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permaculture - Re: Grasshopper control.

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  • From: blissv@nmhu.campus.mci.net
  • To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Grasshopper control.
  • Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 17:03:19 -0800 (PST)

A couple of years ago (posted June '96) I wrote a long post about my
experience with grasshoppers here in the highlands of New Mexico.
Believe it or not I found it and I will send it on here for those interested:


Last year at this time [summer '95] I had given up on any growing, which, as
you can all relate to, was most depressing. Futile attempts at rescuing any
carefully grown (in the greenhouse) plants once they made it to the beds
prepared with Bio-dynamic compost, manure, all amendments to help along this
New Mexico soil were just that... futile. Grasshoppers appeared in mid-May.
Already we were eating broccoli and greens when the invaders moved in. I
had planted over 200 plants for a cut flower crop, lots of veggies of all
varieties and, literally, I stood by helplessly watching as within a week,
they all disappeared.

The summer was an odd one after growing for 20+ years..nothing to 'pour'
myself into. I filled some time writing an article about all the things I
tried throughout the whole growing season in hopes of a success and
therefore, a late planting. Nothing worked..the article was even rejected
by a magazine..

Now I am prepared to write the "next chapter". Back in April, I tentatively
planted a few things, some in Walls'o Water. By May the hoppers appeared in
full force, though still small. I applied the Nosema for the second year,
put out the diatomaceous earth, covered plants with screen cages
and pinned down cheesecloth, soaked tobacco and sprayed, and set out dishes
(yellow as the hoppers are attracted to yellow... and green, of course) of
molasses. Soon whole beds of mixed greens vanished... all of it. The
comfrey, supposedly a good foil since the hoppers prefer it , I put out to
lure the hoppers away from the food plants went first..couldn't see where
they had been!

Another disturbing factor was that the owner of the property where we live
informed us that we were not to use any water as the drought over the winter
was so severe that we couldn't use the well water. Strictly due to my
tenacity, I still grew a full greenhouse full of plants. Couldn't imagine
not starting babies in January...

Last night we had a huge salad, ate pesto the night before and had stir-fry
before that...from the garden! I began to implement some ideas I had picked
up through permaculture.

After the first wipe-out by the marauding hoppers, we got chickens and
built a chicken tractor. We faithfully moved it around the growing areas
and finally, turned the chickies loose and just let them scratch it all to
pieces. So much for my waffle bed design to help with the water... all of it
got destroyed. I just looked the other way and let the birds do their thing.
Meanwhile, there were baby turkeys growing up in a shed until they feathered
out. Three weeks later, the chickens got penned and we ate beautiful
orange-yolked eggs. The turkeys came in and picked up where the chickens
left off
but had a more delicate way of doing their work. Occasionally they will
scratch but the damage is minimal.

[ deleted part that tells about the water set-up we arranged with greywater
and barrels to gather what we could.]

The comfrey has regrown into lovely sprawling bushes...tomatos are ripening,
broccoli is coming along, and I'm a happy camper, thankful and never again to
take for granted the abundance of the Earth. Hopefully, we are all learning
this.

The land here is so overgrazed that I understand it is where hoppers are
attracted. Perhaps this natural phenomena is attempting to bring things to
a proper balance. Water is still the major issue. Monsoon here should start
soon.. days sunny in the morning, big grey clouds move in mid-day, rain
falls and the Earth is renewed.

A month ago I said to friends, "If anything grows here this year, it will
truly be a miracle!" And so it is!

[end of former post]

The grasshoppers will winter over in mild areas and even here, where winter
is cold, they lay eggs down in the soil that hatch out early spring. Turkeys
(mail order hatcheries or feed stores) are usually unavailable until early
May and need some time to grow strong before they are out from under lights
and protected. The biggest problem I have observed is in the timing. If the
turkeys aren't 'ready' early enough, your early plantings can be wiped out
before the turkeys even get a taste! They do a remarkable job, though, of
controlling the hoppers, and though not the most brilliant thinkers (!) are
very nice to have around..at least until the toms get older and very fiesty.
My kids handled them alot and just walk around with a little turkey under
their arm. The birds eagerly run out to the gardens in the morning and start
pecking away and willingly herd back into the shelter at night. And I won't
say it too loud, but coming up here soon, you will have a great feast...
gobble gobble

v






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