Southern Mole Crickets Tunneling Your Way

Southern Mole Cricket May Be Tunneling Your Way

Southern mole crickets have long been the bane of maintenance professionals at Texas golf courses. However, it’s not just golf courses that are susceptible to these invaders. Athletic fields, the grounds at commercial properties and even lawns at residential homes are prone to hosting an invasion of these troubling insects. If you suspect that your Colleyville, Texas lawn is falling prey to Southern mole crickets, give us a call. We can work on solutions that can get rid of pests and get your lawn back to healthy.

Southern mole crickets are subterranean insects that spend most of their lives underground. This can make it difficult to get rid of them, and it’s also why so many homeowners fail in their efforts to take care of an infestation themselves. Southern mole crickets can wreak serious havoc on lawns, but most of that damage doesn’t come from feeding. Instead, it is a product of the vast tunnel systems that these insects are known for creating. These insects actually eat other insects, and the search for prey is the cause of most of their tunneling.

It’s easiest to get rid of southern mole crickets infestation early in the spring when the new generation are tiny nymphs. Unfortunately, this is also the time during which the presence of the southern mole cricket is most difficult to detect. It isn’t until the insects are about 3/4 of an inch long that they are big enough to start causing some real damage. At this point, the danger to the health of your turfgrass is very real.

How To Treat For Southern Mole Crickets

We use sophisticated, tried-and-true techniques when it comes to controlling southern mole crickets in grass. Often, we’ll test for the presence of these insects in early spring when the new generation is still in its nymph stage. Since southern mole crickets tend to be creatures of habit, returning to the same spots year after year, it’s a safe bet that a spot that’s been invaded in the past is probably hosting a new generation this year. We also have means for determining the presence of a new infestation.

Typically, our recommended treatment is an application of insecticide. Because we understand the biology and habits of the southern mole cricket so well we are able to manage this successfully and efficiently. You don’t have to live with these uninvited guests in your Texas lawn when we’re on the job.