THEY’RE BAAAACK….

Those monster munchers of your amaryllis, crinum, other lilies and, well, many of your favorite garden ornamentals and edibles!  We’re talking about lubber grasshopper nymphs currently hatching out in many of our landscapes.

These innocent-appearing tiny grasshoppers who gather by the dozens on foliage (especially grasses and other strap-like foliage) can be seen early in the morning and again in the late afternoon.  Eliminating as many as you can early in their development will help decrease the number of adults that appear in mid-summer.

Many homeowners who wish to decrease their use of landscape chemicals choose inventive methods to eliminate as many nymphs as possible.  These methods require daily or frequent monitoring by walking through the landscape and spotting the nymphs. In the early morning, nymphs are usually very lethargic and easily handpicked. Later in the afternoon, they are a bit more agile and will jump away at the first sign of disturbance.

Some non-chemical management methods are:

* Handpicking and placing in a bag, to be then placed in the freezer. This is referred to as the “sending off to Alaska” method.

* Handpicking and placing them in a bucket of soapy water.  This is called the “sloshing around the yard” method.

* Particularly entertaining if your nymphs are near a sidewalk or other hard surface is the “lubber stomp dance” wherein you toss handpicked nymphs onto the sidewalk and then stomp them. This is especially fun if you have a partner.

* Finally, you can try the portable vacuum, or “bye-bye suckers” method. This works well in the evening as the nymphs are more agile in the afternoon’s warmth.

While UF/IFAS does list chemicals that will kill these early nymphs, do know that they are ineffective against the mature lubber grasshoppers.  The best time to attempt lubber management is when the lubbers are young.

For more information on the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper and their management in the landscape.

For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

This article was written by Master Gardener Volunteer Molly Griner under supervision of the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulture Extension Agent Anne Yasalonis.

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