Spiders, wasps, robber flies, rodents, and birds eat nymphal and adult grasshoppers. In the 1920s and 1930s, flocks of turkeys and chickens were often recommended for grasshopper control. The effectiveness of this technique is questionable and reportedly led to other problems. Claims were also made that a diet of grasshoppers tainted the birds' flesh. Grasshoppers are susceptible to a large array of natural diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi.
Research continues on several groups of entomopoxviruses that infect grasshoppers.
How grasshopper outbreaks develop Outbreaks develop when . ONE grasshopper per square yard Favorable year . TWO grasshoppers per square yard Another . . . Another . . . One more . . .