How To Get Rid Of Grasshoppers

If you’re seeing more grasshoppers than greenery in your garden, you’re not alone. Learning how to get rid of grasshoppers is a top priority for many gardeners when these hungry insects arrive. They can quickly turn your careful work into a tattered mess. But don’t worry, you can fight back without resorting to harsh chemicals. This guide will walk you through effective, natural control methods that really work.

First, it’s important to know your enemy. Grasshoppers are chewing insects that eat a wide variety of plants. A few might not be a problem, but they can multiply quickly. A major infestation can defoliate entire gardens and even small trees. Natural control focuses on making your yard less inviting, protecting your plants, and reducing their numbers safely.

Understanding Grasshopper Behavior

To control them effectively, you need to think like a grasshopper. They are most active on warm, sunny days and prefer dry conditions. They start as eggs laid in the soil in fall, hatching into nymphs in spring. These nymphs look like tiny adults and begin feeding immediately. By mid-summer, you have a full-blown population of hungry adults.

They are strong fliers and can travel into your garden from neighboring fields or untamed areas. This means community effort often helps. Talk to your neighbors about natural control too. A combined approach across several yards is much more effective than just treating your own.

Prevention: The First Line of Defense

Stopping an infestation before it starts is always easiest. Here are key preventive steps:

Till Your Soil in Fall: Tilling disrupts grasshopper eggs buried in the soil, exposing them to cold weather and predators.
Remove Weeds and Grass: Keep the area around your garden mowed and weeded. Tall grass and weeds are prime egg-laying sites and provide food for young nymphs.
Use Floating Row Covers: Cover susceptible plants, especially seedlings, with fine mesh row covers. This creates a physical barrier. Just remember to remove them when plants need pollination.
Encourage Natural Predators: Make your garden a welcoming place for birds, spiders, and predatory insects. Birds are especially effective.

Plants That Can Help Deter Them

Some plants are less appealing to grasshoppers and can act as a buffer. Consider planting these around the edge of your garden:

Cilantro
Calendula
Dianthus
Lilac
Crepe Myrtle

Remember, these are not a guaranteed repellent, but they can help make your garden less of a target. A diverse garden is always more resilient than a monoculture.

Effective Natural Remedies and Traps

When prevention isn’t enough, it’s time for active measures. These methods are safe for pets, children, and beneficial insects when used correctly.

1. Natural Spray Repellents

You can make effective sprays at home. They work by making plants taste bad or by irritating the grasshoppers. Always test a small area of the plant first to check for damage.

Garlic and Pepper Spray: Blend two bulbs of garlic and two cayenne peppers with a quart of water. Let it sit overnight, strain, and add a tablespoon of biodegradable dish soap. Spray liberally on plants.
Neem Oil Solution: Neem oil disrupts the feeding and molting cycles of insects. Mix as directed on the bottle and spray every few days, especially under leaves.
All-Purpose Flour Dusting: For a simple option, dust plants with plain white flour. It can gum up the grasshoppers’ mouths and deter feeding.

2. Manual Removal and Trapping

This is straightforward but requires consistency. In the cool morning, grasshoppers are slow. You can pick them off plants by hand and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. For larger areas, try a trap:

Use a molasses trap. Fill a large bucket 1/4 full with water.
Add a few spoonfuls of molasses and stir.
The sweet smell attracts grasshoppers, they jump in, and get stuck.

Check and empty the trap daily. This method can significantly reduce local numbers over a week or two.

3. Encourage Their Natural Enemies

This is a long-term strategy that pays off. You can actively attract and support predator species:

For Birds: Put up birdhouses, birdbaths, and feeders. Birds like swallows, blackbirds, and blue jays eat large quantities of grasshoppers.
For Insects: Provide habitat for robber flies, praying mantises, and spiders. Leave some areas of your garden a little wild with native plants and brush piles.
For Poultry: If you have the space, allowing chickens or guinea fowl to forage in the garden area (after harvest or with careful supervision) can wipe out a population.

When to Use Biological Controls

For serious infestations, you can introduce commercial biological agents. These are living products that target grasshoppers specifically.

Nosema locustae: This is a naturally occurring microsporidian parasite sold as a bait. Grasshoppers eat the spore-treated bran and become sick, spreading the disease to others. It works best on young nymphs and can provide control for several seasons.
Beneficial Nematodes: Certain nematodes can attack grasshopper eggs in the soil. Apply them to the soil in fall or early spring according to package directions.

These options are safe for the environment but require patience. They are not a quick-kill solution but a long-term population reducer.

Creating an Unfriendly Environment

Modify your garden’s layout and planting schedule to outsmart them. Grasshoppers prefer open, sunny, and dry areas.

Plant Tall Borders: Plant a border of tall grass or dense shrubs like forsythia around your garden. This can sometimes deter them from entering, as they prefer to land in open space.
Use Companion Planting: Interplanting crops can confuse and deter pests. For example, planting tomatoes with basil or beans with potatoes.
Keep Plants Healthy and Watered: Stressed plants are often more susceptible to damage. Well-watered, vigorous plants can sometimes outgrow minor feeding damage.

It’s also a good idea to plant extra. Sometimes accepting a little loss is part of natural gardening. A few grasshoppers won’t ruin your whole harvest if your plants are healthy.

What Not to Do

Avoid common mistakes that can make the problem worse or harm your garden ecosystem.

Do not use broad-spectrum chemical pesticides. They kill far more beneficial insects (like bees and ladybugs) than they do grasshoppers, and they can actually make your pest problems worse in the long run.
Don’t panic and strip your garden of all cover. Bare soil and a sterile environment are not the answer and harm soil health.
Avoid planting only one type of crop. Monocultures are an all-you-can-eat buffet for pests like grasshoppers.

FAQs on Natural Grasshopper Control

What is the fastest way to kill grasshoppers naturally?

Manual removal in the early morning combined with a molasses trap offers the quickest visible reduction. Sprays like garlic-pepper or neem oil can protect plants fast, but they need frequent reapplication.

What smells do grasshoppers hate?

Grasshoppers seem to avoid strong smells like garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper. This is why sprays containing these ingredients can be effective repellents for your plants.

Will vinegar kill grasshoppers?

A direct spray of strong vinegar might kill a grasshopper on contact, but it is more likely to harm your plants. Vinegar is not a reliable or recommended control method for garden infestations.

How do I keep grasshoppers away permanently?

Permanent control is difficult as they can fly in. However, a consistent, multi-year strategy of fall tilling, predator encouragement, and habitat modification can keep populations at a very manageable level so they cause little damage.

Does dish soap kill grasshoppers?

A direct spray of soapy water can kill grasshoppers by suffocating them. However, this only works if you spray the insect directly. It is not a residual treatment and will not work once it dries. It’s best for spot treatment.

Controlling grasshoppers naturally takes persistence and a combination of tactics. Start with prevention this fall by tilling your garden soil. Next spring, be ready with row covers and encourage birds to visit. If they still appear, use your homemade sprays and traps. With these steps, you can protect your garden and enjoy your harvest without compromising the health of your local ecosystem. Remember, the goal is balance, not total eradication. A few grasshoppers are a normal part of a vibrant, living garden.