Mole cricket in the garden: causes of appearance and methods of control

Description and features of the bear

The mole cricket is an insect related to the cricket. Like him, the heroine of the article is classified as an Orthoptera. This is one of the genera of insects. Medvedka stands out among others:

1. Body length from 4 to 10 centimeters. This is taking into account 2 thread-like outgrowths at the end of the abdomen. The appendages are called cerci. The length of 2 antennae on the insect’s head was also taken into account.
2. Dark brown on top and greenish on the belly.
3. Big eyes. They are located on the cephalothorax of the mole cricket.
4. Mouthparts of the gnawing type. The jaws are pushed forward.
5. The front legs are transformed into something like shovels or claws. Their flattened structure allows the mole cricket to dig the ground, like moles. It is with its front legs that the pest cuts off young shoots and makes cavities in root crops.
6. Wide but shortened elytra. Soft wings protrude from under them. They are located along the back of the insect.
7. Large pronotum. It accounts for approximately a third of the length of the mole cricket.
8. A hard shell on the cephalothorax. The chitinous layer, like a helmet, covers the insect's head.

Mole crickets differ from other crickets by their shortened antennae, enlarged anterior back and modified forelimbs. In the photo, the mole cricket appears not only in the form of an adult insect, but also as a larva.

Mole cricket larvae are microscopic copies of adults

Juveniles are similar to mature ones, but lack wings and are smaller in size. The mole cricket larva emerges from the egg.
It is up to 3.5 millimeters long. The color of the egg is yellowish. A brown coating and greenish reflections are visible.

Description

The garden mole cricket is a large insect, reaching a length of 5 cm, although some gardeners claim that they have met individuals up to 15 cm long. What does a mole cricket look like? Its soft abdomen is spindle-shaped and about a centimeter in diameter, three times longer than the cephalothorax. At the end of the dark brown abdomen there are cerci - paired thread-like appendages up to 1 cm long. The chest is protected by a hard shell, under which the mole cricket can partially hide its head. The insect's eyes are large and complex; there are also a pair of tentacles on the head, long antennae and very strong jaws. The front pair of mole cricket limbs with claws are designed so that it is convenient for her to dig the ground.

Mole crickets have wings, but in order for their muscles to work, they need warm air, so mole crickets do not fly often, but they swim quite quickly. At night, especially during the mating season, mole crickets sing - they emit powerful trills, chirp and chirp, using the friction of their wings for this.

Mole crickets make a nest at a shallow depth, approximately 6x6 cm in size, and lay up to five hundred dark yellow eggs with a diameter of 4-5 mm in it, from which larvae emerge about two weeks later. The larva of the mole cricket beetle has a body shape similar to an adult insect, but it is not dark brown, but gray. The mole cricket larva grows for several years.

• Leaf roller: how to fight, remedies and preparations

We will tell you what methods exist to combat mole crickets, how to fight mole crickets in the garden using folk remedies, and whether it is possible to get rid of mole crickets forever.

Where did the name “Medvedka” come from?

Mole crickets got their name because of their appearance, large size, brown-brown color and clawed front paws. All this gave reason to compare this insect with a brown bear.

The mole cricket’s second name, “cabbage mole cricket,” comes from its love for young cabbage seedlings. But the third name “mole cricket” comes from the Latin “Gryllotalpa” (properly translated as “mole cricket”) and it is also not accidental. The mole cricket is similar to a cricket in its body structure and ability to make sounds, and it is similar to a mole in its ability to burrow into the ground and extended hands of the front paws, which help dig the ground.

Types of mole crickets

The term “mole cricket” unites about 100 species of large burrowing insects. All of them belong to Orthoptera and form one family. That's what they call it - mole crickets.

The family is divided into subfamilies:

1. Gryllotalpa. The subfamily includes the common mole cricket, distributed throughout Russia.
2. Scapteriscinae. Mole crickets of this subfamily inhabit almost all of South America and part of North America.
3. Marchandinae. This subfamily includes the ten-toed mole cricket, common in the USA and Canada.

