The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper is a large, destructive pest common throughout the Southeastern United States. This insect causes significant defoliation of garden plants, citrus, and vegetables. Effective management relies on a strategic, multi-step approach that targets the insect at its most vulnerable life stage. This article provides practical methods for removal and long-term control to protect your landscape.
Identifying the Eastern Lubber
The appearance of the Eastern Lubber changes dramatically as it develops, making correct identification across its life cycle important for effective control. Newly hatched nymphs appear in the spring, are small, and often gather in large clusters; these young grasshoppers are typically shiny black with a bright yellow or sometimes red stripe running down their back. As they mature into adults, they become the largest grasshoppers in the United States, reaching up to 3.5 inches in length. Adult coloration varies widely, often displaying bright patterns of yellow, orange, or red mixed with black. This striking coloration serves as a warning to predators that the insect is unpalatable or toxic, and their large size and flightless nature make them easy to distinguish from other grasshopper species.
Manual and Low-Impact Removal Techniques
The lubber’s slow movement and tendency to congregate make manual removal an effective and environmentally conscious control method. Hand-picking the insects is successful, especially for small infestations or in organic gardens where chemical use is a concern. Wear gloves when handling the lubbers, as they can secrete a foul-smelling, sometimes irritating, froth when alarmed. The collected insects should be disposed of by submerging them in a container of soapy water. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water, causing the grasshoppers to drown quickly.
Targeting the newly hatched, clustered black nymphs in early spring prevents them from growing into dispersed adults. For protecting high-value plants, physical barriers offer a non-chemical solution. Young plants can be protected with floating row covers, which physically prevent the flightless lubbers from accessing the foliage. Since the nymphs are gregarious, sweeping or netting entire clusters into a disposal bucket is an efficient way to reduce the population significantly before they cause extensive damage.
Targeted Chemical Control and Timing
Chemical intervention should be considered a last resort, as broad-spectrum insecticides are often ineffective against the large, robust adults. The most successful chemical control focuses on the vulnerable nymph stage in early spring. Adult lubbers are much more difficult to kill due to their size and ability to detoxify chemicals. Insecticides containing active ingredients such as carbaryl, permethrin, bifenthrin, or spinosad can be used, but they must be applied directly onto the nymphs for maximum effectiveness.
Applying insecticide residue to foliage is generally insufficient to kill the lubbers because they consume large amounts of plant material and can metabolize the toxins. Therefore, a direct-contact application is necessary to ensure the product reaches the target pest. Granular baits containing carbaryl may also be effective, especially when applied along the margins of landscaped areas to intercept migrating nymphs. When using any chemical treatment, always follow the label instructions precisely to ensure safety and to minimize harm to non-target insects, such as pollinators.
Preventing Future Infestations
Reducing the likelihood of future outbreaks centers on making the environment less appealing to the egg-laying females. Eastern Lubbers prefer to lay their egg pods in tall, weedy, or overgrown areas near the plants they feed on. Regularly trimming tall grasses, mowing weedy patches, and keeping garden beds clean of debris removes preferred egg-laying and hiding spots. The females deposit their eggs in the soil, usually in late summer or fall, in uncultivated, dry areas; if you locate these egg pods, carefully digging them up and destroying them prevents the next generation from hatching. Lubbers also favor plants like amaryllis and lilies, from which they sequester their defensive chemicals, so planting less palatable alternatives can discourage them from establishing a presence in your garden over the long term.