Same here - grasshoppers everywhere - I do the "grasshopper dance" stomping as many as possible. I try to have respect for all God's creatures, but I confess to the premeditated murder of "black lubbers"- they grow so fast and sooooooooooo BIG!. According to an article in the Mobile paper a couple of years ago - black lubbers don't eat foliage but I beg to differ with the author!! I have also resorted to wearing a thick welders glove and squashing them by the handful, but not a pleasant way to do it. I'm also open to suggestions. Diane

I'd gardened in the SE for many years but never encountered these until 2 summers ago. They appeared to stay in an area about 10 feet square, in and near a planting of Houttynia cordata plena and Liriope at the foot of an incline that remained moist. I think they hatched out there. They grew larger than when I first saw them. I never saw any damage on these plants, but it was hard to tell for sure.

I did have two large clay containers nearby, one containing Lygodium japonica (Japanese Climbing Fern) and once or twice noticed a grasshopper feeding on the newest tip growth of the vine climbing a nearby post. The other pot contained Croton and Asparagus plumosa climbing vine. Never saw any grasshoppers on this planting or any damage. When I read of the females burying up to 150 eggs in soil, you can imagine how I feared these critters emerging in this second pot when brought inside for winter! Thankfully it didn't happen.

Other plants growing nearby were Gardenias and Magnolia grandiflora and Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light, no damage and I never saw the grasshoppers on either plant. Otherwise the area was paved drive/parking area.

My housekeeper gathered a bagful for fishbait but reported no fish caught. She's a lifelong resident of SE and also had never seen these huge critters before. We swept them into plastic trashbags and tied shut when we could catch them but finally ignored them when they didn't seem to be hurting my plants. Never saw a bird after them.

The link below states they do damage ornamental plants...specifically mentions daylilies and Citrus foliage. I think I was lucky...I had hundreds of potted hardy and tropical plants elsewhere but the grasshoppers just seemed to stay in that one small area. Possibly a total of 50-60 grasshoppers in all. Don't know what they ate nor where they went...just noticed they were gone later in summer or maybe in fall...don't remember. Didn't seem to fly and were very sluggish...easily caught when on pavement. They stayed hidden in Houttyonia/Liriope groundcover most of time I think...it was about 12-inches tall. My one experience with them and I hope it was the last...josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Lubber Grasshoppers

maybe get a pet chicken? ;-)

do some research on how to attract frogs to your gardens.
i live in an area that has natural water sources everywhere so i don't have to worry about that. but i do take cracked terra cotta pots and place them upside down in my beds to give shelter to the frogs. you'd be surprised what a difference they will make. esp. with grass hoppers and japanese beetles(oops! knock on wood! i can't believe i said the j. b. word this early in the season)

The link says that they are toxic and can kill individual wild birds who mistakenly eat them...doesn't mention domestic fowl. Also states can make an opossum ill. I think the only frogs who could manage them as to size would be the bullfrog. The link doesn't mention what CAN safely feed on them...surely they must have a predator (other than me and a whiskbroom). A puzzle. josh

Go to the ARBICO.com website. I garden organically and never use poisons only natural predators. They have one for grasshoppers which I put down about 5 years ago. Worked great.

I have them to, right now they are kinda small but seem to be growing fast. I know this isn't organic but I take Murphys Oil Soap, a couple tablespoons to about a qt of water in a spray bottle an spray them as I see them. It suffocates them in tem min. or less. I know that sounds cruel, but I hate those things.

Locate a spray concentration with the active ingredient SPINOSAD. It's a biological product that infects chewing insects. It would be especially helpful when the grasshoppers are young. Look for Spinosad products in the organic or natural section of your garden center or big box stores.

Be sure to get the formulation that you can spray on. It also comes in a fire ant bait, which is not what you want for hoppers.