Insects of each subfamily are divided into genera. In Grulotaipa and Scapteriscinae there are 6 each. In Marchandinae there are 5. About half of the species are fossils. Other mole crickets are among those currently existing. Common mole cricket

In fact, this is the most common species among these insects. Widely distributed in Europe (with the exception of Scandinavia), lives in a number of Asian countries and northern Africa. Almost everything that we describe here about mole crickets, first of all, concerns the common mole cricket.

African mole cricket

It is slightly smaller in size than the common mole cricket, the body length is 2.5-3.5 cm. It has a brown-yellow body color. It lives in the African tropics and subtropics, but in addition to the “Dark Continent” it is also found in Southeast Asia and even on the Japanese Islands.

Ten-toed mole cricket

This species is distinguished by its small size - from 1.9 to 3 cm. It inhabits both Americas, and it is believed that initially they were found only in North America, but gradually penetrated into South America.

Steppe mole cricket

In appearance it is an exact double of the common mole cricket. This species prefers steppe terrain as a habitat; it lives in the steppe belt of our country, Ukraine, southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and a number of other Middle Eastern countries.

Mole cricket as food

Medvedka has long been a traditional dish in many Asian countries: China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Mole crickets are a delicacy in Mexico and some African countries. Medvedka is fried, boiled, dried, dried and even canned.

In the following video: Thai peasants routinely catch a dozen mole crickets for dinner and demonstrate that it is edible and tasty.

Video

Insect lifestyle and habitat

Mole cricket is a pest hiding underground. Indirect signs of the presence of an insect are the passages it has dug and the soil loosened at the surface. However, the mole cricket already chooses loose, light, fertile soil. The latter quality is necessary for the abundance of plants on which the insect feeds. The first two qualities of the soil make it easier for the mole cricket to move through it.

In addition to looseness, the pest evaluates soil moisture. Irrigated land is preferred. Mole crickets appear from under it at night. Sometimes insects fly into the light. Males chirp at the same time, but less elegantly than crickets. The voices of mole crickets can be heard at a distance of 600 meters.

Chirping serves as a means of communication. Insects prefer to communicate at night. Daytime silence is associated with a fear of birds. The birds calculate the location of the mole crickets. Illumination is an additional guideline. At night, when birds hear mole crickets, they cannot see them.

The first visits of mole crickets to the surface in most of Russia are recorded in May, and the last in September. Insects spend the winter at a meter depth. The usual habitat of the pest is 20 centimeters below the surface of the earth. This is the adult level. Juveniles are found at a depth of 5-10 centimeters and winter at 25 centimeters.

The insect's passages descend deep into the ground at an angle of 50-60 degrees. The immersion of pests in the soil complicates the answer to the question of how to deal with mole crickets . Juveniles and larvae can be provided to chickens and wild birds by digging up the top layer of soil in early spring.

Half-asleep insects will not have time to escape from hungry birds. But what to do with adult pests hiding at a considerable depth? More on this in the final chapter. In the meantime, let’s find out what the mole cricket can do to the site.

Reproduction

After wintering, when the soil warms up, male and female mole crickets begin to actively feed, dig holes and look for a partner. Mating behavior is similar to that of grasshoppers and crickets - males attract females by chirping. Trills are heard straight from the ground. The hole towards the exit expands and amplifies the sound. Females also sing, but more quietly. Mating of insects occurs in the hole of the male.

The mating season of mole crickets can take place in any of the spring months, sometimes at the beginning of summer, depending on climatic conditions and weather. Then, in June–July, the female lays eggs in a pre-built nesting chamber.

The nest is usually located at a depth of 8–15 cm in a place well warmed by the sun. It has the shape and size of a chicken egg. The female compacts the walls of the nest and bites off the roots. There are from 200 to 600 eggs in a clutch, without a cocoon, directly on the ground. After 2–3 weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae. At first they are blind, white, wingless.

Medvedka is considered a caring parent. She takes care of the eggs and larvae, licking them to protect them from fungi. The cubs crawl away after the first molt. The process of transformation of a mole cricket larva into a sexually mature individual is slow, lasting 2 years, in hot climates a year. During this time, several molts occur. The development of these insects is direct, that is, there is no pupal stage.

