Do grasshoppers live in the ground, in trees, or everywhere? Here, let’s discuss their ideal habitat.
Are you experiencing an upsurge in grasshopper activities around your yard? These are crop pests that readily chew on a variety of greenery.
Their impact worsens as populations increase.
Here, we focus on where these herbivorous pests live. With this knowledge, you can adopt a more effective preventive approach toward their control.
Where Grasshoppers Live
Are grasshoppers the same as locusts? Should you be worried when one grasshopper is seen in your yard? What other problems apart from plant damage do grasshoppers cause?
These and many more similar questions will be fully answered as you read.
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Grasshoppers are a Food Source
This might sound shocking, but it’s entirely true! Before we get into details on where they live, it’s important to point out that these have been consumed as food for centuries.
Biblical accounts tell of notable figures like John the Baptist eating locust and honey.
These insects are still eaten in many parts of the world and serve as excellent protein sources. With this revelation, you might want to change your perception about locusts being entirely wrong.
Who knows, you might also want to give this rich delicacy a try 🙂
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Are Grasshoppers and Locusts the Same?
Often people get confused and wonder if grasshoppers and locusts mean the same thing. The truth is grasshoppers and locusts are the same.
That is why the names are used a lot of times interchangeably. These insects you see are the same types sent as part of the plagues that ravaged Egypt in Biblical times.
Where Do Grasshoppers Live Naturally?
Figuring out grasshoppers’ habitats isn’t tricky because they target greenery.
You’ll find grasshoppers in meadows, and fields, grass along riverbanks, and empty lots. Grasshoppers can be found pretty much everywhere. There’s an abundant food supply.
Grasshopper habitats are closely tied to food presence. To appreciate this fact, you must understand that grasshoppers are greedy creatures.
You might underestimate them for their size, but a single grasshopper can eat around 16 times its body weight! This is mind-boggling!
Based on this reality, grasshoppers always need to be around areas with lots of greenery. Unfortunately, your crops, lawns, and plants are vulnerable to grasshopper attacks.
You’ll have to look for ways to safeguard your plants.
Can anything be done to disrupt grasshoppers from their habitats? First off, it must be understood that a few grasshoppers won’t cause significant damage to your plants.
They only become a problem when there’s a full-blown infestation.
So, your crops and plants should do well under normal circumstances. However, infestations will require more drastic action.
Grasshoppers in large numbers can cause heavy damage to greenery by destroying your entire crops. At this point, you’ll need to adopt various approaches, including calling for professional pest control.
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Grasshoppers Find Some Plants Distasteful
There’s a popular notion that grasshoppers chew on almost any plant they can find.
That’s not entirely true, as there are many other plant species they’ll avoid. Based on this knowledge, you can take the natural approach to suppress their presence and activity.
Grasshopper-resistant plants to grow around your home include verbena, dianthus, moss rose, lilac, crepe myrtle, and forsythia.
Other resistant plant varieties include tomatoes, salvia, peas, sage, squash, lantana, jasmine, juniper, and artemisia.
What Leads to Large Grasshopper Populations?
Often, people assume that grasshoppers live in certain areas and only infest other places in search of food.
While there’s some truth to this assumption, the grasshopper population is mainly affected by the weather. Sounds strange, right?
Before a significant outbreak or infestation, there are underlying causal factors due to weather change.
You usually have several years of dry, hot summers and warm autumns. These create the perfect condition where the resulting dry weather condition promotes the survival of grasshopper nymphs and adults.
With warm autumns, the grasshoppers get to feed and lay more eggs.
This results in a boom in their population which can prove highly detrimental to nearby regions. Mass migration is triggered when grasshoppers fly in massive swarms to find greenery.
This leads to heavy losses in crops and other plants.
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Grasshoppers Cannot be eliminated.
Individual efforts at managing grasshopper populations can only be slightly successful as more insects are constantly in motion in search of food.
You’ll have to accept this fact and do your best to keep them at bay. We’ve mentioned some preventive plants to grow around your yard.
A more comprehensive treatment approach will be to seek professional help. Pest control technicians offer various solutions to combat and overcome different pest issues.
It would help if you considered speaking to these pros to find a lasting solution to your problem.
There are Peak Years of Grasshopper Activities
Over many centuries, grasshoppers have been observed to cause havoc to food crops. This happens periodically, which leads to heavy losses.
During peak years, entire crop fields have been destroyed by these pests. The impact following such destruction includes food scarcity and increased food prices.
Grasshoppers Live All Around You
To point out the extent of the spread of grasshoppers, it’s important to note that they’re present wherever there are crops and plants.
Your best to avoid them will be to take appropriate actions that include prevention and treatment of existing conditions.
Avoid DIY Techniques when Dealing with Serious Infestations
Not all pest situations require taking the DIY route. Some cases require a more drastic approach, such as calling for professional help.
This is especially true for farmers with heavy investments in crops. Sometimes, a broad-based approach may be adopted for treatment.
Such may include the use of airplanes to spray large fields with pesticides. Whatever the approach is, experienced technicians provide a much more detailed and effective solution to your grasshopper problem.
Also, they provide you with tips on how to prevent subsequent infestation.
With this information, you’re better able to contain a grasshopper situation. We’ve seen where grasshoppers live and the damage they can cause.
More importantly, we’ve provided essential control tips that can immensely help you.