Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Saturday - July 07, 2012

From: Goldthwaite, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pests
Title: Control of grasshoppers from Goldthwaite TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

How long do grasshoppers live. They are eating our flowers, plants and trees.

ANSWER:

Since we are gardeners and not entomologists, we went to the Internet to try to find an answer to your question. This article from Colorado State University Extension on Grasshopper Control in Gardens and Small Acreage contains this paragraph:

"Adult grasshoppers may live for months, interspersing feeding with mating and egg laying. Species that winter in the egg stage die out in late summer and early fall. A few species, perhaps most conspicuously the speckledwinged grasshopper, spend winter as a nymph, remain active during warm periods, and may develop to the adult form by late winter."