I think it's been 30 years since I've seen a grasshopper. This year I've seen a lot!

Anyone else? I'm in San Antonio area.

Interesting that you hadn't seen any for so long. Are they damaging your garden?

Of course, I live in the woods but usually late summer (like right now) I see quite a few.

Not seen many so far this year. The other night I kept hearing a kind of knocking sound. Was a little freaky. So anyway, I was using my soaker hose and was going to move it a little bit. As soon as I opened the door I saw a huge old ugly cicada. We had a stare down for awhile and then I brushed him away. Minutes later I heard the knock, knock, knocking sound and saw that the cicada was throwing itself against my garage door.

A couple or more years ago I came home from somewhere and was startled to see a katydid near my front door. It stayed there for hours. Probably too full to move after having feasted on the leaves of one of my crinims.

Never_Ending_Quest said:I think it's been 30 years since I've seen a grasshopper. This year I've seen a lot!

Anyone else? I'm in San Antonio area.

Say that again!

Bexar County? As in San Antonio area?
I have a few hundred thousand here, 45 miles away. Year round!

Moondog said:

Say that again!

Bexar County? As in San Antonio area?
I have a few hundred thousand here, 45 miles away. Year round!

Pretty much the same here. There's not much they aren't trying to get a taste of right now. Most varieties don't do too much, but the Differential Grasshopper is voracious and a major pest.

Moondog said:

Say that again!

Bexar County? As in San Antonio area?
I have a few hundred thousand here, 45 miles away. Year round!

Actually I've only been in Texas for a little more than 2 years. In California I saw many when I was a kid. But as I said, it had been 30 years or even more. Do you have that many every year?

Most I've seen have been small about 1-1/2 inches. I did see one that was about 3 inches. I'll look up that variety so I can identify if i see one.

Well, the good news is that I'm pretty sure it was not a Differential Grasshopper. I am just surprised because the last two summers, I did not see any in my yard. Just the ever-present ants.

More good news. I saw frog or toad and hopefully it will stick around and eat some of these other pests. It moved too quickly for me to get a good look at it.

edited for typos

Never_Ending_Quest said:

Actually I've only been in Texas for a little more than 2 years. In California I saw many when I was a kid. But as I said, it had been 30 years or even more. Do you have that many every year?

NO, not every year. Some years they are BAD!!!
And I'm NOT joking.
That's why I couldn't believe that you don't see many grasshoppers.

Last night while catching up on all the news that fits, an article hopped out and caught my attention. Apparently there's an avalanche of grasshoppers invading Las Vegas.
Google it. There are a lot of videos.

I'll be sure to check that out.

Last week I saw a bird eating one of them. Hope they'll find and eat more!

tx_flower_child said:Last night while catching up on all the news that fits, an article hopped out and caught my attention. Apparently there's an avalanche of grasshoppers invading Las Vegas.
Google it. There are a lot of videos.

Hopefully the swarm isn't moving east.

We've had more than usual too. I figured it was because of all the rain this spring. But I do recall a droughty year or two when they were really bad. This year I've seen all different kinds and sizes.

Not seeing many here in Temple proper, but tons of them down on our rural property in Gause. Yesterday I'll be I saw 50 of them. They would hop with every single step I took in the yard. Seeing & hearing lots more crickets than usual down there, too.

Saw this kadiddle hopper a few weeks ago on an A. tuberosa. Was told it's a katydid.