Grasshoppers are highly destructive pests that usually attack plants, crops, and flowers in hordes. Grasshopper outbreaks are common in different parts of the United States, particularly during hot summers. Surprisingly, a trusty kitchen ingredient offers one of the most effective methods in getting rid of these pesky critters for good – good ol’ garlic.
Here’s how to make garlic spray for grasshopper repellent:
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
- Pour into a saucepan and add 6 cups of water.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes in medium heat.
- Leave the mixture to cool and soak overnight.
- Transfer the contents into a glass jar filled with water.
- Pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle or pump sprayer.
- Spray liberally all over your plants.
- Reapply after every rainfall and after each watering.
In this article, I will show you a simple recipe for making garlic spray repellent for grasshoppers and other garden pests. We will also discuss why grasshoppers are attracted to your garden and a few other natural ways to drive grasshoppers away. Let’s get the ball rolling!
1. Mince 4 Cloves of Garlic
Grasshoppers, as well as many other types of garden pests, hate the smell of garlic. Garlic spray will drive away unwanted insects from your garden to enjoy healthy, thriving plants and a good crop harvest. Garlic spray is entirely organic, so you can rest assured that it won’t harm your plants. It is also safe around people and pets.
Garlic spray acts more like a repellent, although garlic oil is an effective insecticide. It keeps grasshoppers at bay mainly because of its unpleasant scent. When you spray it on a plant, the leaves absorb the odor, and grasshoppers will avoid the plant. Garlic is known to work as an insecticide only on soft-bodied pests such as slugs, snails, and aphids.
2. Pour Into a Saucepan and Add 6 Cups of Water
At this point, you may want to add about three minced medium-sized peppers to the mix. Grasshoppers detest the fiery taste of peppers. Combining these two ingredients – garlic and peppers – is a surefire way to keep these ravenous insects off your plants and away from your garden. Any variety of hot peppers will do. The hotter, the better!
Make sure the water you add to the mixture is clean. Dirty, contaminated water may harm your plants. Remember that you will be applying this garlic spray over entire plants, including leaves, stems, and even on the soil. Plants will absorb the spray, and any harmful contaminant in the water might be absorbed by plants as well.
3. Simmer for About 20 Minutes in Medium Heat
Let the flavors and aromas blend and intensify. This simmering time helps make this garlic spray more potent. You will notice a pervasive smell in your kitchen, which may even make your eyes water and your nostrils begin to sting.
This reaction is what grasshoppers will probably go through as well if they approach your plants when you have already sprayed them with repellant. These intense flavors and smells will send them hopping away!
4. Leave the Mixture To Cool and Soak Overnight
Allow the elements in the mixture to marry and settle overnight at room temperature. You may leave it in the saucepan with the heat turned off, or you can also pour the mixture into a bowl. Ensure the mixture is covered and protected from contaminants like dirt, dead insects, or dust.
5. Transfer the Contents Into a Glass Jar Filled With Water
There should be 1 cup of garlic and hot pepper mixture for every gallon of water. Use a strainer to get rid of the solid elements for fuss-free spraying. You may also add in some liquid soap to act as an emulsifier. This soap will help the garlic spray stick more securely onto plants’ leaves and stems.
6. Pour Some of the Mixture Into a Spray Bottle or Pump Sprayer
Choose a spray bottle or pump sprayer that emits a fine mist or spray. Remember that you will need to spray the garlic mixture directly on your plants. A fine mist will be gentler for plants, especially those with soft leaves, and will help avoid damage and tears. Store any unused mixture inside the fridge.
7. Spray Liberally All Over Your Plants
Spray directly on your plants and soil. Pay particular attention to the undersides of leaves and in the areas where petioles, stems, and leaves meet. These are favorite hiding spots for grasshoppers and many other kinds of pests. These are also the areas where some of them may have lain their eggs.
A few grasshoppers here and there will not harm your garden. They are beneficial insects since they also serve as food for larger predators, like birds and lizards, that feed on garden pests. However, a swarm of grasshoppers is a whole different story. They can decimate your garden quickly by feasting on your vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
Adult grasshoppers can eat as much as 16 times their body weight daily. They devour leaves, stems, fruits, and flowers, devoiding plants of the ability to sustain themselves. Telltale signs of a grasshopper infestation are ragged holes through your plants’ leaves, stems, fruits, and vegetables.
