I feel your pain regarding the thistles and grasses. We're on just over one acre, and keeping up with nature (let alone fighting and winning!) is completely impossible. let's do a bit of Masanobu Fukuoka-style inquiry here: Any idea why your infestation is worse than everybody else's? Is there something obviously different about your property?
Back in the day, a certain kind of forest tree was being decimated in Japan. Scientists decided it was due to the presence of a particular beetle. So they sprayed all the forests in Japan to kill the beetle. Which did nothing to stop the die-off of the trees, but had huge knock on effects environmentally. He (Fukuoka) traced the cause & effect back to the near-extinction of a certain kind of delicious & delicate mushroom that is usually found at the base of those trees. (Either maiitake or matsutake, I forget which.) That mushroom has a symbiotic thing going with that type of tree. It's also extremely sensitive to pollution etc. He determined the real cause of tree die-off is actually acid rain. Not because the trees can't handle it, but because the mushrooms that supply its nutrients can't. So maybe if you can dial it back to find the actual reason(s) for the imbalance, you can deal with the locusts a different way that actually works.
On a more spiritual note, I wrote and videoed on the topic of fighting enemies in nature a few years back. I bring it up because I know you're open to such stuff. The astonishing realtime physical tangible miracles that showed up as a result of my choice to not perceive ravenous bugs as my enemies, speak for themselves. The video version can be found under Human/Nature TV on my main substack (which you recently subscribed to.) The episode is called Beyond Enemy Consciousness. https://carrietriffet.substack.com/p/human-nature-tv Check it out, it may help. xx
I watched your intro video and the episode you mentioned above and I'm enjoying the series. I believe you and I approach some topics differently, but I agree that we are all sparks from one source. You say Divinity, I say Yahuah, our creator. I believe nature (the creation) is Yahuah speaking to us through his creation, not creation speaking to us of itself, however. Regardless, I believe, as part of one divine creation, insects and such are not "enemies", but part of the whole perfect creation. Of course, this meditation is hard to hold when being slapped in the face by grasshoppers! :-)
But, it's we who are imperfect, seeing and feeling the need to change things and morph them to fit our desires. All true. To summarize, "When you walk around with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." We need to put the hammer down.
I love your cauliflower experiment, and I do believe you experienced a different outcome due to your perception. We've been doing various actions here, too (spiritually) and this year our fruits trees are heavier than any year before. I think its related.
I think we also sometimes try to make this place fit our image of perfection, failing to appreciate the perfection that already exists, as is. Maybe we need to be less like curators and more like stewards.
That said, I also see death and killing here almost every day. We live amongst bears, coyotes, wolves, deer, birds of all kinds, bobcats/cougars... and they all need to eat. So do we. The truth is, all life relies on death here, on this plane. We live in duality. Even those insects were killing your cauliflower to live. I know the wolf doesn't kill from hate, but how does the deer feel about being killed? This is a question I wonder about often.
I watched a documentary about a wolf pack recently and a young cub was left behind because it had a limp. It made me cry - it seemed so harsh and brutal, but that is also life. That is the natural world. Where do we step in? If at all?
I think we're both trying to find the line where it's okay to interfere and where it is best not to.
Yes. As my husband said, when he intercepted one of the cats catching a tiny mouse, only to have the little thing die in his hands, 'What do you do when the one you love kills the one you love?'
This world, for all its exquisite beauty, is an ongoing mofo of a lesson for us all. And yes, the non-interference thing too. Hard.
Carrie, I appreciate this and I will look at your video. Thanks for sharing.
Yesterday, we went up to a neighboring property just to check on the state of the infestation there - it was so much less than here! And it's only a hundred feet or so higher in elevation. No real difference, except there are more trees around. It's more wooded, which our land is not.
We've noticed they love to bask in the sun like little reptiles and we have a lot of open space. We thought about this last year so last fall, we planted seven new trees that should get 15-20 ft tall and help add shade to the main open spaces. Eventually. If they don't eat our trees first, which they tried to do last year...
We've let grass grow as an experiment and we've cut it back - no difference. We've watered and not watered - no difference. Most of the plantings I've done are native so our land isn't a lot different from any surrounding land - except for the flat, open spaces. We're thinking that's key.
We have birds and chickens and bees, so there are natural predators, but even they can't keep up with the numbers. And as time passes, they get larger - physically - until they're jumping face high and slapping us as we just walk through the yard.
Slap! Pow! Wham!
It's hard to not have enemy consciousness when they're doing that. :-) But I'll try. Thanks <3
Nolo bait - wheat bran that has been treated with spores of the fungus Nosema locustae, which kills adult grasshoppers (natural and not dangerous to animals).
Beauveria bassiana, another natural fungus that infects grasshopper nymphs.
Installing lots of bluebird and swallow houses on your property - not only are bluebirds and swallows beautiful, they eat a ton of bugs! You'll have to space their houses out the appropriate distance to deter competition, but they can really make a dent in the bug population.
I agree with Jacquelyn below, that it's important to consider the broader effects that non-selective pesticides can have. For example, Permethrin will also easily knock out bees and beneficial wasps, resulting in greatly decreased squash and fruit harvests...as well as an increase in pests that wasps usually control.
