Grasshoppers take over San Carlos Park yards

Grasshoppers that hiss and emit a foul smell when threatened are taking over people’s lawns in San Carlos Park.

One family said they’ve seen hundreds of the insects, which are challenging to get rid of.

David Coleman said he had no choice but to face his worst nightmare every morning, every afternoon, every night.

“I’m like, a little creepy, ugly things,” Coleman said.

Every time he opened his front door, he saw hundreds of grasshoppers crawling on his porch chairs, lawn, gutters, tires, and mailbox.

In the last couple of weeks, they’ve quadrupled.

Truly Nolen pest expert Maurice Brown said that these are Eastern Lubbers, one of the largest-sized grasshoppers around. They feed on plants, and they like ornamental flowers.

“They are chomping and chomping away at any kind of floral arrangement that, that so they’re mostly the leaves and stuff,” Brown said.

When the creepy crawlers are alarmed, they can hiss and secrete a foul smelling froth.

Brown says that the froth isn’t dangerous to humans but can be toxic to Eastern Lubber’s prey, such as birds and lizards. That may be the case, but they’re still large and in charge, eating away at David’s front yard.

“Using a blower, and a rake, and a sledgehammer, because you’re pretty much you’re probably pretty much not going to be getting rid of them,” Brown said.

The pest expert WINK News spoke to said Coleman can get outside with gloves and a rake to pick the grasshoppers up one by one and throw them in a bag. But, it may take some time to get it all done.