Grasshoppers: Harmless or Harmful?

We've all seen grasshoppers. In fact, we've probably all been startled by one at some point, when it jumps out from the grass we were just about to step on. Are grasshoppers a pest or just a jumpy, harmless insect?

Grasshoppers are almost everywhere. Not just in this country but around the globe, excepting only the Artic and Antarctic. While in some places, like Mexico and Indonesia, grasshoppers are used as food, they are generally considered a pest in America.

Are Grasshoppers And Crickets The Same?

Are Grasshoppers Destructive?

How Can I Protect Against Grasshoppers?

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Are Grasshoppers And Crickets The Same?

Grasshoppers and crickets are closely related, and closely related to katydids and locusts as well. They look similar, with large back legs and the ability for jumping, but they do have differences. For example, grasshoppers have short antennae while crickets' antennae is more obvious because it's so long. While they both make noise, grasshoppers use their long hind legs to rub against their wings to produce sound. Crickets' sound comes from rubbing their wings together.

A stark difference, and one that makes them pretty easy to identify, is that crickets are generally nocturnal while grasshoppers are out and about during the day. It's pretty certain that if you see it during the daytime hours, it's a grasshopper and not a cricket.

Depending on the species, grasshoppers can be very small - just a few millimeters - or they can grow to be several inches long. They have a generally elongated oval shape with powerful back legs and wings. They also have prominent eyes. Grasshoppers use camouflage to blend into their background and hide from predators; this means they are usually brown, green or gray.

Fun fact about grasshoppers: they detect sound not from ears on their head, but from a part of their stomachs near their legs.

Are Grasshoppers Destructive?

You may have heard stories in your history classes of the bouts of devastation caused to the American homesteaders and early settlers in the 1700s and 1800s by swarms of grasshoppers and locusts. Fortunately, we're no longer as reliant on one geographical region's farms, but grasshoppers have not changed. They are still as destructive as ever. In fact, grasshoppers have been described as "one of the most damaging insects we see" (CSU, 2024).

Grasshoppers have an affinity for flowers and garden vegetables, but will also feed on other plants, shrubs, and trees. If the grasshopper population is large enough, they can devour entire gardens and threaten trees and shrubs with defoliation. Hatching occurs in the late spring, and damage to crops and gardens can begin immediately. However, the potential for damage is worst in July and August, as things become hot and dry. Additionally, many crops are harvested in late summer, leaving grasshoppers to look for new feeding grounds. Unfortunately, grasshoppers will even eat paper, paint, fabric screens, caulking, fenceposts, wooden garden tool handles, and other non-plant items.

As a side note: though it rarely happens, grasshoppers can and will bite you. This generally occurs when they feel threatened or when they are swarming - and only in certain species. They are not poisonous, but the bite can be pretty painful due to their strong jaws. They can also dig their leg spikes into your skin if you try to catch them, which can be irritating and painful. Additionally, grasshoppers will "spit" as a defensive mechanism. It won't harm your skin beyond possibly staining it, as it is the color and consistency of tobacco juice.

How Can I Protect Against Grasshoppers?

While grasshoppers do have natural predators - such a spiders and backyard poultry - they are often not enough to keep populations in check.

Chemical control is usually the best option for grasshopper infestations. The key is to begin early and to reapply at regular intervals. Grasshoppers are not easy to eradicate, especially as adults, so pesticide should be applied early in the year to target hatching nymphs and small adults. Control should be maintained through reapplication throughout the summer and into the fall. According to UNL Extension, "The best control will be obtained by using the maximum labeled insecticide rates."

In addition, you can help the effectiveness of the insecticide by employing a few strategies:

• Squash any grasshoppers you see by hand.

• Cover your plants with metal screening (grasshoppers will chew right through fabric screens).

• Grow a "trap crop" - a tall, healthy border of grass or other plants around the garden that you don't mind getting eaten by the grasshoppers. This is in hopes of distracting them from the garden you want to keep by enticing them into the tall grasses on the side.

• DIY disincentives for grasshoppers, such as Neem Oil, glue or sticky traps, garlic spray, boric acid, hot pepper spray, or a myriad of other DIY options you can find on the internet. Just remember these are often ineffective in most cases and it might be an expensive and time-consuming trial-and-error to find one that might help.

At Virginia Pest Pro, we always spray at the maximumly safe rates approved by the USDA, and are so confident in our control that we offer a no-contract, money back guarantee. We'd love to help you enjoy your outdoor living spaces and preserve your gardens! Call us today!

For information on more Virginia pests, check out our other blog posts and our pest library