Fascinating article, thanks for sharing your stories!
I actually looked for the Nolo Bait and Beauveria bassiana with no success. I saw one comment online that said the company that makes Nolo Bait, M&R Durango, had been sold and they were having trouble with the transition so they were suspending the product until things were settled... not sure if that's accurate, but for whatever reason, it's not available anywhere: http://nolobait.com
Neither is the other. In fact, the EcoBran that I did buy was in short supply.
We have tons of birds here, as well as chickens are they're all doing their part to help out. This is the third year of this infestation for us and we're at our wits' end. Apparently, the largest pesticide campaign to fight this infestation took place in 2021 in our state. We're thinking it may have just relocated them here - to OUR FARM!
What happens to the birds who eat the poison locusts? Remember what happened when China killed all their sparrows (because some leader declared sparrows to be useless)....I see you are up against a huge problem, but I don't think you can spray your way out of it. I know you have tried many things, I can't imagine what I would do. Grind them up and sell them for food for those who are amenable to eating ze bugs, be they humans or animals....?
:-) We actually talked about that, in jest. Capturing them and selling them to the WEF or Bill Gates to feed the masses - starting with Klaus! If only....
I have struggled with the same questions about the impacts of poisons. That's one reason I want to try Ecobran. Here's what the description says about it:
Eco Bran is the most environmentally responsible method of grasshopper control
Control can be achieved with only 2% - 5% of the chemical used in liquid applications
Eco Bran is the most economical choice
Eco Bran may be used in pastures while beef cattle are grazing
Eco Bran may be spread on alfalfa or any forage crop without harm to leafcutterbees, honey bees, or other pollinators
Eco Bran is very effective at low rates
Eco Bran has the lowest environmental impact
There are a few alternatives that are also organic, but they're either discontinued or out of stock. There have been shortages with insecticides for a couple years now, and fertilizers, so that's an additional worry...
Thanks so for your reply. I am glad to see the info on Ecobran, I see why you chose it. I figured you already thought of 'using' the locusts for food for something or someone, even a fraction of them would probably feed a jillion ducks and lizards. When I searched 'locust killing machine' I got a lot of interesting stuff....hmmmm....I see a meme in here somewhere! I think there is a comparison to be made, since locusts are just grasshoppers gone 'viral', its so much like what has happened to many humans now, they seem so mob oriented. Quelle vie!
I feel your pain regarding the thistles and grasses. We're on just over one acre, and keeping up with nature (let alone fighting and winning!) is completely impossible. let's do a bit of Masanobu Fukuoka-style inquiry here: Any idea why your infestation is worse than everybody else's? Is there something obviously different about your property?
Back in the day, a certain kind of forest tree was being decimated in Japan. Scientists decided it was due to the presence of a particular beetle. So they sprayed all the forests in Japan to kill the beetle. Which did nothing to stop the die-off of the trees, but had huge knock on effects environmentally. He (Fukuoka) traced the cause & effect back to the near-extinction of a certain kind of delicious & delicate mushroom that is usually found at the base of those trees. (Either maiitake or matsutake, I forget which.) That mushroom has a symbiotic thing going with that type of tree. It's also extremely sensitive to pollution etc. He determined the real cause of tree die-off is actually acid rain. Not because the trees can't handle it, but because the mushrooms that supply its nutrients can't. So maybe if you can dial it back to find the actual reason(s) for the imbalance, you can deal with the locusts a different way that actually works.
On a more spiritual note, I wrote and videoed on the topic of fighting enemies in nature a few years back. I bring it up because I know you're open to such stuff. The astonishing realtime physical tangible miracles that showed up as a result of my choice to not perceive ravenous bugs as my enemies, speak for themselves. The video version can be found under Human/Nature TV on my main substack (which you recently subscribed to.) The episode is called Beyond Enemy Consciousness. https://carrietriffet.substack.com/p/human-nature-tv Check it out, it may help. xx
Hi Carrie.
I watched your intro video and the episode you mentioned above and I'm enjoying the series. I believe you and I approach some topics differently, but I agree that we are all sparks from one source. You say Divinity, I say Yahuah, our creator. I believe nature (the creation) is Yahuah speaking to us through his creation, not creation speaking to us of itself, however. Regardless, I believe, as part of one divine creation, insects and such are not "enemies", but part of the whole perfect creation. Of course, this meditation is hard to hold when being slapped in the face by grasshoppers! :-)
But, it's we who are imperfect, seeing and feeling the need to change things and morph them to fit our desires. All true. To summarize, "When you walk around with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." We need to put the hammer down.
I love your cauliflower experiment, and I do believe you experienced a different outcome due to your perception. We've been doing various actions here, too (spiritually) and this year our fruits trees are heavier than any year before. I think its related.
I think we also sometimes try to make this place fit our image of perfection, failing to appreciate the perfection that already exists, as is. Maybe we need to be less like curators and more like stewards.
