How to Get Rid of Mole Crickets
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Mole crickets can cause serious damage to turf grass. Learn how to get rid of these pests before they ruin your lawn.
If you live in the Southeastern United States, you might be dealing with a mole cricket problem. These pests (which are sometimes confused with cockroaches) may eat grass or its roots, uproot grass by making tunnels, disturb the soil, and cause a lot of lawn damage. They prefer Bermuda grass, bahia grass, and other warm-season turfs.
If these bugs are threatening your lawn, you’re likely eager to learn how to get rid of mole crickets. Below, we’ll discuss how to identify mole crickets, the damage they can cause, and the best way to get them to leave your lawn alone.
Identifying Mole Crickets
Mole crickets belong to the Gryllotalpidae insect family. This is under the order Orthoptera, making mole crickets relatives of locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.
Adult mole crickets are typically between 1 and 2 inches long with three body segments, six legs, and two antennae. While this sounds like a typical insect, mole crickets look rather odd—almost as if a mole’s or lobster’s head and paws/claws were placed on a cricket’s body. Like a mole’s paws, their front legs have claws that help them dig in the ground.
Common Types of Mole Crickets
Three mole cricket species are responsible for damage caused in the Southeastern U.S. Two additional species, European mole crickets and northern mole crickets, also live in the United States, but they’re far less destructive and are not classified as pests.
- Tawny mole cricket: Tawny mole crickets have tan bodies and grow to be larger than other mole cricket species, reaching a length of about 2 inches when fully grown. They are found in Florida and between North Carolina and Louisiana.
- Southern mole cricket: An adult Southern mole cricket grows up to around 1½ inches long. These dark-brown crickets can be found between North Carolina and Florida and as far west as Arizona.
- Short-winged mole cricket: Short-winged mole crickets are reddish-brown and smaller than tawny and Southern mole crickets, typically only growing about 1 inch long. They can be found in southern Georgia and South Florida.
Mole Cricket Life Cycle
A mole cricket’s life cycle consists of three main stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
- Egg: Adult mole crickets lay between 25 and 60 eggs in spring and summer. They deposit these eggs in pre-dug channels within soil, where they’ll remain until hatching within 40 days of being laid. The eggs are very small (only about 3 millimeters long) and either brown or gray in color.
- Nymph: From these eggs emerge mole cricket nymphs. Nymphs are white at first, but their color changes to a darker brown within 24 hours. Aside from underdeveloped wings, nymphs otherwise look similar to adult mole crickets. During the nymph stage, which lasts from July to October, mole crickets typically grow across eight shedding periods.
- Adult: After the final shedding, nymphs become adult mole crickets. Adults have fully developed legs and use their claw-like front legs to dig in the soil. Male mole crickets seek to attract females through mating songs. Most mole crickets live for a year or less.
Signs of Mole Cricket Damage
There are several signs of a mole cricket infestation. One indicator of mole cricket damage are tunnels along the lawn. While these tunnels within the soil may not be visible, you can often spot their presence due to lines of pushed-up grass or soil along the lawn. According to the University of Georgia Extension, most mole cricket damage is caused by tunneling. Larger nymphs and adult mole crickets make the largest and most damaging tunnels.
Mole cricket holes can also indicate a problem. Mole crickets dig these holes—which look like piles of dirt with an opening on top—during the spring for egg-laying. Dead or dying grass can also alert you to a mole cricket problem. In addition to the damage their tunneling can cause to grass, mole crickets may also eat grass and its roots.
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How to Get Rid of Mole Crickets
Getting rid of crickets, including mole crickets, can take some time and effort. Before resorting to using chemical insecticides, try more natural and environmentally friendly methods to clear up a mole cricket infestation. It also helps to ensure a turf problem is being caused by mole crickets and where the insects might be concentrated. Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends a soapy water drench in spots where mole crickets are suspected.
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