If you’re facing such an infestation problem then keep reading. In this article, I’ll be showing you how to get rid of grasshoppers in the house or gardens.

For many garden owners, grasshoppers could prove to be a real problem. They on crops and chew away at them, leaving your garden looking very horrid.

Here is how to differentiate grasshoppers from locusts.

Grasshopper Control Methods

Let’s explore the natural remedies you can try.

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Grasshoppers Eating Plants

  1. Apply Garlic Spray

Garlic is known to have a strong odor which can help repel locusts and grasshoppers, including other insect pests.

The good news is, garlic spray is easy to make!

All you have to do is blend two garlic bulbs with about ten cups of water, then heat the blend until it starts to steam.

Allow the mixture to sit through the night then your mixture is ready for use.

Get a spray bottle and fill it up with one part garlic solution and three parts water. When you’re done with this, it’s time to head out into your garden and spray all over the leaves of the infested plants.

A quick tip here is to spray in the leaves as well. You’ll want to get all areas so the grasshoppers will be repelled.

  1. Apply Flour On The Leaves

In case you didn’t know, flour can gum up the mouths of grasshoppers and cause them to starve.

Using simple baking flour (non-salted), sprinkle some amount on the leaves of the infested plants.

  1. Introduce Natural Predators

No prey wants to get eaten, and being aware that predators are lurking around their favorite spots will deter them from paying further visits there.

Attracting grasshopper predators to your garden is an ideal long-term solution to grasshopper infestation problems.

Some birds love to feast on grasshoppers, one of such species is swallows. You can attract them to your garden by setting up a bird-bath or feeder around the garden area.

You may also find beneficial insects such as the praying mantis a good solution to your grasshopper problems.

. You could also consider introducing beneficial insects, such as praying mantis, to the garden.

  1. Set Up A Long Grass Trap

Grasshoppers are fond of areas with long grass. You can use this knowledge to your advantage by planting patches of long grass in a selected area of the garden.

The grasshoppers will be attracted to the area with patches of long grass and that’s where you can set up your trap.

It’s easier to get most, if not all of them when they are concentrated in one area.

How To Get Rid Of Grasshoppers With Vinegar

A lot of garden owners are skeptical about using chemicals on their plants to kill pests. For good reason too, as most insecticides contain chemicals that may be harmful to your plants.

Lucky you, there are organic means by which you can get rid of grasshoppers and vinegar is one of them.

Follow the steps below to use this control method.

Step 1

Make a mixture of one part apple cider vinegar with three parts water and 5g of pure soap flakes then pour into an adequate sized insecticide spray bottle.

Step 2

Wait until early in the morning then spray the solution on the leaves of the affected plants. You can spray the stems and the ground too.

If you come across any grasshoppers during spraying, then make sure you get them as well.

Step 3

Take a two-day break then spray the plants again. Do this repeatedly until there are no more grasshoppers in sight!

Step 4

Gather up all the dead grasshoppers and dump them in a garbage bag. Birds can also eat up any leftover grasshoppers on the garden floor. Don’t worry, the vinegar will not harm the birds.

Will Dish Soap Kill Grasshoppers?

Dish soap can also be used for control, it’s a less harmless remedy than grasshopper killer chemicals.

Make a dish soap and water mixture, which will form a bubble solution. Place containers of this solution around the perimeter of your garden and unsuspecting grasshoppers can fall in and drown.

Spraying the soap bubble solution directly on the grasshoppers will be ineffective. As far as the soap solution is concerned, drowning them is the only way to kill them.

Almost every dish detergent can be used to make a solution that will drown them, it doesn’t have to be dish soap alone.

Use Neem Oil

You can find neem oil in just about every nursery or hardware store. It is one of the few natural pesticides that can cause harm to grasshoppers and other insects.

Neem is offensive to many pests, that is why it is a popular ingredient for many insect killer manufacturers.

Neem is derived from neem trees and is used as an organic disinfectant. It can also be used as a pesticide or essential oil.

You can visit your local stores and buy a bottle. Be sure to follow the directions as stated on the bottle.

If it hasn’t been pre-mixed, then you can get some water and do the mix yourself. Then proceed to spray it around the infested plants to keep the insects out.

You have to take caution when you use neem on your garden plants since it can burn them.

Another vital tip is to first test them on smaller leaves to see the reaction. If all goes well, you can proceed to use it on the rest of the leaves.

The good thing about neem oil is that it doesn’t wash off easily, which means you don’t need to spray it over and over again.

After spraying is complete, be advised to rinse off the excess some minutes later. Once again, you need to read the instructions label and follow the directions accordingly.

Make Pepper Spray

Pepper spray is something you can make yourself. It also works well to keep the grasshoppers out.

Similar to neem oil, pepper spray takes quite some time before it fades away, which means you don’t have to apply it multiple times.

Using a combo of hot pepper, you can easily make a batch of pepper spray.

Below is a basic recipe you can follow.

  • 1 whole jalapeno
  • 1 ghost pepper
  • A few scoops of dried pepper

All you need to do is put the pepper in a blender then add a little water and grind them until they are fully liquefied. The next step is to pour the peppery liquid into a spray bottle and fire away!

You can add some more pepper to the mix if you wish and shake well so it all blends in. Spray only in areas where you notice significant grasshopper activities.

You need to apply caution when you spray on different surfaces. The pepper can damage your furniture and you wouldn’t want that.

The pepper mixture is best applied on rugged surfaces that can withstand the sting. Such surfaces include concrete and weatherproof wood.

Before you let loose with the spray, first consider the areas where grasshoppers can access your property.

These include –

  • Under door frames
  • Around windows
  • Ventilation grates
  • Attics
  • Crawl spaces
  • Basements
  • Pet doors
  • Damaged window screens
  • Loose weatherstripping
  • Cracks and crevices
  • Door screens
  • Floorboards
  • Pets and animals (they can hitchhike on pet fur)
  • Patio doors
  • Garages

A word of caution, do not spray the pepper mixture on stainable surfaces!

Another quick tip – take a small piece of cardboard and spray it so it gets saturated. Then place the soaked up cardboard in the specific areas where you want the grasshoppers to stay away from.

You should also avoid spraying the pepper mixture in areas where you or other members of your household spend lots of time. This is because the smell is very strong and can irritate the eyes and cause a person to cough or sneeze.

Sensitive plants should also not be sprayed with this mixture as it can harm them. Edible plants are also a no-go area since the mixture can burn them.

Using Diatomaceous Earth

DE is pretty bad for grasshoppers as it causes them to be dehydrated.

It’s a crystalline powder that is very abrasive. It destroys the outer skeleton of grasshoppers and other similar insects, including cockroaches and beetles.

DE can be sprinkled in areas where there are signs of grasshopper infestations.

These include the following –

  • Corners of rooms and basements
  • Along the walls and baseboard edges
  • Plant soil
  • Areas with low moisture or humidity
  • Under doors
  • Around window sills
  • Sliding doors
  • Pet doors

DE should only be used in dry rooms since moist surfaces will limit its effectiveness.

You may be concerned about the safety of using DE. Well, you can be confident it will not harm humans, as it is pretty much a natural substance. Stills, it would be wise to protect yourself while you’re at it. Put on some protective gloves and goggles when applying.

Keep the substance away from storage spaces that contain your food or beverages. Most importantly, keep away from the reach of children!

Conclusion

There are several ways to eliminate grasshoppers from your home or garden.

I trust this article on how to get rid of grasshoppers has been helpful.

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