've had vehicles including the school bus come to a complete stop and beep their horn. When the vehicles don't stop, the guinea gets run over. I don't have guineas anymore.

For those that say to "Keep them in a pen." if they aren't free range they won't be eating all the bugs.


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