There are over 100 species of grasshoppers, a.k.a locusts, (Melanoplus spp.) in Colorado that mainly feed on grasses, sedges and tall lawns. Most overwinter as eggs in the soil and emerge when weather is dry and warm.
These guys are relatively harmless in very small numbers and provide nutritious food for birds and praying mantises.
Tends to avoid: Squash, peas, and tomatoes (leaves, not fruit)
- Attracted to
- Level of Concern
- Gardeners take note
- What months
- Apr–Dec
- Treatment / Useful Links
Turn or mix soil to lessen egg populations throughout winter while they lay dormant.
They enjoy hiding in tall grasses so offering them alternative grass habitat outside the garden may lure them away.
Hand pick insects and remove from garden.
Sacrificial crop: dog fennel or dill weed
Anecdotal evidence suggest that cilantro, horehound, and calendula all repel grasshoppers in the garden.
Grasshoppers' worst nightmare is wet cold weather which destroys their eggs and supports a fungus (Entomophthora grylli) and nematode (Mermis nigriscens) that kills them.
For more information:
CSU Spanish Extension: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/spanish/05536.pdf
CSU English Extension: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/grasshopper-control-in-gardens-small-acreages-5-536/
University of Wyoming: http://www.uwyo.edu/entomology/grasshoppers/colorado/biology.html
Fort Collins Nursery: https://fortcollinsnursery.com/fcn-blog/help-grasshoppers/