What sounds does a bear make?

The mole cricket, like the cricket, is a “musical” insect, capable of producing chirping trills that can sometimes be heard at a distance of up to half a kilometer. Sounds are produced by rubbing the hard front elytra against each other.

The trills of mole crickets serve communication between them, as well as a very important matter - sexual reproduction of insects, since through the performance of “love serenades” males attract females. Females, by the way, are also capable of chirping. The sound power of the mole cricket is 1.4 mW, while for the cricket this figure is only 0.06 mW.

Mole cricket nutrition

Worms, small insects, larvae, manure, humus, roots, stems, plant seeds. This is what mole crickets eat. The diet of adults and young animals is the same. However, due to their size, young insects are more often content with plant food, and mature ones with animal food.

Among beetle larvae, mole crickets prefer offspring of the Colorado, May beetles and ladybugs. While searching for prey, the pest tears up the soil so much that cultivated crops die from damage to the root system. In other words, mole crickets do not so much eat as they destroy the crop.

The mole cricket is considered one of the most harmful pests of agricultural crops.

Considering the benefits of mole crickets in folk medicine, some people deliberately breed the insect in their plots or at home. Sometimes, an insect is kept, as they say, for the soul, like some types of spiders and cockroaches.

The question arises of what to feed your pet at home. The animal refuses vegetables, apples, cucumbers, potatoes and strawberries. They are, according to many amateur gardeners, a delicacy for mole crickets. However, in reality, pets choose:

• minced meat
• Gammarus crustacean sold as fish food
• small grain porridge
• small insects, which at home are usually served crushed to the mole cricket table

When choosing food for mole crickets, it is important to avoid strong-smelling foods. Insects do not like strong odors. This, by the way, suggests a way to deal with an animal if it is a pest, and not a medicinal raw material or a pet.

What do affected plants look like?

Mole crickets feed on the roots and stems of vegetable crops and damage young shrubs, grasses, and bulbous flowers. When examining the plants, it appears that someone has cut the stems. In beds with carrots or beets, all the tops lie on the ground, as if a scythe had been passed over it. Marks remain on root vegetables and flower bulbs: the mole cricket completely gnaws through them, leaving behind voids. As a result, such vegetables are no longer suitable for further use.

Reasons for the appearance of pests: 1. Use of fresh organic matter as fertilizers. Moreover, this way pests can spread from neighboring gardens. 2. The insect overwinters in manure heaps and compost pits, and then is introduced into the soil. 3. Waterlogging of mulched areas or close proximity to groundwater. The moisture does not have time to evaporate, and the soil remains constantly wet. This environment is ideal for mole crickets.

Natural enemies of mole crickets

Photo: What a bear looks like

The insect's main enemies are birds, but not all of them can find a mole cricket underground. But rooks can do this. To do this, they have a powerful beak, with which they tear off mole crickets and their larvae. Starlings and hoopoes are also capable of searching for mole crickets. In swampy areas, the main enemy of the insect is the stork.

Mole crickets are also afraid of some animals:

• hedgehog;
• shrews;
• mole;
• lizards.

Some types of insects also do a good job of destroying the mole cricket population:

• ants that destroy mole cricket eggs;
• ground beetle that eats larvae.

The causative agent of fungal diseases poses a particular danger to the mole cricket population. One of these diseases is caused by Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus that grows in the body of the mole cricket and, releasing toxins, causes the death of the insect.

Interesting fact: The mole cricket becomes a carrier of Larra wasp eggs. To do this, the wasp drives the insect out of the hole, stings, paralyzing the mole cricket, and then lays an egg in its body. After a while, the mole cricket comes to its senses and returns to its hole. Gradually, the wasp larva devours the mole cricket from the inside.

Pets, in particular cats, also do not hesitate to eat mole crickets. They hunt insects like rodents. People not only exterminate mole crickets because they harm agricultural plants. Some gourmets eat insects. They are stewed, fried and even pickled. Medvedok is used in pharmaceuticals. Powdered mole crickets are added to the medicine for tuberculosis.

