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Mole Cricket Damage In LawnsProfessional Pest Control Products of Pensacola Professional Products Home Page Gallery of Pests Mole crickets are the number one pest of turf in southern Alabama and Georgia, throughout Florida, and are spreading quickly along the Gulf Coastal region and Eastern Seaboard. Their damage appears as brown spongy areas within normal green grass. Upon inspection you will notice the grass has been eaten just below the surface, separating the plant from its roots. Mole crickets are especially fond of Bermuda and centipede grass, but have also been found in St. Augustine lawns in the Florida Panhandle and along the Alabama coast. There have also been cases reported of molecrickets feeding on Bahia turf grasses. Mole Cricket Adults and NymphsAdult mole crickets are plump, winged and 1 to 1.25 inches long. They are seldom seen, because, like moles, they stay underground most of the time. They fly and mate twice a year, spring and fall. At this time you will find their exit holes of an inch or more. Mole cricket nymphs are wingless but look like small adults. The nymphs can become very numerous and cause great damage to your grass during the warm summer months. Control methods aimed at eliminating mole cricket nymphs yield the best results, simply because they easier to kill than adults. Mole Cricket ControlMole crickets have become resistant to Diazinon, Dursban, Sevin (Carbaryl), and
Malathion. Two products that still work well are 75% Acephate and Talstar. Talstar products cannot be shipped to MA, NY, NJ, CT, VT, HI, CA, AK Treating With 75% Acephate for Mole Crickets, Spittlebugs, Chinch BugsThis is a systemic insecticide that must be applied 48 hours before rainfall or irrigation. Before treating with Acephate the ground should be very wet. Wetting the lawn with a mild soap solution works even better. This pulls the mole crickets and chinch bugs up to the top of the thatch and insures a good kill after spraying. Apply Acephate with a hose end sprayer, making applications early or late in the day. When treating for spittlebugs, pre-dawn applications will give a thorough kill. A one pound container of Acephate will cover 8,000 to 12,000 square feet. Three applications are needed each year. Spot applications may have to be made in between these main applications. To monitor mole cricket activity pour a solution of lemon scented dish detergent on suspected areas of turf. If mole crickets are there they will emerge within a few minutes. Acephate is $19.50 for a 1 pound container that treats up to 12,000 square feet.
Treating With Talstar For Mole CricketsTalstar is a synthetic pyrethroid that is available in both granular and liquid concentrate forms. It is very safe towards non-target animals such as birds, reptiles and mammals when used as directed by the label. Talstar lasts much longer than Acephate. We have had many reported cases of Talstar controlling mole crickets for up to two months, ants and fire ants for three months! Only 1 or 2 applications are needed each year. No special site preparation is needed when treating for mole crickets with Talstar. Talstar is very effective in controlling ants, fleas, ticks, chinch bugs and other turf and ornamental pests. Choose between granular and liquid concentrate formulations of Talstar.Using Talstar Granules For Mole Cricket and Chinch Bug ControlA 25lb. bag of Talstar is $32 and will treat up to 12,000 square feet. Talstar granules are best applied through a hand seeder. The granules are tiny enough to fall between blades of turf grass (out of sight from birds and pets), penetrating to the ground or thatch area where it belongs. Because of the sand pebble sized granules, regular drop spreaders and rotary spreaders do not give the precise coverage necessary.
Using Talstar Liquid Concentrate For Mole Cricket Control and Chinch Bug Control A pint of Talstar liquid concentrate is $69 and will treat 16,000 to 20,000 square feet, when spraying for mole crickets and chinch bugs This liquid concentrate is also available in a quart which is only $99.No special preparation of the lawn is necessary. Simply apply Talstar concentrate at the rate of 1 ounce per thousand square feet of turf, using your hose end sprayer. The label rate for killing ants with Talstar liquid is only 1/2 ounce per thousand square feet. We have seen this product control ants for three months, at the rate of only 1/4 ounce per thousand square feet!
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