Grasshoppers


Grasshoppers may be green, brown, yellow, black, gray, or even reddish. They are 1 to 2 inches long and have a tough armor on their bodies. They have short antennae and large hind legs designed for spectacular jumping. Females lay their eggs in the soil or on weeds. Grasshoppers feed during the day. Only one generation occurs each year. The eggs overwinter in the soil and hatch in late spring.


Grasshoppers will chew any part of a plant that sticks up above the ground. They can do a lot of damage, eating a plant right down to its bare bones. Within 16 hours, a grasshopper will eat its own weight in green food. Seven grasshoppers per square yard over 10 acres will eat the same amount as one cow.

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