Mole crickets are rarely seen, as they spend most of their time hidden in soil in extensive tunnel systems. They tend to feed on turfgrasses in the upper one inch of the soil. They also forage on the soil surface when night temperatures are warm and the soil is moist. Their damage appears as brown, spongy areas within areas of normal green grass.

Habitat:
Mole crickets are mostly considered turfgrass pests. They live in and feed on the roots, stems and blades of turfgrasses such as centipede grass, Bermuda grass, Bahia grass, and St. Augustine grass. Besides inhabiting lawns, the southern mole cricket feeds mainly on other insects, as well as crops and plants. Commonly injured plants include tomato, strawberry, beet, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrot, cauliflower, collard, eggplant, kale, lettuce, onion, pepper, potato, spinach, sweet potato, turnip, chufa, peanut, sugar cane, tobacco, and flowers such flowers as coleus, chrysanthemum, and gypsophila.

Damage Caused:
Mole crickets can damage plants by feeding at night on foliage or stem tissue above ground and on roots and tubers below. Seedlings may be damaged at the stems near the soil surface, though some plants may be completely severed and pulled into a tunnel to be eaten. Mole cricket tunneling near the soil surface dislodges plants or causes them to dry out.

Mole cricket feeding is not considered as damaging as their tunneling. Tunneling reduces the aesthetic quality and health of turfgrass, interferes with the roll of the ball on golf courses, and results in reduced livestock grazing on severely infested pastures. Estimates of mole cricket losses in commercial, recreational and residential sod now exceed $20 million annually.

Control:
Control of mole crickets is a continuous problem for homeowners, turfgrass managers and sod producers. An effective eradication program requires keeping close tabs on the mole cricket population and matching control efforts to local conditions, the life cycle of the pests and demands on the turf. Distinctly different strategies are appropriate for spring (March-May), summer (June-September) and fall.

Regardless of the pesticide chosen or time of application, some steps should be taken to maximize results. Remember that all pesticides are affected by heat and sunlight and that mole crickets are most active at night. Apply the insecticide as late in the day as possible to minimize these effects. Unless the label instructs otherwise, irrigate thoroughly after application to move the material off the foliage and down to the soil surface.

If adequate irrigation is available, the mole crickets themselves can be manipulated to increase control. Allow the soil to dry out for three or four days and then irrigate thoroughly in the evening. Apply the insecticide the next afternoon. Mole crickets are sensitive to soil moisture and will move down in the ground to find comfortable conditions if the surface is dry. Irrigation will then bring them back up to resume feeding the following night, making them easier targets for control.

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