I was down in the valley today visiting a friend. Her yard is being destroyed by grasshoppers. I live up in the hills but I am sure the grasshoppers will reach this area eventually. I looked in the archives and the only thing I found really helpfully suggested Merit, Sevin or Malithion. Do grasshoppers infestations only go away with poison?

Netting will keep them away. Birds eat grasshoppers. So do wasps. Other preying insects and animals. Create habitat. Live within nature not despite it. Poisons should be an extreme last resort and then only minimally in my opinion. There are some companion planting things you can do and other organic methods but in a plague there is not much. Unless you like to eat grasshoppers. They are good stir fried apparently;-)