Mole Cricket Control

Have you noticed spongy, dying patches spreading across your once-beautiful lawn? Are there small mounds of dirt popping up overnight or tunnels crisscrossing beneath your grass? If so, mole crickets might be the culprits hiding underground. 

These destructive pests are a serious problem for Central Florida homeowners, and they can turn a healthy lawn into an eyesore faster than you might think.

At Sorko Lawn and Pest Control, our mole cricket exterminators know exactly how to stop these pests in their tracks. We’ll eliminate your mole cricket problem and help prevent them from coming back.

What Are Mole Crickets (& Where Do They Come From)?

Mole crickets aren’t your typical cricket. These insects have thick, powerful front legs built for digging (almost like tiny shovels). They spend most of their lives underground, which makes them hard to spot until the damage is already done.

Three species cause the most trouble here: the tawny mole cricket, the southern mole cricket, and the short-winged mole cricket. The tawny mole cricket is by far the most destructive and the one we deal with most often in Central Florida.

Central Florida’s warm, humid climate and sandy soils create the perfect environment for mole crickets to thrive. They’re especially common in areas with St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Bahia grass, the same grass types that make up most lawns in our region. Once they move in, they multiply quickly and can infest your entire yard within a single season.

Mole crickets were originally brought to the United States from South America in the early 1900s. Since then, they’ve spread throughout the Southeast and become one of the most damaging lawn pests in Florida. 

What Do Mole Crickets Eat?

These pests have a varied diet that includes grass roots, stems, and other organic matter in the soil. They feed primarily at night, coming up from their tunnels to chew on grass blades before retreating underground.

Are Mole Crickets Dangerous?

Mole crickets are not dangerous to humans or pets. They don’t bite, sting, or spread diseases. They’re also not venomous, and they won’t invade your home looking for food or shelter.

However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. While mole crickets won’t hurt you directly, the damage they cause to your lawn can be extensive and expensive to repair. A severe infestation can require complete lawn replacement, which can cost thousands of dollars.

When Is Peak Mole Cricket Season in Central Florida?

Mole crickets are active in Florida for most of the year. However, populations explode and damage becomes most visible in late spring and early summer when young mole crickets (called nymphs) emerge. 

By late summer and fall, these nymphs mature into adults, when damage from their feeding may have already taken a toll on your lawn. These adults will continue feeding through the fall and winter, though their activity slows down during cooler weather. Adult mole crickets mate in the spring, typically from March through May. This is when you’re most likely to hear their chirping at night.

So the best time for mole cricket control services is late spring through early summer, when nymphs are small and most vulnerable to treatment.

How to Tell if You Have a Mole Cricket Problem

• The most obvious sign is irregular brown patches that don’t respond to watering. If you’ve been keeping up with irrigation but certain areas keep dying off, pests are likely to blame. Mole cricket damage often starts small and spreads outward as the population grows.
• Another clue is the texture of your lawn. Walk across your yard and pay attention to how the ground feels. Healthy soil should feel firm and stable. If the ground feels soft, spongy, or gives way under your feet, mole crickets have probably been tunneling underneath.
• You might see small mounds of dirt or raised ridges where mole crickets have pushed up soil while digging. Look closely at the soil surface in the morning or after rain. These tunnels are usually most visible in moist conditions.
• Male mole crickets make a chirping sound to attract mates. So keep an ear out at night during the spring and early summer. If you hear chirping coming from your lawn after dark, there’s a good chance mole crickets have moved in.

The Real Damage Mole Crickets Do to Your Lawn

• Feeding Damage: As mole crickets munch on roots and grass blades, they weaken your turf from the inside out. Grass that’s been fed on loses its ability to stay green and healthy. You’ll start seeing brown patches that spread over time, especially during dry periods when your lawn is already under stress.
• Tunneling Damage: Mole crickets dig extensive tunnel networks just below the surface of your soil. These tunnels disturb the root system and create air pockets that dry out the soil. When you walk across an infested lawn, you might notice the ground feels soft or spongy (that’s a telltale sign of mole cricket activity underneath).
• Wildlife Damage: Beyond the immediate damage, mole cricket infestations invite other problems. Birds, armadillos, and raccoons love to dig up lawns searching for mole crickets to eat. So not only are the crickets destroying your grass, but the animals hunting them make the damage even worse.