How to recognize the presence of a mole cricket on the site

The appearance of a pest in a cultivated area is noticeable by some characteristic signs. Experienced summer residents and gardeners pay attention to small mounds of earth rolled up in a special way with miniature holes-holes. They are clearly visible after rain. The mole cricket shows increased activity at night. In the morning, the attentive owner will immediately notice traces of the insect’s activity.

The presence of a pest on the site is indicated by the following characteristic signs:

1. Horizontal passages in the beds near the plants. They are clearly visible after irrigation;
2. A large number of dried young shoots. Sometimes they look chewed up.
3. Traces of deep bites on tubers.
4. The soil in the beds is riddled with round holes. The holes provide insects with entrances to nests, burrows and tunnels.

Often mole crickets themselves are spotted near gnawed plants.

Reproduction and lifespan

A mole cricket is an insect or animal that makes a nest in the ground. Its walls are crumpled soil. Inside is a chamber with eggs. The nest is located close to the surface, often on the sunny side of the garden bed. The breeding season for mole crickets begins in May and ends in the first half of June. At this time, insects are especially vocal at night.

It takes a month for the larvae to emerge from the eggs. Newborns are wingless and have long, grasshopper-like hind limbs. Young animals also have weak jaws. They are used only to snack on small roots, small worms, and chew compost.

However, the jaws of adult mole crickets are not enough to bite a person. But the insect can pinch a finger with its front, modified limbs. The spiky growths on the pest's legs dig into the skin like splinters. Hence the frequent question: does a mole cricket bite ? Gardeners mistake something for a bite that actually isn't one.

Inexperienced gardeners often confuse cockchafer larvae with mole cricket larvae

Transforming into adults, mole cricket larvae molt 8-10 times, acquiring a new “shell.” It takes 1-2 years to mature. There are still 1.5 left for reproduction. Mole crickets rarely live more than 3.5 years.

If the insect does not die a natural death, it will be eaten, and not always by birds. In Asian countries, for example in Thailand, mole crickets are considered a delicacy. In other countries, insects are taken for fishing as bait. This is how mole crickets end up in the mouths of pikes and perches.

Appearance and characteristics

The body of mole crickets consists of three sections typical for arthropods: head, chest, and abdomen. On the insect's head there is a pair of whiskers, mouthparts and eyes. The chest is covered on top with a shell, under which the head can be hidden. Sometimes this section is called the pronotum.

The mole cricket's abdomen is thick and long, with a diameter of about 10 mm. At its end there are a pair of processes called cerci. When moving backwards, the cerci perform the function of whiskers, that is, they feel the way. The bear looks funny to some, repulsive to others. The mustache, compound eyes, shell and long abdomen give the insect a resemblance to a crayfish. Sometimes the mole cricket is called the earthen crayfish.

Mole crickets are capable of flight and have a pair of wings covered with short elytra. But these insects fly rarely, close and low due to the massiveness of their body. The forelimbs of mole crickets are burrowing, adapted to move in the soil and are similar to the paws of a mole. They also contain the hearing organ. The hind legs of the mole cricket, like those of a grasshopper, are jumping, but only young individuals are capable of jumping.

The larva of the mole cricket is similar to the larva of the cockchafer (How to distinguish the larvae of the mole cricket and the cockchafer, read this article). Lives only underground.

Effective methods of combating mole crickets

It is quite difficult to fight mole crickets on the site, but it is necessary, because if you do not start destroying pests in a timely manner, you can lose most of the harvest in the beds. Many methods will have to be used throughout the entire summer season, and sometimes for 2-3 years in a row. Today, there are many effective methods: from setting traps and manually catching pests to using chemicals.

Mechanical methods

They are considered very simple, you just need to dig up the area well in places where mole crickets are concentrated in the ground. Detected individuals and clutches of eggs are subject to destruction.

It is good to loosen the soil in the autumn after harvesting or in early spring. The quality of plowing is very important; the more carefully this procedure is carried out, the fewer mole crickets will be able to appear in the next season. A large number of destroyed nests and underground passages will force the insect to look for a new place to live in other areas.

