Leafhopper Prevention

June 15th, 2009 Posted in Ornamental & Lawn Pests



Leafhoppers may look tiny, but they are part of a huge family. More species of leafhoppers exist than species of mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians combined.



This article will explain:

  • What is a leafhopper?

  • What does a leafhopper look like?

  • Leafhopper life cycle

  • Leafhopper control

  • How to get rid of leafhoppers

What is a leafhopper?

Though the name suggests it, leafhoppers aren’t related to grasshoppers at all. True to their name, leafhoppers spend each summer hopping from leaf to leaf wreaking havoc. Leafhoppers cause damage throughout the country, but the biggest threat to the typical home occurs when leafhoppers invade a lawn. (Potato leafhoppers primarily threaten agricultural crops; however, they may occasionally infest gardens, especially grapes and other vascular plants.)


A leafhopper feeds by sucking valuable nutrients from individual blades of grass while injecting the blade with its toxic saliva. All types of grass can be affected by these pests.

Telltale signs of an infestation include:

  • Brown or yellowed patches of grass

  • Small green or white flying insects

  • “Clouds” of insects


Leafhoppers also secrete honeydew, a sticky substance that other insects feed on. Honeydew promotes the growth of sooty mold.

One sign that potato leafhoppers have infested your garden is hopperburn. Hopperburn causes the tips of leaves to turn yellow or brown, and may also cause leaves to fall off prematurely. Potato leafhoppers can be treated with the same products used for the lawn variety.


What do leafhoppers look like?

  • Long and wedge-shaped body

  • Range in color from white to bright green

  • Body grows to about 1/16″ long

Leafhopper Life Cycle

Leafhoppers lay their eggs in the stems of plants or blades of grass. These eggs hatch in just a few short days. Each generation of leafhoppers lasts about a month; so, multiple generations occur each season. Leafhoppers cannot survive the winter north of the Gulf States; so, most infestations occur between May and August of each year.

Leafhopper control

Leafhoppers can be a nuisance. The good news is that they are easy to prevent and control.

Here are a few tips for preventing leafhoppers:

  • Fertilize grass in spring and fall

  • Keep grass well-watered, especially in droughts

  • Do not use general insecticides


Instead of using broad insecticides designed to kill off all bugs, even the good ones, try using a targeted product like EcoSmart’s Garden Insect Killer.



Jasmine Davis




organic pest control


  1. 25 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Sheri Beisner on Jun 15, 2009

    Do these products control agricultural insects? What about alfalfa weevil? Corn ear worms? Has it been used as a cattle insecticide?

  3. By Kristian Delgado on Jun 17, 2009

    thats what Leafhoppers are! I’m glad ECOSmart has a product just for garden pests!@

  4. By EcoSMART Kara on Jun 17, 2009

    Sheri, for agricultural products, check this out: http://www.ecosmart.com/about/partners

  5. By EcoSMART Kara on Jun 17, 2009

    Thanks for commenting, Kristian!

  6. By gaile sullivan on Jul 9, 2009

    We have a BIG problem with leafhoppers. They are everywhere and our grass is dying in patches. Also they are jumping on my dogs and freaking them out so they won’t go into the yard. Where can we buy it. Not harming the environment is very important to us because of my animals and the birds etc that drink the runoff from the drainage ditch behind our home. Please reply soon so we can do something about this big problem. Thank you.

  7. By Jim Robb on Jul 9, 2009

    We have a terrible infestation that does not seem to be affected by organic treatments we have tried so far. The problem is that we have vegetables affected along with ornamental flowers. Short of a flamethrower, I am doubtful anything in a spray bottle will work for us. Suggestions?

  8. By Ami on Jul 16, 2009

    Are leaf hoppers more of a nuisance on the east coast? I never noticed them when I lived on the west coast several years ago.
    I am having a problem with them on my bee balm and hyssop that I planted this spring. I have been using strictly organic/natural additions to my garden and would prefer not to add any more harmful chemicals to the environment.

  9. By Jessi R on Jul 18, 2009

    The amount of leaf hoppers in our backyard is ridiculous! I need something that won’t harm the cats, but will get rid of the bugs! We don’t want to plant more trees in the backyard for fear of giving them more food.

