Grasshoppers in Colorado gardens are a big problem because of their destructiveness. They are hard to control because they move around a lot, traveling up to 15 miles each day as adults, and they can eat up to 16 times their body weight daily!
What Grasshopper Damage Looks Like
When grasshoppers eat plants, the damage looks like ragged chewing which can:
Start at the edges and move inward on the leaves.
Create large holes within the leaves.
If you see perfectly circular holes or leaves that look like only the veins are left (called “skeletonized” leaves), that’s caused by other insects, not grasshoppers.
Grasshoppers can also destroy entire young plants almost overnight. If you notice plants with suddenly missing leaves, blossoms, and stems, especially in late spring and early summer, grasshoppers are likely the culprits. They can eat vegetable plants, flowers, grass, shrubs, trees, and even cloth row covers when they’re hungry.
Controlling Grasshoppers with Eco Bran
Eco Bran is an insecticide bait that contains Carbaryl and is designed to control chewing insects like grasshoppers. Here’s how it works and how to use it safely:
Attraction: The bran of Eco Bran is very attractive to grasshoppers- grains and grasses are their preferred food.
Safety: It’s safe for pollinators and beneficial insects because they don’t eat the bait. Birds are also safe, but don’t apply it near bird feeders or birdbaths. It’s safe to use around pets too, as long as they don’t eat it (the amounts are based on body weight, and animals have to eat a lot to be negatively affected).
Application Time: Apply Eco Bran early in the morning or in the evening when grasshoppers are actively feeding (temperatures between 80º and 90º).
Durability: Eco Bran remains effective for up to 21 days even with exposure to sunlight and water. If the bran stays visible and is allowed to dry, grasshoppers will continue to eat it. That means it will be viable for multiple hatching cycles of grasshoppers, making it cost-effective and time-saving.
Protect your yard and garden from costly damage from grasshoppers with Eco Bran, available at either location of Spencer’s!
