hi john

we start.. by asking what problem are you trying to cure..

before we tell you how to time .. application of a product ... or a home brew ...

ken

Hi Ken,

My main, but by no means only, problem is grasshoppers. Last year, they almost put me out of the gardening hobby. I have a small fig that was almost killed because they not only ate the leaves, but into the soft wood where the leaves had been.
I live in the sticks and have large open areas all around me. Earlier this year, I bought six little guineas, and two kinds of duck. I am not fond of either type bird, but they are supposed to eat bugs, including grasshoppers. They do, but I don't have areas fixed for them to really work in, just yet.

As I understand it, garlic/pepper sprays work by repelling grasshoppers more than killing them. I guess I could find a recipe for these type sprays without any kind of oil, but I thought the oil would help with other bugs.

TIA,
John

You know, if you used a product specially formulated for this purpose, you'd have written directions detailing how, why, when, how much, what plants to avoid, temperature range and more. I'm just sayin '. :-)

Yes...inquiring minds want to know what you are needing to control.

Neem oil is used as an anti-feedant/growth regulator for grasshoppers, but I've never heard of other oils being used.

Oils, soaps, and some other substances can make plants phytosensitive and that can cause major problems with a plants ability to photosynthesize sunlight. I have not seen anything to indicate that any oil is an effective deterent for grasshoppers, nor anything to indicate that garlic oil (useful for detering other insects however) is useful against grasshoppers.
Neem Oil sprays are known to stop many insect pests from feeding, so many assume the same will happen with grasshoppers. I have not seen any studies that indicate that does happen, however, and none of the labels on these products that I have seen list grasshoppers as a target.
Encouraging the predators of grasshoppers to stay around (that means not spraying many poisons) can help. Placing baits containing "Nosema locustae" can also help. Since there is not any insecticide made that can distinguish between insect pests and beneficial insects every one has the potential of killing off even the insects you want, including our pollinators.

Thanks for all the information. I will look at other means of repelling/killing the grasshoppers.

John

as a general rule.. do you EVER spray oil on a plant.. in the high heat of summer ..???

seems counter intuitive to me ... i thought all oils were applied in early spring ??? or in dormancy ...

ken

ken, it depends upon the temperature as well as the type of horticultural oil. Some are formulated as 'summer oils' and can be used safely in very warm temperatures. Growing season oil applications are EXTREMELY helpful in gaining the upper hand over scale insects, aphids, mealies, spider mites, adelgids and more. It's also used to control (not cure) powdery mildew!

One simply has to exercise common sense (uh oh) and read directions (another uh oh).

Here is a link that might be useful: click here for some good information

thx rhiz.. learn something new every day..

the problem is.. its getting harder to retain new stuff... and old stuff is slipping away

and i aint old enough for either .. lol

ken