An effective method is to pour 8-10 drops of sunflower oil into the discovered vertical passages, which will prevent the mole cricket from breathing underground. After that, water is added; if the soil is dry, a whole bucket of liquid may be required; these actions will lead to the pest drowning or crawling to the surface, where it will be easy to catch.

You can dig stakes made of aspen or alder into the soil to a depth of 25-30 cm, 2-4 cm thick and always with a layer of bark. The distance between the posts should be 1-2 m; during the season they will need to be replaced with fresh ones 2-3 times.

Setting traps

An effective method for pest control is to place traps on the site; many of them can be made with your own hands from improvised materials at home. Below are some simple ideas:

• A plastic container with partially rotted manure placed in it at a depth of 0.5 m. It is easy to destroy the pest, you just need to rake the mullein during the first frost, insects, larvae and egg laying will die. In the spring, it is better to check such traps after 20-25 days, disposing of the insects that have fallen into it.
• Glass jars dug into the ground in places where mole cricket burrows were found. She, not noticing the trap, will fall into it. You can also fill the container halfway with water; a damp environment will become an additional bait.
• A transparent container, coated with honey on the inside to ¼ of the height, recessed into the substrate and covered with an iron or plywood sheet with a layer of straw on top.
• A 0.5 ml bottle with beer poured into it (100 g), dug at an angle, in a hole made in moistened soil. The neck, it is better to tie it with one layer of gauze, should not stick out from the ground. The recess is covered with metal or tiles. The trap can be replaced or moved to another location after 7-10 days.
• Thick cardboard laid out on the beds before planting vegetables and flowers. Over time, passages appear under the sheets, in which, with some sleight of hand, you can catch the parasites. The main condition is to act silently and quickly. Also suitable for creating warm areas are fabric, roofing felt or black film, which attract the sun's rays well.
• Large beets or carrots buried completely in the ground to attract adults. Bait granules, for example Medvedox, should be placed nearby.

Another option for exterminating insects is mixtures to which toxic substances are added. Boil pearl barley, buckwheat or oatmeal, add 1 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, mix and pour in an ampoule of the drug Regent or B-58. Add half a teaspoon of porridge to the soil and place it near each entrance to the insect's underground burrows. It is best to use a poisonous mixture in the spring when vegetable crops sprout.

Instead of grains, you can take pieces of stale bread treated with an insecticide.

Ultrasonic repellent devices

A modern method of repelling mole cricket attacks is the use of ultrasonic devices:

• Chiston III;
• Tornado 0ZV.01;
• Topaz.

The principle of their operation is to generate special waves that cause insects to feel danger and panic. This method also helps drive moles, shrews and snakes away from the site and is absolutely harmless to domestic animals and humans. There are models powered by solar or alkaline batteries; one device is enough for 4-6 acres of land. However, gardeners note the low efficiency of this method and the high cost of devices.

Folk methods of struggle

Instead of chemicals, many gardeners prefer to use folk remedies to combat mole crickets, this is due to their availability and ease of production at home.

The most common advice is:

