Mole Crickets

Mole Crickets are one of the top destroyers of plant and turf in the Southeast. They are part of the cricket family, but unlike regular crickets, these burrow underground to eat the roots of plants and grass.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) says Tampa has a unique claim to fame, in that this was the first reported sighting of the shortwinged molecricket back in 1899.  The shortwinged variety is one of the most destructive.  Since then, the pests have been a prevalent problem in landscaping.

St. Augustine grass fares better against the attack of molecrickets than Bahia and Bermuda grass.  But it is still susceptible to damage. Damage shows up in the form of burrows and brown or yellow dying grass.  Molecrickets are also a good snack for armadillos and moles.  That causes destruction of the grass as well when the animals dig up the turf to find them. Treatment and management of molecrickets involves using insecticides to get rid of the pests.