Small green grasshoppers hatched

So, i was looking over my hops plant and I see some small green insects, jumping off the plant, when i was near it. I got closer and to my surprise I see a bunch, in a small group, just on top of the soil. I brushed the top layer of soil away and noticed a bunch more. All in all, I think I killed about 40-50, finger nail-sized, green grasshoppers coming out of only one plant. All my other plants are being stripped of their leaves. I'll try and get a pic.

Did I stumble across their hatching site?
How far under the soil do they hatch?
How, and has anyone dealt with these guys/ this many?

Are you sure they are grasshoppers? There is a large group of insects called leafhoppers that look like tiny grasshoppers, but are basically harmless.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empoasca

Aphids are also small and green

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid

Mix up some dish soap and water, and spray them off the plants.

What I found are called Grasshopper Nymphs. And they had just hatched. I smashed all of them before I could Document.