Have you ever heard of mole crickets? Yes, you can go fishing with them if you so choose (you have to catch them first!).

Actually, I am talking about a kind of cricket that attacks your lawn.

July is a good time to treat for mole crickets. Mole crickets are tan-colored, cricket-like insects that feed on plant roots. They are about one inch long, with short, stout forelegs, spade-like feet and large, dark eyes. Young are like adults but without wings and smaller and darker.

How do you know if a lawn has mole crickets? Unfortunately, it is easier to scout for mole cricket injury earlier in the year. Mole crickets themselves are small and very hard to see in June and July.

Mole crickets tunnel underground, killing roots by feeding and tunneling and they also come up to eat the leaves. Attacked grass begins to thin and then disappear. The ground will soften as the soil is pulverized by the tunneling of the crickets. On bare ground you should see the tunnels, especially a day or so after a rain. Golf course managers can watch for the presence of mole crickets by looking for tunnels in sand traps.

Landscapers and home owners may mistaken earthworm castings for mole cricket injury. Earthworms leave piles of granulated soil while mole crickets leave tunnels. Even dying grass is not proof you have mole crickets. Look for the small tunnels and thinning grass.

Use a soap drench to drive mole crickets to the surface where you can see them. Prior to drenching, the soil should be moist. Irrigate 24 hours before drenching if the soil is dry. Mix one-half to one ounce of dishwashing detergent in a gallon of water. Soak the soil well in affected areas. Mole crickets should come to the surface within a few minutes.

Mole crickets have one generation a year. The adults fly, mate and lay eggs March through early June. Eggs generally hatch in May and June. Mole crickets are generally younger and smaller in late June and July and much easier to kill. Areas with signs of adult mole cricket activity in April and May are most likely to have nymphs in July.

Not all turf needs to be treated for mole crickets. Consider treating turf that has a history of mole cricket problems. Athletic fields that keep their lights on during May and June can be at greater risk because the lights attract the adults.

If you have dying grass, always properly diagnose the problem before treating with anything. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call.