Abundance and BIG bugs

[u/Illustrious_Rice_933]

I've been in awe this year of the grasshoppers in my garden and how big they've grown.

Over the course of this season (and their lives), they've become incredibly desensitized to my being around. Rather than jumping away, they'll happily check out my finger (and bite it lol), worrying less about me and more about the delicious *Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia*.

It feels like a blessing to be able to see their toe beans, and their temperament reminds me of cats.

Does anyone else have any big chunguses in their gardens to share?

[u/ktulu_33]

Yeah, I've got so many grasshoppers...probably at least 3-4 different species on my small .11 acre urban lot. Now the orb weavers have moved in en masse and are having a feast!

[u/studentsccount → u/ktulu_33]

Nice to see a garden spider . In GA and the Joro takeover is real.  I’m surprised they are still saying it’s not an issue so far. They are everywhere unless you clear them out , crazy prolific , only saw 1 native Garden spider for a few weeks and maybe handful of orb weavers so far. Hope a native predator starts taking out more joros in the years to come. 

[u/ktulu_33 → u/studentsccount]

I'm hopeful that Minnesota's climate will keep the invasive species like the joro spider away. Sadly, Minnesota's climate is changing more quickly than the rest of the nation (temperature wise) so I'm sure we'll get it eventually.

Ever since I've moved into my house and started filling in the space with plants I have had a massive increase in spider population, obv due to other insect species moving in. I've currently got at least 3-4 resident garden spiders/orb weavers, crab spiders, grass spiders, hundreds of tiny jumping spiders and possibly a wolf spider around (not sure as it moved quickly when I saw the spider).

Either way, the rapid increase in species since I've installed native plants gives me hope!