Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/113381
chemical care anything new on the way." While there may not be updates on the horizon for mole cricket control, there are a handful of products that are completely capable. The key is knowing when to use them and keeping diligent track of mole-cricket populations. Map it out Mole crickets (southern, northern and tawny) prefer sandy soils that they can tunnel in, and this tunneling on its own can harm turf by loosening soil around the root system – which causes the roots to dry out. However, it's the tawny mole cricket that also feeds slightly below the soil surface on roots and even on shoots that can really wreak havoc on turf. Obvious damage to turf will depend on the length and degree of infestation, according to Chong, but tunnels are a sure indicator of mole crickets. "There are really not any other creatures that would create the same tunneling of mole crickets," Chong says. Keeping a record of the location of mole crickets will aid in efficacy of treatment. It's unlikely they will infest a large contiguous area, so mapping the affected areas will aid in treatment later on, especially in instances where you can wait until summer and treat nymphs that are the most vulnerable to controls. One of the best ways to determine the presence of mole crickets is to perform a soap flush. "Since the majority of Mole Cricket Larva nymphs hatch in June and July (earlier farther to the South), there will usually not be any visible mole cricket damage (during this time)," says Rick Brandenburg, professor of entomology at North Carolina State University. "This is the time when a soapy 4 0 To ta l L a n d s cap eC are.c om TLC0313_ChemCare3.indd 40 water flush is an effective tool to monitor cricket egg hatch and abundance in turf." He recommends using lemon-scented detergent for this, which seems to work best. Using two tablespoons of dish detergent in three gallons of water, soak a small area (3 x 3 feet) of turf, and mole crickets will pop up within a few minutes because thy detergent irritates them. "You'll be able to see how many there are and how big they are, too," Chong says. Cricket control Mole crickets are hard to control. Both the nymphs and adults are a threat to turf, and gaining control of both, ultimately, is best done by targeting them in the nymph stage in June and July instead of the adults in the spring. "Spring treatment is not recommended, but some population reduction is possible," Brandenburg says. "Unless the area is very isolated, spring treatments will have only a slight impact on reducing the number of adults that come into the area to lay eggs." Look for products containing these active ingredients: carbaryl, fipronil, imidacloprid and indoxicarb, which have proven effective on mole crickets, as well as pyrethroid products. "Adults are just less sensitive to insecticide treatments," Chong adds. "The nymphs are much easier to control using a product like Talstar (bifenthrin). But adults, they will hardly touch it. For adults, you have to whip out the big guns, like fipronil, to deal with them." Lights out Reducing the chances of attracting mole crickets to turf could be as easy as flipping a switch, according to Chong. m a r c h 2 013 2/21/13 4:37 PM