I presume, your organic herb growers are getting some sort of migration. It
would help to know the species and the source.
Not knowing the acreage or anything else, and figuring not much is labeled
for herbs, you are pretty much left with mechanical, cultural and physical
methods of control. Perhaps, row covers could be rolled out when
grasshopper invasions are imminent. Alternatively, have you ever considered
vacuuming off the grasshoppers. There are machines for vacuuming used
successfully against Lygus bugs in California strawberries, and others have
been developed to suck leafhoppers from grapevines. There are also backpack
units, like the D-vacs used for insect research, which can be used to go
down rows and suck up part of the hopper population. I saw a small little
machine harvesting cucumber beetles from several acres of vegetables and
border strips quite successfully where the grower was philosophically
committed not to use any sprays.
Incidently, grasshoppers are a good protein and trace mineral source, even
eaten by people around the world, and often considered delicacies. Indeed,
the rice field grasshoppers are welcomed in Korea as a snack food. Our own
Plains Indians also relished them. At the very least, the hoppers might
have some value as an animal or bird feed if you harvested them. Maybe you
could sell stirfry grasshoppers in basil to some ethnic restaurant [I say
jokingly].
Let us hear if you implement a successful control strategy.
Joel Grossman
email(internet): 3216125@mcimail.com
<I have two growers who have seen significant crop damage from grasshoppers
<in Basil and several other herbs. Does anyone know of any successful
<non-chemical control strategies for these two certified organic growers ?