Help! We already have grasshoppers and, what we call june bugs. they are not green, but the brown ones. What can we do? Isn't it too early for these bugs? Thanks

For the grasshoppers, spray a kaolin clay product on the plants. Grasshoppers will not eat. It isn't pretty, but neither is grasshopper damage
As for the June bugs, I do not know....

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Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

What do June Bugs hurt? Just curious; I've never seen them cause damage.

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The "soap" you use is normally chemicals, etc. Use real SOAP !!

I kind of like June bugs. They remind me of my childhood. Now grasshoppers are a different story. Try as I may, I can't find where large numbers of them fit into any kind of ecological balance scenario. I was told by another source a few days ago, that the kaolin products are effective for grasshoppers. My biggest concern would be that the drying effect of clay products would be harmful to plants, especially in the vegetable garden. Has anyone found this to be the case?

June bug larva are the grubs you find eating your grass roots.

You can catch them by the billion by shining a light at a 5-gallon bucket half full of soapy water overnight. Compost your catch every morning.

Beneficial nematodes are good to use against the grubs. If you are seeing the adult beetles now, now is the time for beneficial nematodes.

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David Hall
Moderator
Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum

You can catch them by the billion by shining a light at a 5-gallon bucket half full of soapy water overnight.

Do you have to bury the bucket? How do they get in?

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http://homeschool.priswell.com/worms.htm

You are catching the beetles, not the grubs. You can hang it from a tree or whatever. Obviously don't let the light bulb get too near the water.

The beetles may have already laid their eggs but you know they won't lay any more.

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David Hall
Moderator
Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum

You are catching the beetles, not the grubs.

Ah.

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http://homeschool.priswell.com/worms.htm

Thanks! I had forgotten about this! If you are going to compost it, real soap is better to use than a detergent, am I right? Something like Dr. Bronner's or Ivory?

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Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

Well I don't know about large numbers of them, but grasshoppers are apparently great bird food! Whenever I mow my backyard (not a "lawn", just a bunch of weeds), they're hoppin all over the place. The birds descend on the yard and feast for several minutes.

Unfortunately, most of those birds are grackles. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of those? I've seen them chase off the mourning doves, and a particularly ornery blue jay was even attacked one day. I don't see very much variety in the bird population here, and I think it's because of these horrible grackles.

Michelle

I might consider welcoming grackles if they eat grasshoppers, lol. We have a large variety of birds, but I've never seen one dining on hoppers.

OK so now I know how to catch the June Bugs (which I hate cause they are everywhere under our garage lite). Now....how do I prevent them from coming back year after year? I have tried several products that don't work at all. My yard is infested with 'em and I want them gone! HELP!!!

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Kelly C. Hanna
Hanna Woodworks

I believe using beneficial nematodes in your yard would control the grubs that hatch into June Bugs. You didn't say what else you tried, don't use any poisonous chemicals - you will kill almost everything beneficial and make your problem worse in the long run.

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The "soap" you use is normally chemicals, etc. Use real SOAP !!