How to Treat Grasshoppers on Corn
Grasshoppers can be a source of stress for farmers and gardeners when they navigate toward corn stalks for feeding time. Try inviting feathered friends into the yard before introducing poisons to the grasshoppers. Put bird feeders, baths and bird houses around the yard. Grasshopper population can be controlled by birds, ducks and geese if the grasshoppers are not in massive quantity. However, It's impossible to kill all grasshoppers from your yard,according to Weekend Gardener. Therefore, large quantities of grasshoppers will need to be controlled through gardener intervention. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Basil
- Nolo bait
- 1 cup diatomaceous earth
- 1 gallon water
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- Neem oil
Instructions
-
-
1
Plant basil around the perimeter of a small- to medium-sized garden. Grasshoppers enjoy the sweet taste of the herb and will eat on that instead of corn.
-
2
Spread Nolo Bait infected with nosema locustae about 1 foot from the base of the corn garden. Nosmea locustae infects grasshoppers once they eat the flakes and eventually causes death. Grasshoppers will eat dead grasshoppers and spread the death. Nolo bait can be purchased through gardening retailers.
-
-
3
Create a diatomaceous spray to shower the perimeter and corn stalks to kill grasshoppers. The spray shuts down the grasshoppers bodies when they ingest it. Purchase diatomaceous earth from a gardening center. Combine 1 cup of diatomaceous earth with 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses.
-
4
Neem oil is a repellent for grasshoppers and can be sprayed directly onto the corn. When grasshoppers ingest the oil, it stunts growth, causes infertility and is an appetite suppressant. The oil can be found at specialty garden shops.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Over-the-counter repellent can be purchased at garden shops but may harm corn.
Keep children and pets away from all repellents to prevent harm.
References
- Photo Credit Jeffrey Hamilton/Lifesize/Getty Images
