Dealing with Pesky Mole Crickets? Here's How to Remove Them

Have you recently noticed that your lawn is slowly dying? You may presume that it's the heat that is killing it, but you should seriously inspect whether it is suffering from a certain disease or it is attacked by insects. This is really important since both of them can cause a huge damage to your lawn and yard which is really hard to recuperate afterwards. 

One of the most common insects that are extremely destructive are the mole crickets. They are quite annoying and can take you by surprise. They will damage the soil, the turf and all the plants that you are growing, and they will have destroyed them before you know it. You should definitely take an in-depth look at identifying and removing mole crickets and deal with them in the best possible ways. Here are several tips that will help you get rid of them:

Identify and locate them

Mole crickets can be hard to see because they tend to blend with the soil and stay underground most of the time. They are brown or have a golden shade of brown. They have quite big heads and distinctive large eyes. On the front part of their bodies they have huge claws which look like the claws of moles. Once you can tell that it's the mole cricket that has been destroying your outdoor area, take the necessary steps to kill them.

Use an insecticide

If you decide to use an insecticide you should know that it's the best to apply it in June or July. This is the time of the year when they are the most active. Make sure that the temperatures are hot cause they will make it work even more. When you apply it on the grass, water the ground in order to make the insecticide go deeper in the soil. They come in different forms, so it's advisable to switch them from time to time because mole crickets may get resistant to it if you are using the same one over and over again. Remember that you should apply the insecticide regularly.

Use baits

Baits have proven to be really effective when it comes to dealing with mole crickets. You can purchase them online or in any garden center. Place them late in the evenings since mole crickets feed and come out at night. Don't water your garden for at least two days after you have placed the baits because water will make them ineffective.

Introduce beneficial nematodes

Are you looking for a way to skip chemicals this time? Beneficial nematodes seem to be the best natural way to eliminate mole crickets. These parasites will infect the mole crickets with bacteria, and the bacteria is going to eat them from the inside. You should have in mind that this method may take longer time though. Take in consideration that it's more effective with adults rather than nymphs too.

Closure

The easiest way in which you can get rid of mole crickets is to take an action when they are young and small. This is when they are the easiest to control, but also this may be the hardest time to locate them cause the damage won't be so much visible. In case you find it hard to deal with them, hire a pest control service.

There are some natural deterrents that you can plant in your lawn to keep the mole crickets away, so you should definitely inform yourselves about this option too, if you are sick and tired of dealing with them every year.