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permaculture - RE: Grasshopper control.

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bobbi Chukran <chukran@io.com>
  • To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: RE: Grasshopper control.
  • Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 14:29:21 -0600

Somebody (?) wrote:
>I am familiar with your area and was involved with the grasshopper issue.
> The unstable nature of the grasshopper population issue is related to
>desertification. If you look to the lifecycle of the grasshopper, they
>tend to thrive with increases in bare ground and associated dryer
>conditions which limit their parasites.
>

We also had an infestaton of grasshoppers last spring, and they are still
hopping around like mad. I think it's very simplistic to say that the
whole issue is caused by desertification. We still live in the middle of
the tall grass prairie out here (Leander), and are surrounded by it in our
"subdivision". Very few people out here have lawns--most leave the native
grasses, and plant more natives. This is the worse outbreak of
grasshoppers I've ever seen in Texas, after living here all my life, and
gardening for 27 years of that.

My theory is that the massive amount of pesticides used in Central Texas on
cotton crops, etc. are the cause for the massive grasshopper population.
In the Elgin area (which was the original question), there are many
farms--cotton, milo, etc.--and they are not, for the most part, organic. I
believe that the grasshoppers are becoming immune to these non-natural
means of control. And maybe their natural parasitic predators are being
killed off, too--I have no doubt that that's happening.

Also, we've had relatively mild winters here, and the grasshoppers are
wintering over and are just not being killed by the cold weather. It's not
just the grasshoppers--we've had more insects of ALL kinds out here. I
like to think that because we are totally organic, they come here to get
away from the other stuff. Just yesterday I counted five different types
of lizards, two snakes, and at least 4 spiders that I've never seen here on
our property before, and I've "known" this land for 15 years.

If you are saying that the grasshoppers are worse this year because they
are fleeing the areas that are being farmed, then maybe. But if you are
saying that it's the bare ground that's causing them to be so
prolific--that makes no sense whatsoever to me.

Also, instead of putting forth theories as to why something happens--how
about some solutions? The fact is that the farmers of Texas are not going
to give up their crops and plant native grasses. There are biological
controls for grasshoppers and other destructive insects that do work--and
are organic.

Bobbi C.
chukran@io.com
Leander, TX







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