• Eggshell. Grind and add 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower oil with flavor, spread in grooves and holes during planting and sowing seeds. This mixture will also be a good fertilizer.
• Tar. Add 2-3 tbsp. l. into sawdust poured with boiling water and mix. Then spread it at a depth of 2-3 cm from the surface of the substrate.
• Ammonia. 1 tbsp. l. per 10 liters, water the planted crops from a watering can, trying not to get it on the leaf blades. After the solution is absorbed, you need to create a mulch layer on top. For long-term protection, it is necessary to make 1-2 more waterings with an interval of 10-12 days. You can use this method when growing vegetables in a greenhouse.
• Kerosene. Add a few drops to the sand and mix, spread the resulting mixture at the entrances to the cabbage tunnels. Naphthalene can be used for the same purpose.
• Soap. Pour into holes and destroy the pest after it appears on the soil surface. You can simply use washing powder 50 g per bucket of water; it is better not to use a large concentration, as this can damage the plants in the area. However, experienced gardeners advise using a tar or household solution.
• Unrefined oil. Drip 0.5 tsp into holes in the ground. and add water, preferably from a hose.
• Iodine. Dilute and treat the substrate, 20-40 drops per 10 liters.
• Onion peel. Make a tincture and pour over the intended passages.
• Garlic. Place a crushed slice in each hole when planting.
• Chicken droppings. Dilute 200 grams per 10 liters and pour between the rows. The nitrogen contained in the mixture will make it very difficult for the crayfish to breathe in the substrate.
• Barrier made of plastic containers. Cut the bottles into rings and place them in the ground around the seedlings.
• Fish heads. Bury along the edges of the garden; the strong smell of decaying product will repel adults.
• Marigolds, chrysanthemums and calendula. Plant along the edge of the garden. Lay out pine branches or sprinkle the bed with strong-smelling pine needles.
• Nylon stockings. They should be wrapped around the root system; this method is convenient because as the young seedlings grow, the fabric will easily stretch.
• Repellent devices made from improvised means. Dig a metal pin, a thick wire 30-40 cm long. Next, you need to attach aluminum cans upside down or tin lids on laces connected to form a garland onto the rods. Thanks to the wind, noise and ringing are created, which, spreading far underground, will scare away pests.
• Mulching layer of light straw.

Kerosene against mole crickets

The old-fashioned way to fight earthen crayfish is to use sand and kerosene. The method is especially good for expelling the pest from the greenhouse.

For 1 m2 of ridge, 1 kg of sand soaked in 50-70 ml of kerosene is required. It is important to thoroughly mix the mass several times: first with the “fragrant” additive, then sand with several shovels of garden substrate. The mixture is recommended for use when planting seedlings and sowing seeds. Holes and furrows are filled with kerosene soil and scattered over the surface of the ridge.

Soapy water

It is possible to get rid of the pest by scouting out the location of its passages. You need to prepare a soap solution, add a little vegetable oil to it (1:10). 1 liter of liquid per mink is enough. An insect, taken by surprise, will hasten to get to the surface. The gardener will only have to destroy it.

I recommend using laundry soap shavings to prepare the solution. Foam from washing powder, shampoo, shower gel, and dishwashing detergent is by no means a useful “fertilizer” for your garden. Such products will saturate the earth with synthetic additives, flavors, and bleaches.

Protective rings

Around individual ridges or greenhouses you can make protective rings - a kind of “right of way” for mole crickets. To do this, ditches and furrows up to 20-50 cm deep are dug. They are covered with crushed eggshells, stove ash, sawdust, broken glass, and brick fragments. To increase efficiency, the contents are filled with kerosene.

Eggshell

You can take advantage of the mole cricket’s gluttony by preparing a “delicacy” for it from spicy crushed eggshells. Pour the shards with aromatic oil - unrefined or homemade. Place the shells in furrows and holes before planting seeds or seedlings.

This product “kills two birds with one stone.” Having eaten sharp fragments, the top will die. And eggshells will serve as a good fertilizer (a source of calcium) for future plantings.

Karbofos

Mole crickets are not averse to eating seeds and grain. Resourceful gardeners prepare the following “treat” for them:

• 1 kg of grain oats, wheat, peas, corn or bran;
• 50 g karbofos;
• 30 g unrefined vegetable oil.

Baits are poured into burrows and insect holes. You can spread them on the surfaces of the beds, but in this case the poison can be eaten by beneficial insects and birds.

If there is a massive invasion of cabbageweeds in the area, it is recommended to water the places where they accumulate with one solution of karbofos. It is important to follow the dosage so as not to destroy all living things in the garden. Carry out the treatment late in the evening, when beneficial insects are already sleeping.

Calcium carbide

Gardeners successfully wage a “chemical war” with mole crickets: they find the pest’s holes and place 5 g of calcium carbide there. Upon contact with groundwater or rainwater, a violent reaction occurs. Acetylene is released, filling all the passages of the mole cricket. With such chemical exposure, the uninvited guest dies.

calcium carbide application in the garden

Traps

When turning to this method of control, be prepared that you will have to manually destroy these impressive insects. Traps are based on the pest's taste preferences. “They know honey” - they love to eat sweet things: honey, sugar syrup, jam.

