I can't speak for all different kinds of grasshoppers in all different parts of the country, but I did notice some interesting things about the grasshoppers in Atascosa County, Texas, when I visited my father in Poteet, during the summer of 1995. I noticed that, when the grasshoppers were flying, they commonly crashed into the walls of the house. I noticed that, when they did so, they fell straight down, all the way to the ground. It didn't seem to bother them a lot but the fact is that they didn't recover their flight before hitting the ground. They just stoically fell all of the way to the ground and then took off again. I also noticed that when they took off, they didn't jump straight up. They left the ground at an angle significantly less than 90°. I'd say that it was closer to 30°. The significance is that, if you could build a trap that the grasshoppers would fall into but not be able to jump out of, then you'd have a dandy source of high protein feed for your chickens. There are probably a lot of possible ways to do it. I've suggested one way in the sketch. You can build the cage out of screen wire and pieces of wood. The sloped top should be made from something slick, like a piece of galvanized sheet iron. Just set the cage next to any handy and appropriate wall, where grasshoppers fly and chickens lurk. The grasshoppers will hit the wall and fall into the trap. They won't be able to hop out again. The chickens will push the little swinging doors open and eat the grasshoppers. What a way to entertain your friends. "Hey Bubba! Grab yer beer an' let's go watch the grasshopper trap fer a while!" If you don't have a handy wall or if you want to put the thing out in the open, away from buildings, then just use an upright sheet of plywood. Then, you can put cages on both sides of it and catch the grasshoppers coming and going, as they say.
