Do Grasshoppers Eat Plants

If you’ve ever noticed jagged holes in your garden leaves or missing chunks of your prized vegetables, you might be wondering about the culprit. Do grasshoppers eat plants? The simple answer is yes, and they can be quite voracious about it. As a gardener, understanding the behavior of these plant-eating insects is key to protecting your green space. This guide will help you identify their damage, manage their presence, and keep your garden thriving.

Grasshoppers are primarily herbivores, meaning their diet consists almost entirely of plant matter. They aren’t picky eaters, either. From the tender shoots of your new grass to the broad leaves of your lilies and the developing fruits in your vegetable patch, few plants are completely safe. Their feeding is a natural part of many ecosystems, but in your garden, their appetites can quickly become a problem.

What Plants Do Grasshoppers Prefer?

While grasshoppers will sample many plants, they have clear favorites. Knowing which plants are most at risk helps you monitor and protect them more effectively.

Vegetables: Lettuce, beans, corn, carrots, and onions are common targets. They seem to particularly enjoy the leaves of young corn plants.
Ornamentals: Lilies, iris, and daffodils often show signs of grasshopper feeding. They also like the foliage of many annual flowers.
Grasses & Grains: As their name implies, grasses of all kinds are a staple, including lawn grass, wheat, and barley.
Fruit Trees & Bushes: They will nibble on the leaves of young fruit trees and can damage the leaves of berry bushes, though they less commonly eat the fruit itself.

How to Identify Grasshopper Damage

It’s important to distinguish grasshopper damage from that caused by other insects. Here’s what to look for:

Irregular Chewing: Grasshoppers create large, irregularly shaped holes along the edges and centers of leaves. The damage often starts at the top of the plant.
Missing Leaves: In severe infestations, entire leaves or even small seedlings can be completely consumed, leaving only the stems.
Fruit Damage: You might find surface scars or chunks missing from fruits and vegetables that are exposed to the sun.
The Insects Themselves: You’ll often see the grasshoppers themselves, especially on sunny days. They are most active when it’s warm and will jump or fly when disturbed.

Grasshopper Lifecycle and Why It Matters

Understanding their lifecycle is crucial for effective control. Grasshoppers lay their eggs in the soil in late summer and fall. These eggs overwinter and hatch into nymphs in late spring. These nymphs look like tiny, wingless versions of adults and begin feeding immediately. They molt several times through the summer, growing larger and more hungry with each stage. Controlling them early, at the nymph stage, is far easier than managing swarms of adults.

Organic and Natural Control Methods

As a gardener, I prefer starting with the least harmful methods. These strategies work with nature to reduce grasshopper numbers.

Encourage Natural Predators

One of the best defenses is to invite nature’s pest control into your garden. Many birds, insects, and animals eat grasshoppers.

Birds: Install bird feeders, bird baths, and nesting boxes to attract species like sparrows, blackbirds, and swallows.
Insects: Praying mantises, robber flies, and certain species of spiders are excellent hunters. Planting a diverse garden provides habitat for them.
Other Animals: Toads, lizards, and even chickens will happily consume large quantities of grasshoppers and their nymphs.

Use Physical Barriers and Traps

Creating obstacles can protect your most valuable plants.

Floating Row Covers: Cover susceptible plants, especially seedlings, with a lightweight fabric. This physically blocks grasshoppers from reaching them. Remember to secure the edges well.
Plant Collars: For individual plants, a collar made from a cardboard tube or similar material can shield the stem and lower leaves.
Homemade Traps: A simple trap can be made by placing a shallow dish filled with a mixture of molasses and water in the garden. Grasshoppers are attracted to the scent, fall in, and drown.

Apply Natural Sprays and Deterrents

Several organic sprays can deter feeding or directly affect grasshoppers.

Neem Oil: This natural oil disrupts the feeding and molting cycles of insects. It needs to be reapplied regularly, especially after rain.
Garlic or Hot Pepper Spray: A homemade spray made from crushed garlic or hot peppers can make plants less tasty. Test on a small area first to ensure it doesn’t harm the plant.
Nosema locustae: This is a naturally occurring microbe that specifically affects grasshoppers and crickets. It’s available as a commercial bait that nymphs eat, becoming sick and dying, which then spreads the disease to others.

Cultural Practices to Reduce Habitat

Making your garden less inviting to grasshoppers is a long-term strategy. They thrive in weedy, undisturbed areas.

Till Soil in Fall: Tilling your garden in late fall can expose and destroy many grasshopper eggs laid in the soil.
Manage Weeds: Keep the perimeter of your garden and any nearby vacant lots mowed or weeded. Tall grass and weeds are prime egg-laying sites and provide food for young nymphs.
Plant Less-Preferred Crops: Consider interplanting susceptible plants with those grasshoppers tend to avoid, such as squash, peas, or tomatoes. This can sometimes help mask the more desirable plants.

When to Consider Other Options

In years of very high populations, organic methods might need to be supplemented. If you feel you must use a pesticide, always choose the most targeted option available.

Insecticidal Soaps: These can be effective against young nymphs but have little effect on hard-bodied adults.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE): This powder, made from fossilized algae, can be dusted on plants. It damages the exoskeleton of insects, causing them to dehydrate. Use food-grade DE and reapply after watering or rain. Be careful not to harm beneficial insects.
Professional Advice: For extreme infestations, consult your local cooperative extension service for recommendations on registered, environmentally conscious products in your area.

Prevention is the Best Medicine

The most effective strategy combines several of the methods above. Start in early spring by tilling and managing weeds to reduce hatching sites. Encourage predators year-round. Monitor your plants closely for the first signs of nymphs and use row covers on tender seedlings. By taking a proactive, layered approach, you can co-exist with these insects without sacrificing your harvest.

FAQs About Grasshoppers and Plants

Do all grasshoppers eat garden plants?
Most common species do, but their impact varies. Some species prefer grasses over broadleaf plants. However, in a dry year or when populations are high, even species that normally live in meadows may move into gardens.

What’s the difference between a grasshopper and a katydid?
They are related but different. Katydids are often leaf-green and have much longer antennae than grasshoppers. Their feeding habits are similar, though katydids might also eat some other insects occasionally.

Can grasshoppers kill a plant?
Yes, particularly young seedlings or small plants. A large group of grasshoppers can defoliate a plant completely, stripping it of its ability to photosynthesize, which will ultimately kill it.

Do they eat the roots of plants?
No, grasshoppers are surface feeders. They eat leaves, stems, flowers, and grains above the soil. Damage to roots is likely caused by a different pest, like grubs or cutworms.

What time of day are they most active?
Grasshoppers are cold-blooded, so they are most active on warm, sunny days. You’ll see them feeding and moving around primarily during daylight hours, especially in the late morning and afternoon. They are much less active in the cool of the early morning or evening.

By staying observant and implementing these practical steps, you can manage grasshopper activity in your garden effectively. Remember, a balanced garden with healthy plants and plenty of predators is your most sustainable defense against any plant-eating insect, ensuring your hard work results in a beautiful and productive space.