Grasshoppers are a group of insects that belong to the family of Caelifera. These are among the ancient living group of insects that used to live over 250 million years ago. You should note that these bugs are herbivores which is why they can be often seen attacking plants. When it comes to this, people should understand that there are also some benefits that you can get from these insects. They usually leave dropping on your soil after eating plants which turn into fertilizer. This can help your plants in getting healthier and last you a long time.
Though, there are also tons of problems that you can run into with the insects. This is because the insects attacking the plant also mean that your harvest might get destroyed. Talking about this, people often ask the question “Do grasshoppers eat tomatoes?”. If you are wondering the same thing then going through this article should help you out. This is because we will be providing you with all the information required regarding these insects along with tips that should help you in getting an answer.
Do Grasshoppers Eat Tomatoes?
The first thing that people need to understand is that grasshoppers are usually found roaming around plants with large leaves. This is because they can find shelter there while they also attack the plant for nutrients. If you are simply wondering if grasshoppers eat tomatoes or not, then the answer is yes, they do. However, there are tons of factors that you need to keep in mind that can better help you in understanding this answer. Grasshoppers mostly prefer plants that have a lot of leaves instead of fruit on them. This is why there is a high chance that they might never attack the tomatoes in your garden.
Now that you understand this, another thing to note is that these insects usually prefer staying away from tomato plants and are attracted to plants like lettuce as they have a lot more leaves. Though, in some cases, the insects might attack your tomato plants because they have no other option. If this happens then there are tons of problems that can be found. The grasshoppers will continue to gather around and infest the plant. This can be quite annoying as it means that larger chunks of the plant will be consumed. The insects can even eat your entire plant if not taken care of which can be dangerous.
Grasshoppers also tend to release toxins that will affect the tomato plants. These continue to spread until the plant dies. The only way to prevent this from happening is by keeping the insects away from your plant. Alternatively, you can use fungicides or similar chemicals to kill off the infection. Aside from this, another thing people should note is that the insects tend to roam around in your garden. This is because they require a variety of nutrients. These are only provided to them if they attack different types of plants in your garden. This means that the grasshoppers will also attack other plants.
Keeping Grasshoppers Away From Your Garden
Now that you understand that grasshoppers do eat tomatoes, you might wonder how this can be taken care of. When it comes to this, there are several methods that you can go with. One of these includes using companion plants. Tons of varieties have special properties on them. These will repel the insects from your tomato plants, keeping them safe as a result. However, if you have an issue with this then another thing that can be tried is using a plant that can attract the insect. This should help in baiting the grasshoppers towards themselves while the tomato plant is kept safe.
There are also tons of brands that manufacture special chemicals that can help in reducing the number of grasshoppers in your garden or even kill all of them. These pesticides can be quite dangerous to work with as they can also ruin your harvest. This is why you must take your time deciding on a reliable brand. You should then stay careful when using the product so that it does not damage the plant you are pouring it on. As long as you take care of these steps, the infestation should stop.