Mole crickets and moles

cherylhaha – posted 23 October 2004 08:29

I have the misfortune of having mole crickets and moles in my bermuda. After reading postings, I have concluded that some form of homicide will take care of the moles. My neighbor and I have put down a Bayer complete control insecticide that was supposed to wipe out the mole crickets. Yeah right, they are thriving. Please help.

Buck – posted 25 October 2004 15:53

I have nice results with Talstar on 419. I think there is also a generic product, but I stick with the FMC original. Available in both granular and flowable.

yardpro – posted 30 October 2004 14:14

talstar, merit, or any other pyretherin based insecticide

turfie – posted 05 November 2004 08:08

Adult mole crickets are harder to control than young ones because the chemical does not penetrate the cuticle as well. The best time to treat is about mid-summer after most of eggs have hatched, but while the mole crickets are still small. This optimal window of time is often overlooked because tunnelling is not yet obvious.

A little about applying insecticides:

1. Treatments applied during dry conditions are often wasted because the crickets burrow deeper into the ground out of reach of the chemical.

2. Mole crickets are most active near the surface on warm nights, especially after rainfall or irrigation, thus this would be a better time to apply treatments.

3. Most products except baits need to be watered in with about 1/2 inch irrigation to bring the chemical to where the mole crickets are feeding.

4. You may have luck with a bait at this time of the year, but do not water it in. Irrigate a few hours before application to bring crickets to the surface.

Hope this helps. You may notice some tunnelling in the early spring when mole crickets become active after the winter. These are all adults and will be hard to control. Baits won’t be as effective because these crickets are looking to mate more than to eat. You may treat with insecticide, but be aware that this does not preclude the treatment I mentioned that is most effective in Mid-summer after tunnelling has stopped.

Good luck!

Stephanie

cherylhaha – posted 05 December 2004 05:01

Thanks for the help.

mikemaas00 – posted 11 December 2004 08:36

The only time you want to use Merit is in the late spring. It requires the grubs to feed on the roots of your turfgrass. Dylox is a contact that works well. Talstar will probably not work, since it doesn’t get down far enough. Use Dylox any time you want a quick kill, Merit takes longer but is ultimately more effective at breaking the cycle by using it every summer. Look for a new product called Allectus by FMC and Bayer. It is a combination of talstar and merit for above and below ground control of turfgrass pests.