Mole Crickets

There are three species of mole crickets - the shortwinged mole cricket, the southern mole cricket, and the tawny mole cricket. These pests cause heavy damage to lawns in the Gulf coast area and along the eastern seaboard of the US. Adult mole crickets are about one inch long, have wings, and appear to be a little bit chubby.

They are hard to spot, because of their name suggests, they spend most of their time underground, much like the moles they are named after. Mole crickets to lead circular exit holes of about an inch in size. They damage your lawn by eating the roots, causing the grass to dry out and creating brown patches on your lawn.

Mole crickets can be found by covering a four square foot area of your lawn with soapy water. Within 3 minutes time mole crickets (if you have them) should emerge and become visible. In addition, you can look for signs of the tunneling that they do in your lawn. The tunnels are most easily spotted in the morning when your lawn is the most moist.

Treating mole crickets is becoming more difficult as they are becoming resistant to pesticides such as Diazinon, Dursban, and other common pesticides. Acephate still works well, as does Talstar.

All pesticides require careful handling, as they are poisonous in nature. Be careful when applying them, and to not overuse them as they can poison the local animals. You may wish to make use of the services of a professional in treating mole crickets in your lawn.