Grasshopper nymphs develop to the adult stage in six to eight weeks. Only adult grasshoppers have wings and readily move out of hatching areas. Hoppers begin egg laying one to three weeks after reaching the adult stage. They may live two to three months, depending on the late summer and early fall weather. All grasshopper developmental stages are influenced by weather, and their growth can be advanced or retarded by favorable or unfavorable weather.
Most grasshoppers lay their eggs in untilled soil.
Therefore, to infest a crop, grasshoppers have to migrate from field margins or other areas of untilled soil. The exception is the lesser migratory which may deposit eggs throughout a field, particularly alfalfa. Scouting Because grasshoppers move into crop production fields from hatching areas in field margins, grasshopper surveys should be conducted in adjacent untilled areas to determine the potential for problems. If grasshoppers have already invaded the field, they also can be sampled to determine if control is warranted. If timely rains keep the vegetation in untilled areas green, the grasshoppers may not migrate to adjacent crops.