Let me present a simple way to build a bait:

1. Coat the mouth of a glass jar with sticky sweet bait. Pour some syrup inside.
2. Dig baits around the perimeter of the site, on the paths. The neck of the container should be level with the ground.
3. At night, an insect, attracted by the appetizing smell, will fly in and crawl into the jar, but will stick to the sweet syrup at the bottom and will not be able to rise into the air.

Another bait option is jars filled to the brim with water with the addition of a spoonful of vegetable oil. Once caught in such a trap, the insect will not be able to emerge - the oil creates a film that prevents the flow of air.

The bear also likes beer. A small hole is dug for the trap. A jar or bottle with a wide neck is buried at an angle in one of its vaults. A little beer is poured into the container. The bottom of the hole is watered and the hole is covered with a sheet of iron, plywood or tiles. The insect will have no chance to get out and fly away.

Gardeners take advantage of mole crickets’ addiction to warm manure. During autumn digging, several holes up to 0.5 m deep are made in the area. They are filled with half-rotted horse manure, mullein mixed with straw. The mole cricket will find a cozy haven in the trap. Before the onset of frost, it is enough for the gardener to remove the manure contents from the pits and destroy the pests that have settled in for the winter.

fighting mole crickets with manure

The traps are checked every 5-10 days - the mole crickets they catch are taken out and destroyed. Renew the sweet bait and bury it in a new place. It is enough to place the traps at a distance of 4-5 m from each other.

Biological agents

If you do not want to use chemicals, you can try biological preparations that do not poison the soil and plants:

• Boverin. Infects the pest with a fungal disease. Safe for humans, animals and birds.
• Bio bed. The drug is also harmless and contains natural ingredients with strong odors.
• Nemabact. Contains fungal spores that cause the death of the pest. Do not use at temperatures above +25 °C, store in the refrigerator.

Natural enemies of mole crickets can also help in the fight against the pest:

• Larra wasps;
• crows and starlings feed their chicks with these insects;
• ants feed on cabbage eggs;
• Hedgehogs, moles and lizards eat both larvae and adults.

Chemical control agents

If other methods of pest control have been tried, but folk remedies do not give a positive effect for one or 2 seasons, you should resort to chemicals that will help get rid of mole crickets on the site.

Some gardeners suggest using products that destroy the Colorado potato beetle against mole crickets, however, such drugs are expensive and ineffective.

You should also try sprinkling holes in the soil with 5 grams of calcium carbite on the site. Afterwards, for a reaction to occur with the formation of acetylene, which is harmful to the mole cricket, it is necessary to water it with water.

Another important rule: all work on an area watered with chemicals can only be carried out after 7-8 days.

How to remove mole crickets from the garden using chemicals

“Medvecid”
The product is packaged in small bags weighing 100 g. One package is enough to treat an area of ​​about 10 acres. The drug is laid in the ground to a depth of approximately 3 cm with an interval of 1 meter between laying. There are no more than 5-10 granules per groove. Thanks to successfully selected active substances, you can quickly get rid of the mole cricket and prevent its reappearance on the site. The product is safe for plants, so after germination, the procedure can be repeated.

"Medvedotox"
This remedy is similar to the previous one. The package contains deep red granules that are fast acting. They do not reduce soil fertility, do not poison plants and do not destroy beneficial microorganisms. To bury the granules, make deeper holes (about 5 cm), but otherwise the procedure is the same as described above.

"Antimedvedka"
Used in parallel with planting work. With the help of such a remedy, you can completely get rid of both the mole cricket and many other underground parasites. The chemical is sold in 300 gram packaging, which is enough for 15 acres of land. During the sowing process, leave a little free space between the rows and make additional furrows into which Anti-Medvedka granules are placed and sprinkled with soil on top.

“Grizzly”
Quite a strong product based on diazinon and a number of attractants, taken in increased proportions. The granules are used in the usual way and give quick results. The product combines bait and poison for mole crickets, which affects their nervous system, leading to paralysis and death of the insects.