  10. By Suzanne Vaartstra on Jul 28, 2009

    We have had a MAJOR infestation of Leafhoppers all over our front and back lawn for 3 years now…
    Didn’t actually know what they were until now! Looking for something to kill them off with without being a danger to me or my dog.

  11. By Nancy Copeland on Aug 13, 2009

    I would love to try EcoSMARY on my two year old grape plants that have the leafhopper problem. The plants are close to the house so I want nice looking leaves without those darn bugs.

  12. By Nancy Copeland on Aug 13, 2009

    OOOps! I misspelled your product. I meant to say EcoSMART.

  13. By Grace on Aug 23, 2009

    I have this problem in my backyard! Thanks so much for the information – I have been looking for a way to get rid of these bugs in our lawn without using any chemicals that may be harmful to my toddler who loves to run through the grass.

  14. By joyce on Jan 30, 2010

    its only january and the leafhoppers are in control of my garden in citrus heights, ca. help!!

  15. By marisa on Apr 1, 2010

    we moved into our house last fall and had no idea what the little bugs hopping out of the lawn were. what i thought was dead grass could be the work of leafhoppers. if this product works we would love to use it!

  16. By April on May 5, 2010

    Looking for a product that will rid viburnum of leafhoppers. They’ve severely damaged several large specimens.

  17. By kaydee on Jun 28, 2010

    what the heck!?!?

    i don’t know where these little dudes came from! i’ve been growing produce in my backyard for years & years & years . . . and these pesky bugs just showed up for the first time this spring . . . when i water the garden a little crowd of them takes flight . . . some have made it into the house . . . (grrrr) and gather around ceiling or table lamps – so, my problem is an indoor/outdoor one

    HELP!

  18. By AudreyP on Aug 21, 2010

    I live in central Arizona and our backyard is infested with leafhoppers. They are in our lawn and on spruce and aspen trees as well as on the weeds. You can’t even walk through the yard without them jumping and flying around and even biting you. I can’t wait for winter when they are all dead! I just sprayed 38+ insecticide on the lawn and on the trees. If this doesn’t work, I would love to try your product.

  19. By stephan koch on Aug 26, 2010

    i want to get rid of leafhoppers…please let me try your product.

  20. By Laurie on Sep 14, 2010

    We recently purchased a home in a suburb of Phoenix AZ, and now a puppy, and freaked when we thought the yard was full of fleas. In my research I have now concluded that I believe the bugs jumping all over in the grass as you walk are leafhoppers. They are all over the back yard and may have caused the dead patches we see back there as well as in the front. I’d love to try your product!

  21. By Anne Burtner on Nov 18, 2010

    I live in El Paso, TX and have tried to get rid of the leafhoppers twice but they keep coming back! It’s November and they are all over our yard. I can’t wait for a hard freeze. I would love to try your product! Thanks.

  22. By Gary Bobier on Feb 21, 2011

    I have a few grape vines and for the last 3 years the leaf hoppers have been sucking the life out of the leafs. Are they over wintering in the soil? Can I kill them by treating the soil before they go crazy? I want to have a good crop of grapes if only you can help.

  23. By EcoSMART Kait on Feb 23, 2011

    Hi Gary,

    Grapes can actually withstand a pretty large amount of leaf hoppers without any harm to the grapes. Are you sure it’s damaging the grapes? I haven’t read much about soil treatments helping. Removing basil leaves during berry set and the 2-week period following can reduce leaf hoppers by up to 50%. You can read more about that here. You can also use EcoSMART’s Garden Insect Killer, which is so safe you can spray and harvest on the same day!

  24. By Olga Overby on Jun 22, 2011

    During this unbearably hot summer my family and I have been spending more times outdoors. The leafhoppers invaded our home and covered our flat screen and laptop screens! They swarmed around our lamps! I need your product! Will it harm my cats or my fish?

  25. By Patti on Jun 23, 2011

    Our area has been hit by these creatures. Where can I buy this product?

  26. By Alan Willard on Jul 4, 2011

    I have leaf hoppers on my small perennials. I am looking for a good product that is safe.

    Alan W

25 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)