Biological Grasshopper Control
Why are Grasshoppers so Tough to Kill?
Grasshoppers have four things that are on their side and they work together to make a potent threat to our beautiful gardens in Southern Alberta.
- Grasshoppers are able to digest simple sugars so they can handle eating a wider variety of plants. Some pests can be controlled with a sugar water spray, but this does not bother grasshoppers at all.
- Grasshoppers have tough armor exoskeletons and strong mouthparts that enable them to cause much more damage than other insects. They also have fewer natural predators once they are adults because they are harder for a song-bird to kill.
- Grasshoppers turn into locusts when they are old enough. This means that they can grow up in one place and then move into your garden when they run out of food where they started. This means that we need an effective control that can remain active all year.
- In our dry climate grasshoppers will produce as much as 4 generations in one year. The warm dry soils give ideal conditions for the eggs and nymph to grow fast. Most native predators of the eggs and nymph stage are only present in the spring.
How does our Biological Solution do its Work?
There are three main biological pathways that help in our battle against these pesky insects.
- Plant health support - Your plant is suffering and it will need some support to help it bounce back once the grasshoppers drop out of the situation. Our specialized extract contains a diverse mix of plant supportive biology and nutrients that will help your plants heal and continue more robustly.
- Microbes kill the grasshoppers - Entomopathogenic Fungi are organisms that are able to kill insects and digest their exoskeleton. Our custom extract contains high numbers of these organisms as well as bacterial organisms that can degrade the grasshopper's hard outer shell.
- Boost plant immunity - Many plants are able to produce protective chemicals to make themselves unpalatable to insect pests. This can be a very fast and effective mechanism when your plants are healthy.
This Lengthy Blog Post expands on all of the details behind this product, and how it worked for us last year.
2024 Trials - Q&A
How can I sign up to participate in the trials?
By using the form below your will be kept in the loop regarding the trials for this year. We look forward to helping many people in the future, and 2024 is the year we hope to get lots of feedback from farmers and home owners.
What is the process needed to use this treatment?
The product is an extract of 3 different composts and biological cultures. The extract is made in batches, and will be screened. (It may plug small nozzles, so we recommend large nozzles in your sprayer)
The extract is then diluted so that you are applying about 4-6 gallons per acre. To have an effect the spray will need to have direct contact to the grasshoppers. This bio-control IS NOT a targeted control, so we like to spray at night when most of the beneficial insects will be out of harms way.
In 2023, we did not notice a negative effect on our ladybug populations, and our pollinating insects seemed to maintain high levels.
What do we need to be able to use this product on our yard?
The main equipment you will need is something that you can use to spray your entire yard in the late evening or at night. The spray is most effective when used at night while the grasshoppers are all hanging out on top of the plants. We are able to do spraying as a service, but that is limited this year to nearby yards.
What does it cost?
We have not settled on a cost yet as there are very many variables. The product itself will cost $50 per acre, and extraction, delivery and spraying will all be added depending on your location and needs. Please contact us to learn more.