What are Mole Crickets?

Mole crickets have an appearance similar to crickets with distinctive mouths and front feet. Adults measure about 1 to 1 1/4 inches long. In the Lowcountry region, turf grasses are primarily susceptible to mole cricket activity.

The life cycle of mole crickets is important to note, as all stages of their life are damaging to your lawn. During the early Spring, eggs hatch and begin maturing. Females dig up to 10 inches deep in moist soil and lay 100 to 150 eggs before they die. By the Summer months, the mole crickets feed heavily on grass blades and roots. In the Winter, the moles tunnel into the soil. Turf grass damaged by mole crickets will feel spongy and may render weed infestation.

Successful mole cricket management depends upon well-timed controls measures and good cultural practices. The first step begins with identification. Mole cricket tunnels will be about the diameter of a pencil with small mounds resembling ant hills. By monitoring spring activity and proactively treating those areas before nymph damage ever shows, you can hit these pests hardest and most effectively.

A simple, do it yourself, trick to confirm mole cricket a infestation is mix 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent with 2 gallons of water in a watering can, and drench an area about 2 square feet. If two to four mole crickets surface in three minutes, your lawn will need treated. A granular treatment, that can be found at your local garden center, will ensure continued treatment, post-application. The best time to treat the lawn with insecticides for mole crickets is during June and July because turfgrass damage is minor and the mole crickets are still immature and small.