That said, I also see death and killing here almost every day. We live amongst bears, coyotes, wolves, deer, birds of all kinds, bobcats/cougars... and they all need to eat. So do we. The truth is, all life relies on death here, on this plane. We live in duality. Even those insects were killing your cauliflower to live. I know the wolf doesn't kill from hate, but how does the deer feel about being killed? This is a question I wonder about often.
I watched a documentary about a wolf pack recently and a young cub was left behind because it had a limp. It made me cry - it seemed so harsh and brutal, but that is also life. That is the natural world. Where do we step in? If at all?
I think we're both trying to find the line where it's okay to interfere and where it is best not to.
We're both seeking that balance.
Thank you ox
Yes. As my husband said, when he intercepted one of the cats catching a tiny mouse, only to have the little thing die in his hands, 'What do you do when the one you love kills the one you love?'
This world, for all its exquisite beauty, is an ongoing mofo of a lesson for us all. And yes, the non-interference thing too. Hard.
Carrie, I appreciate this and I will look at your video. Thanks for sharing.
Yesterday, we went up to a neighboring property just to check on the state of the infestation there - it was so much less than here! And it's only a hundred feet or so higher in elevation. No real difference, except there are more trees around. It's more wooded, which our land is not.
We've noticed they love to bask in the sun like little reptiles and we have a lot of open space. We thought about this last year so last fall, we planted seven new trees that should get 15-20 ft tall and help add shade to the main open spaces. Eventually. If they don't eat our trees first, which they tried to do last year...
We've let grass grow as an experiment and we've cut it back - no difference. We've watered and not watered - no difference. Most of the plantings I've done are native so our land isn't a lot different from any surrounding land - except for the flat, open spaces. We're thinking that's key.
We have birds and chickens and bees, so there are natural predators, but even they can't keep up with the numbers. And as time passes, they get larger - physically - until they're jumping face high and slapping us as we just walk through the yard.
Slap! Pow! Wham!
It's hard to not have enemy consciousness when they're doing that. :-) But I'll try. Thanks <3
Three other grasshopper cures to try are:
Nolo bait - wheat bran that has been treated with spores of the fungus Nosema locustae, which kills adult grasshoppers (natural and not dangerous to animals).
Beauveria bassiana, another natural fungus that infects grasshopper nymphs.
Installing lots of bluebird and swallow houses on your property - not only are bluebirds and swallows beautiful, they eat a ton of bugs! You'll have to space their houses out the appropriate distance to deter competition, but they can really make a dent in the bug population.
I agree with Jacquelyn below, that it's important to consider the broader effects that non-selective pesticides can have. For example, Permethrin will also easily knock out bees and beneficial wasps, resulting in greatly decreased squash and fruit harvests...as well as an increase in pests that wasps usually control.
Fascinating article, thanks for sharing your stories!
Hi Grace, Thanks for the comment!
I actually looked for the Nolo Bait and Beauveria bassiana with no success. I saw one comment online that said the company that makes Nolo Bait, M&R Durango, had been sold and they were having trouble with the transition so they were suspending the product until things were settled... not sure if that's accurate, but for whatever reason, it's not available anywhere: http://nolobait.com
Neither is the other. In fact, the EcoBran that I did buy was in short supply.
We have tons of birds here, as well as chickens are they're all doing their part to help out. This is the third year of this infestation for us and we're at our wits' end. Apparently, the largest pesticide campaign to fight this infestation took place in 2021 in our state. We're thinking it may have just relocated them here - to OUR FARM!
What happens to the birds who eat the poison locusts? Remember what happened when China killed all their sparrows (because some leader declared sparrows to be useless)....I see you are up against a huge problem, but I don't think you can spray your way out of it. I know you have tried many things, I can't imagine what I would do. Grind them up and sell them for food for those who are amenable to eating ze bugs, be they humans or animals....?
:-) We actually talked about that, in jest. Capturing them and selling them to the WEF or Bill Gates to feed the masses - starting with Klaus! If only....
I have struggled with the same questions about the impacts of poisons. That's one reason I want to try Ecobran. Here's what the description says about it:
Eco Bran is the most environmentally responsible method of grasshopper control
Control can be achieved with only 2% - 5% of the chemical used in liquid applications
Eco Bran is the most economical choice
Eco Bran may be used in pastures while beef cattle are grazing
Eco Bran may be spread on alfalfa or any forage crop without harm to leafcutterbees, honey bees, or other pollinators
Eco Bran is very effective at low rates
Eco Bran has the lowest environmental impact
There are a few alternatives that are also organic, but they're either discontinued or out of stock. There have been shortages with insecticides for a couple years now, and fertilizers, so that's an additional worry...
Thanks so for your reply. I am glad to see the info on Ecobran, I see why you chose it. I figured you already thought of 'using' the locusts for food for something or someone, even a fraction of them would probably feed a jillion ducks and lizards. When I searched 'locust killing machine' I got a lot of interesting stuff....hmmmm....I see a meme in here somewhere! I think there is a comparison to be made, since locusts are just grasshoppers gone 'viral', its so much like what has happened to many humans now, they seem so mob oriented. Quelle vie!