permaculture

[Jack Rowe <jackrowe@compuserve.com>]

Bobbi,

Tall tales, indeed! I'm surprised and disappointed that you would bring
into question the veracity of my reporting on the size or our local fauna.
Especially after the incident last week -- reported in all the national and
international papers, I'm sure -- of the Caldwell man who was robbed and
severely beaten by a gang of three under-aged grasshoppers who were
apparently after his package of chewing tobacco.

The chicken idea would work while the hoppers are young, and are great for
ground preparation as in 'tractoring' also -- but as Vicki mentioned they
are altogether too broad and destructive in their eating habits for safety
around gardens unless they are well-restrained. With your local prohibition
on larger herds of fowl, I'd seriously consider the mowed swath and/or even
the Nolo bait. Scott's point of possible harmful effects of biological
warfare, however, is a good one (any poison or biological killing agent
that doesn't kill 100% of the target population tends quickly to breed
resistance into the survivors, and an 'arms race' ensues). 

Best luck I ever had was with the wide, well-mowed buffer zone which kept
destruction on my gardens to an acceptable level, while in nearby
ornamental gardens the hoppers ate everything, even the Irises.

Jack