This is what I saw when I checked on my roses this morning:
At first glance, all I saw was something odd. I thought it was some strange growth, then I realized it was something on the rose, and of course, I thought of aphids. But when I got closer, I realized these were bigger - and they were staring back at me!
Grasshoppers! Lots and lots and lots of tiny little grasshopper babies!
Since they are all clustered together on this one little rose (Ducher), they must have hatched recently. Look closely at these baby grasshoppers and you can see that they lack wings.
I've never before seen grasshopper babies clumped together like this. I hope they don't think my rose is their baby food!
Oh no! Pretty amazing, I've never seen that many in one spot either. Always a balancing act to keep your plants healthy and bugs in check. That many could do a lot of damage quickly.
ReplyDeleteWell, they are kind of cute...baby animals always are!
ReplyDeleteWhen I see them like this, if I don't squash them they wreak havoc on my gardens!
ReplyDeleteBy Jiminy thats a lot of grasshoppers to one Rose.
ReplyDeleteSomething new under the sun. They are cute. I would leave them alone, to grow up.
ReplyDeleteUh oh! Was it only on the one rose? You may be in for trouble and an invasion of grasshoppers. I hope you dispatched them right a way.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I haven't seen grasshoppers here in years and then late yesterday the biggest one I recall is right outside my back a little ways. I smashed it because it was in the dogs area and they would have played with it for a while. LOL I don't want grasshoppers here anyway, but whoa you sure have bunches. They'll eat all them leaves up.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Yipes.... Not sure I've ever seen that many little grasshoppers all in one place... Luckily, we don't have them here... How do you get rid of them??? Don't they do damage to your roses?
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
It's strange to see many grasshoppers on a rose. Did they eat it? Poor little rose!
ReplyDeleteYikes!! I can handle one or two insects, but a whole cluster, regardless of the kind of bug, gives me the heebee jeebees
ReplyDeleteThey are kind of cute now, i wouldn't let them grow up though.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...that's a tough call. Maybe you can start a little grasshopper herpetarium sans reptile (or maybe with the reptile). But I wouldn't want them on my Roses! They are cute, though!
ReplyDeleteHOLY COW! That is something I have never seen before! Ha! I got a chuckle out of this one!
ReplyDeleteOh baby indeed! They look adorable in the light box view of the photos. Hope your roses are okay.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen this either. I am wondering how the rose fared... I'm thinking baby grasshoppers have to eat something?
ReplyDeleteSuch a strange year for bugs here, too. If I let my Girls (hens) loose on those babies, they'd be gone in a flash. Great photo of the creepy crawlies, I bet it was startling looking at them through the lens!
ReplyDeleteWhoa, all those freaky little eyes! : ) It seems Momma did intend for your plant to be baby food. Hope they don't develop a taste for roses and continue eating!
ReplyDeleteI have not seen baby grasshoppers and they are cute but oh no if they start eating the roses...
ReplyDeleteI never saw a group of them like that. What a great find, Holley.
ReplyDeleteCalling all baby birds! Get eating!
ReplyDeleteYour posts are ALWAYS entertaining and I get a lot from them. Those grasshoppers are too cute!!
ReplyDeleteYou've got a grasshoppers nursery!
ReplyDeleteGrasshoppers are rare here so I'm not sure what they eat. All those eyes are kind of creepy - makes me think of 'Alien'.
ReplyDeleteOh good grief...I'm running for the hills.....eugh.....too scared to comment!
ReplyDeleteOH, no! I definitely think they will think your rose bushes are baby food! I don't like grasshoppers at all, and I hope some bird is already snacking on your babies, cute as they are. I have learned to be heartless. It is the food chain, after all!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your rose, which will not become just like your awesome header photo. So did you kill the grasshoppers, they will eventually become so plenty as each one is a potential layer. OMG, i can visualize a disaster!
ReplyDeleteIt did look like some strange growth from afar. LOL! What a bunch of the little rascals in one spot.
ReplyDeleteThe grasshoppers must die! You won't have a rosebush.
ReplyDeleteEww--grasshoppers are about the only bugs that just make my skin crawl. Where are those lazy ol' birds when it's time for them to get to WORK?
ReplyDeleteI have never seen so many grasshoppers in one spot before. I wonder if your poor rose is quaking with fear!
ReplyDeleteoh no! I have had millions of them this summer. The will eat everything green and then some. (see my post on grasshoppers @ theblondegardener.com I don't like to spray with pesticides so I went to my organic center and got some Semispore bait to sprinkle on the ground. It is only effective when the grasshoppers are babies and it makes them attack each other. I've applied it 3 different times this summer. It does work but might take a couple of weeks before you notice. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLooks like bird candy. :o) I've had some huge grasshoppers this summer but they don't seem to have done any damage. Yay!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing sight. You would think they would be sitting ducks clustered together like that and no wings to take flight. A bird could make a real meal out of them. Hopefully the plants survive okay. I have a lot of grasshoppers in my garden but never really notice any damage, I think they're more interested in the weedy hedgerow than my ornamental flowers.
ReplyDeletefascinating, but as you say, creepy, and not really welcome because of the numbers. If you can bear to now is the time you could easily cull them by (gloved) hand. I have done this with baby caterpillars but then they don't look at you with eyes like the baby grasshoppers do. And I guess some of the commenters have found grass hoppers do no damage so good luck! Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...I have never seen that before. I hope they did not feast on your roses. It is amazing how much of a cluster they created. Great captures!
ReplyDeleteOh my...so cool!
ReplyDelete