8. Reapply After Every Rainfall and After Each Watering
You will need to reapply the garlic spray for maximum potency. Do this after each time you water your plants. Make sure to reapply as well after rainfall. Reapplication helps ensure that grasshoppers find your plants unappealing so that they simply move on without damaging your garden.
Grasshoppers have high reproductive rates, with females capable of laying 200-400 eggs each season. You may be wondering what keeps grasshoppers coming back year after year, and your garden being an ideal breeding ground may be one of the reasons why.
Grasshoppers are a problem in warmer states such as Texas and Florida, but you may find them anywhere in the states as they comprise 400 species!
Maybe there are certain things you can do that will help keep them away from your plants and crops. Here are some pointers:
Great Hiding Spots
Grasshoppers like hiding in dense vegetationLittle nooks and crannies provide them shelter and protection from predators such as birds, chickens, spiders, or lizards. These are also excellent locations for laying their eggs.
Make it a habit to pull out weeds and any unwanted growth from your garden. This cleaning out is a great way to deprive grasshoppers and other pests of convenient hiding spots. Weeding is also beneficial in keeping your plants healthy since weeds, and unwanted growth naturally take their share of the essential nutrients and minerals in the soil.
No Visible Threats
Having no predators in your garden is like putting up a welcome sign for grasshoppers to go ahead and feast on your plants. Some of their natural predators are:
- Birds
- Spiders
- Frogs
- Lizards
- Chickens.
Encourage a healthy ecosystem in your garden, and keep pesky grasshoppers at bay by inviting natural predators in.
Consider installing bird baths or birdhouses around your garden. Birds are excellent deterrents for grasshoppers.
Build a pond to attract frogs so they can frolic and snack on grasshoppers once in a while. Leave spider webs alone, especially if they’re not a nuisance since spiders are great at catching pests, including grasshoppers.
Lay out basking rocks to attract lizards since they love feasting on insects, including grasshoppers.
Tasty Crops and Plants
Grasshoppers aren’t picky eaters, but they have a preference for certain plants and crops, including:
- Corn
- Alfalfa
- Clover
- Grasses
- Small grains (oats, barley, wheat, rye, or rice).
If you have these in your garden, you’ll be attracting swarms of grasshoppers yearly. You can avoid planting these in your garden, but if they are among your staples, consider using plant nettings.
Manufacturers design plant nettings for various purposes, so make sure you choose those intended to keep pesky grasshoppers away. Pay special attention to how you install them over your plants. Grasshoppers can be sneaky and might figure out a way to get to your plants if you leave ample spaces for them to hop through.
Other Simple Ways To Get Rid of Grasshoppers
These voracious plant eaters can quickly destroy an entire garden. Keeping the grasshopper population in control is essential to keep your vegetables, fruits, and flowers safe. There are many ways to do so, and some methods are incredibly simple.
Here are some of the tried and tested ones:
Get Chickens as Pets
Chickens love feasting on grasshoppers, their larvae, and many other insects and pests. Having chickens as pets helps ensure that the grasshopper population in your garden every summer is always in check.
In the winters, you can count on them to search for grasshopper eggs and larvae in the ground. A bonus is that you and your family can enjoy farm-fresh eggs every morning for breakfast.
Flour Dusting
All-purpose flour is a natural insecticide that attacks a grasshopper’s digestive system. Simply dust a light flour coating on your plants’ leaves and stems.
Make sure to use only all-purpose flour and not any other flour with additives such as salt and sugar. These extra ingredients may be harmful to your plants. You will have to reapply flour dust after watering your plants and after each rainfall.
Final Thoughts
Grasshoppers have such voracious appetites that they can devour almost all the leaves in a plant, rendering it incapable of photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, a plant will wither and die.
Garlic spray will help drive these pests away from your garden because they hate how it smells and tastes. A light coating of this potent insect repellent will help keep your plants healthy and beautiful.