How to Prevent Mole Crickets in Your Lawn

Prevention is always easier than treatment. While you can’t completely mole-cricket-proof your lawn, you can make it less attractive to these pests and catch problems before they get out of control:

• Proper fertilization, regular mowing at the right height, and consistent watering help your grass develop strong root systems that can better tolerate some pest activity. Healthy lawns are more resistant to mole cricket damage. A well-maintained lawn also recovers faster from damage.
• Avoid overwatering your lawn, especially in the evening. Mole crickets prefer moist soil for digging and laying eggs. While you shouldn’t let your grass dry out, keeping the soil from becoming overly saturated can make your yard less appealing to these pests.
• Monitor your lawn regularly, especially during peak mole cricket season. Walk your property every week or two and look for signs of damage or tunneling. The earlier you spot a problem, the easier and less expensive it is to fix.
• Consider preventive treatments if you’ve had mole cricket problems in the past. Our mole cricket control services include preventive applications that create a barrier against these pests before they can establish themselves in your lawn.

How to Get Rid of Mole Crickets

Getting rid of mole crickets requires a strategic approach. These pests live underground and are protected from many surface treatments. 

Timing matters when treating mole crickets. Treatments are most effective when applied to young nymphs in late spring and early summer. Nymphs are smaller, closer to the surface, and more susceptible to control products. Treating adults later in the season is still possible but often requires more intensive effort.

DIY methods often fail because they don’t reach the crickets where they live or don’t kill enough of the population to make a difference. Professional mole cricket control services use targeted products applied at the right time and in the right way to maximize effectiveness. 

At Sorko Lawn and Pest Control, we use top-tier products that penetrate the soil and reach mole crickets in their tunnels. Our BMP-certified technicians know exactly how to apply these treatments for the best results.

When to Call Professional Mole Cricket Exterminators

Some homeowners try to handle mole crickets on their own with store-bought products. While this sometimes works for very minor infestations, it often ends in frustration and wasted money. Mole crickets are stubborn pests that require professional-grade solutions and expert knowledge to eliminate effectively.

You should call professional mole cricket exterminators if you’ve noticed spreading lawn damage (like brown patches) or if you want to prevent infestations before they start. 

Early intervention prevents the problem from getting worse and saves you money in the long run. Once mole crickets have caused significant damage, you need both pest control and lawn care services to get your yard back to normal. Our team can handle both.

Also, if you’ve already tried DIY treatments without success, it’s definitely time to call in the experts. Over-the-counter products often aren’t strong enough to control established mole cricket populations, and improper application can waste product without solving the problem.

Why Choose Sorko Lawn and Pest Control for Mole Cricket Services?

When you call us, you’re getting exceptional service backed by real guarantees:

• Our Insect Damage Replacement Guarantee means we stand behind our work. 
• We use top-tier products to eliminate resistant pests so your lawn stays healthy and vibrant.
• Our managers perform quality control inspections every month to make sure that every promise we make is delivered. 
• Every service comes with detailed reporting from our BMP-certified technicians explaining specific issues and solutions for your lawn.
• We’re environmentally conscious in everything we do. We use no phosphorus in our fertilizers, comply with local nitrogen application ordinances, and follow eco-friendly guidelines. 
• As proud members of the Better Business Bureau and the Florida Pest Management Association, we strive to exceed your expectations every time we work with you. 

We believe in treating the whole problem. Our comprehensive mole cricket control services solve the root of the problem and help prevent future issues.

Get Your Lawn Back Today

Mole crickets don’t have to ruin your lawn. With the right mole cricket control services, you can eliminate these pests and restore your yard to the lush, green space you deserve. The key is acting quickly and working with experienced mole cricket exterminators who know how to get the job done right.

At Sorko Lawn and Pest Control, we specialize in Florida lawns and the unique pest challenges they face. From mole crickets to chinch bugs and everything in between, our team has the expertise and products to protect your turf.

Don’t let mole crickets turn your beautiful lawn into an eyesore. Contact us today for a free estimate on professional mole cricket control services! We’ll assess your lawn, identify the problem, and create a treatment plan that gets results.