We gardeners all have our trouble makers. The pest or weed that is always watching, ready to pounce on our beautiful paradise. Gardening, as peaceful as it can be, is not without some troubles.
Here is my garden nemesis: The Eastern Lubbar Grasshopper.
Many Southern gardeners agree with me I am sure. In early spring, they emerge from their nests underground, and it can look like the ground is exploding. They start out innocent enough, black and yellow striped small babies. But these guys get big. They have big appetites too. And they hiss and jump at you.
They love “sweet meats.” Juicy cannas. Hawaiian Ti. Lion’s ear. Salvia. I can go on and on. We think our population began when the previous homeowner grew banana plants. Dozens, where our butterfly garden now sits.
So how do you deal with these guys? They can be very destructive. And although we try to let our ecosystem play out as much as possible, these Lubbers are not welcome. Wasp spray seems to work best on the adults. As for the babies, once they explode from the ground they are hard to catch and kill. And when I’ve asked how to get rid of the nests the common answer I receive from master gardeners, is pour gasoline down their nest, set it on fire and pray. Not a great option don’t you think?
So wish us luck protecting the garden from these grasshoppers from the bad place- lol. I am sure they have a benefit, but in our garden it’s hard to figure out what.
