Using Flour for Grasshoppers

[dalvis]

Hi all. Got a quick question regarding dealing with grasshoppers. I recently started working for a commercial outdoor farm in Oklahoma and we are getting bombarded with grasshoppers. We can’t use Spinosad because it’s banned but I saw on a different (noncannabis) website that said all purpose unsalted flour works well at killing them.

Id like to know if anyone here has used this approach and if so how did you apply? My boss is hesitant to use it but he respects my opinion and they are literally taking down entire plants. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Gingerbeard]

Never heard of using flour. Once it gets wet, you have crust. If you get it in flowers, you have crusty flowers.

 

[crucialbunny]

Old tried and true natural method of keeping leaf eating bugs off. From what I understand it gums up their mouths and stops them from feeding. Grasshoppers aren't fond of your buds so focus the flour on the leaves.

 

[Rwise]

You dont put it on the plants but around them, yes it gums up there chompers so they cant eat. You can mix in brown sugar so they eat it faster, and 7 dust so it kills them faster. I spray the area around the plants with spinosad (spraying the hoppers I see), it also seems to not be effective.I too live in OK, and the grasshoppers are bad this year. I find it more effective to pull their heads off then turn them loose. First thing in the morning before the sun comes up, they will set there and let you grab them. I have read the imported praying mantis goes after hoppers. Chickens will eat them and leave fertilizer behind.

 

[Gingerbeard]

That makes a lot more sense than dusting the plants. That keeps them off the leaves? Alternate food source?

 

[Rwise]

Only IF they eat it, then they die. They like wheat, and will eat it, but I dont find it effective, or maybe there are just so many hoppers I cant tell if a few hundred get killed. No it wont keep them off the plant, and they eat more than leaves, they'll chew the stem into.