Have you seen these pesky critters wreaking havoc in your garden? These are the Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers which are known to strip plants of their foliage.
The name Lubber stems from the old English word “lobre” which means clumsy or lazy, and these grasshoppers were given this name because they are a clumsy insect, with small wings limiting their flying ability.
They start small but eventually grow into 3- to 4-inch yellowish-orange grasshoppers that you’ll find around in the summer. When they’re still in their younger stages, they’re easier to terminate since they haven’t developed their protective shell quite yet. The best way we’ve found to get rid of these bugs is the “flick and squish method,” but if you can’t stomach that, you can use insecticides like Captain Jack’s DeadBug Brew® or Bug Blaster II.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of predators for these destructive defoliators. Most birds and lizards avoid them due to the toxic secretions of the adults. A good preventative measure is to keep your lawn mowed to make it less supportive of grasshoppers.