20 replies to this topic

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

After a warm winter I am predicting a bumper crop of these pests. I have already killed hundreds of these little guys in my yard. Only the juveniles so far. They are gregarious and if you see one, there are bound to be dozens more close by. I have come upon several "herds" while walking around my place and immediately do the Mexican Hat Dance on them. So far, I mostly find them in the grass, they have not found the Crinum yet, that is their favorite food.

Anybody else see them?

[palmisland]

I've never seen one at my place, but a friend, less than a mile away has them every year. These things are huge!

[Ray Tampa]

I just fed a nice sized colony a well balanced diet of Sevin dust.

[Patricia-CR]

I hate the damage most grasshoppers and family do...

[MattyB]

At my old place, a small yard in a regular residential neighborhood, every year we'd have grasshoppers come in and do some damage to plants. They are voracious! When we moved into my new place with the adjacent canyons and open space I saw thousands of them, all over the place. They would fly away as you walked down the trail. I was scared! But I soon found that the native canyon birds (that are not found in residential neighborhoods) are so effective at keeping these grasshoppers in check, that I've never had any noticeable damage to my plants that I can remember. A grasshopper moves and BAM!!!!!! those scrappy little brown birds are on it, like a hobo on a ham sandwhich!

[Jastin]

I bought a hobo a subway sandwich and he refused it.

[Stevetoad]

1332305078[/url]' post='518955']
I bought a hobo a subway sandwich and he refused it.

I just ate a hotdog! Sorry i didn't mean to offend you...

[palmmermaid]

At my old place, a small yard in a regular residential neighborhood, every year we'd have grasshoppers come in and do some damage to plants. They are voracious! When we moved into my new place with the adjacent canyons and open space I saw thousands of them, all over the place. They would fly away as you walked down the trail. I was scared! But I soon found that the native canyon birds (that are not found in residential neighborhoods) are so effective at keeping these grasshoppers in check, that I've never had any noticeable damage to my plants that I can remember. A grasshopper moves and BAM!!!!!! those scrappy little brown birds are on it, like a hobo on a ham sandwhich!

Matty,

The problem with the lubbers is that they are toxic to most if not all other animals. They get the toxin from their favorite food - crinums.

I have these things and I do the 2-step on all of them I find. I know they lay eggs in the soil around the crinums. If I could find the eggs I would destroy them.

[Tad]

I used to see a few here and there around the farm (grasshoppers in general) but I think the guinneas eat just about everything they can see so I never really see much damage.

[Eric in Orlando]

I have seen some around my yard but I have no crinums. But they do also like Selloums (Philodendron bipinnatifidum). I leave them as the many Cuban Tree Frog pals in my yard eat them, I think. I only see a few giants later in summer

[MattyB]

Tad!!!!!!!! The Lubbers called you back?

[Ray Tampa]

Eric,

Cuban Tree Frogs? They are worse than the grasshoppers. Kill them too.

Ray

[Eric in Orlando]

I embrace the Cuban Tree Frogs. They have voracious appetites and eat so many insects. I know they are not "native" but neither are the brown anoles and neither are going anywhere. Just like humans they are here to stay and new permanent residents. I still have native green tree frogs but they have just adapted like the green anoles have. They tend to avoid my porch lights at night where the Cubans congregate. They stay more along the dark walls and vegetation and in the bromeliads.

My girlfriend HATES the Cuban Tree Frogs, they creep her out as big as they are, and I have relocated over 30 to my house in the past year. Anyone who has them feel free to bring them to my place !!!

[Tad]

Tad!!!!!!!! The Lubbers called you back?

nah, I posted a livistona question on the main board earlier and was just checking things out

[MattyB]

Welcome back!

[edric]

Hi Jerry, killed about fifty yesterday, spent an hour a day hunting for Lubbers last year, around 200 hours all told, killed over 300 on my property alone (single lot), even Dursban (Chloropyrifos), I know they they banned Dursban 18 years ago, but I almost never use it, it acts like water on them, and may have an effect later, but haven't noticed, I have to use my boot too, Ed

[Tad]

if you can get a hold of it, Lorsban 4E is a great tool, it kills, scale,grasshoppers,beetles,roaches,fleas,ticks, mites,mealy bugs, caterpillars, ants, thrips,whitefly, and just about every yard pest known to man.

[Ray Tampa]

Eric,

Cuban tree frogs eat the native frogs and toads and native Florida anoles. Take it from this Cuban . I won't go looking for them but if one is spotted, it gets two bricks or a shovel.

Ray

[Creekside]

Lubbers make my broms look like Swiss cheese. They like orchids, too. I like it when they line up on the fence, just waiting for my machete.

[palmmermaid]

I'm with Ray. If it isn't a native animal I kill it if I can. Iguanas, Cuban tree frogs, brown anoles - they are all fair game. I am almost as bad when it comesto non-native plants - at least the invasive ones. My husband and I do a once-around the garden every month looking for melaleuca, brazilian pepper, old world climbing fern, australian pines, and any other of those nasty exotics. It is a constant battle to keep them in control.

[amazondk]

There is a very similar grasshopper here. Although they are bigger than the lubbers when adult. I sprayed some of the babies with Raid last year and it killed them nearly instantly. I used the Raid in the pruple can, I don´t know iif iit the same as sold there.

dk