This creature has no business in the garden, yard or earth!!!
Eastern Looper ☠️☠️☠️
They devoured an entire blueberry bush overnight.
Look closely at missing leaves on plants and see if these deadly bugs are present.
I went out to the garden and saw little groups of black grasshoppers. I noticed at least 40 black and orange striped ones and others yellow stripe. The stripe is on the top backs. After looking more closely, I saw two larger grasshoppers solid black. I believe this is two stages of growth because next phase probably devours the plants.
The “Eastern Lubber” is not beneficial to anything except mice. They have no other natural predators except rodents. We trapped 13 mice and now have the hoppers! Food chain disruption? Likely.
They hide well.
I’ve heard the best option is drowning one by one in a bucket of soapy water.
Things to know if you choose the pick and drown method is they stink 🙄.
So there it goes, I invited my own problems! The Eastern Lubber is attracted to moisture AND you guessed it, the *Orange Amaryllis’. Don’t worry, when they run out of food and moisture they should leave.
Read more about the destruction this pests has caused throughout Florida. Unfortunately pesticide is something we may have to use. Water level rise has pushed creatures out of habitats. I believe “Natural” FLORIDA is making a comeback!
Read more at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/archive/hot_topics/agriculture/eastern_lubber_grasshopper.shtml
Also be aware of winged moths looking insects-
Leaf Hoppers
Leaf hoppers are small, winged insects are one-fourth of an inch long and are green or brown in color. Some more distinctive specimens can be colored red and green. The adults cut tiny gashes into blueberry leaf stems and insert their eggs into the cuts. The insects are carriers of a blueberry disease known as blueberry stunt mycoplasma.
Deltona Garden Club 