"Aktara 25WG"
This insecticide is intended for spraying beds and flower beds. The drug has a wide spectrum of action and helps to quickly cope with mole crickets and other dangerous pests. The active ingredients are completely safe for the beneficial microflora of the soil, plants, people and pets. A quarter of an hour after treatment, insects will have no chance to survive. The solution is prepared quite simply: the package of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water and poured into a sprayer bottle.

"Nemabakt"
This is an innovative biological product that actively fights the larvae of various pests, including mole crickets. If the larvae are not destroyed in a timely manner, the pests will not be completely controlled. This insecticide is a package of nematodes - microscopic roundworms. They penetrate the mole cricket’s body and devour it from the inside. "Nemabakt" is harmless to people and animals, and its validity period reaches two years.

Is there any benefit from mole cricket?

It turns out that an insect can serve for the benefit of humans:

1. Chinese scientists have long used the healing properties of cabbage to treat tuberculosis. Based on their research, the causative agent of this terrible disease dies as soon as it enters the pest’s body.
2. Digging in the ground and digging tunnels, the mole cricket helps enrich the soil with oxygen.
3. It can serve as bait when fishing.
4. Being in its natural habitat, the mole cricket eats the larvae of other insects, thereby maintaining balance and protecting the plants.

In some countries, this insect is eaten, fried, stewed and even pickled, and generously flavored with oil and seasonings to improve its taste.

Danger of mole crickets for plants

The insect can completely destroy the crop even before germination, as it also feeds on seeds. The pest poses a serious threat to various root crops, especially if their diameter is less than 3 cm. In this case, the mole cricket can completely destroy them. As for larger vegetables, the insect will not cope with them completely, but will leave its marks on the vegetables, which will significantly slow down their growth and development. In the future, such crops can only be used for livestock feed. Young shrubs and herbaceous plants are also affected. The mole cricket makes passages in the soil, turning young roots out, which leads to the death of plants. If small holes in the ground are visible in the beds or flower beds or oblong tubercles of soil are observed, it means that pests have infested the area.

Tips from summer residents

1. Before planting in the beds, when the sun is hot, place a sheet of plywood or cardboard and lift it periodically. There you will see passages and the basking mole cricket itself. Either kill it with a hoe, or catch it with your hands and destroy it later.
2. In the evening, these individuals sing , so put a peg and fill the hole with water in the morning.
3. Take a plastic bottle and cut it into pieces according to diameter (3-4 pieces without top and bottom). Then dig a hole and place your invention, sprinkle with black soil and plant seedlings.
4. Plant marigolds around the perimeter of the site. Their smell will protect your neighbors from moving unwanted residents onto your property.
5. At the end of September, dig a ditch (or several) measuring 50x50x60 cm and fill it with mullein, and at the end of November scatter it around the garden. The mole cricket is already sleeping during this period, so it will simply freeze.
6. To plant potatoes and protect them from pests, before planting, you need to dip the tubers in a solution (1 tablespoon of birch tar per 5 liters of water) and water the holes with it. You can enhance the effect with sawdust impregnated with tar. Pour a little of them into the holes.
7. At the end of May and beginning of June, the parasite lays eggs, so dig up passages and look for nests. Most often they are located on the south side at a depth of 10-15 cm. It is better to burn them.
8. Dissolve 15 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water and pour around the seedling. This smell will not allow it to reach the roots of the plant. This is one of the most effective methods.
9. Dig aspen (alder) stakes along the perimeter of the site or between the rows to a depth of 20-30 cm at a distance of 1.5-2 m. The pegs should be freshly cut, then the aroma of these trees will stop the “enemy” halfway.
10. When planting potatoes in a hole, throw a clove of garlic - this will scare them away from the tuber.
11. The natural enemies of mole crickets are birds - starlings, crows, rooks, storks. They use their beaks to reach and eat these insects. Other food lovers include hedgehogs, shrews, scolopendras, and lizards.
12. By the way, bears are used to cure tuberculosis patients. About 90% of patients feel much better after eating insect kebab. And in Asia this dish is considered a delicacy.

Preventative treatment

It is much easier to prevent a mole cricket from entering the area than to fight it later. A mole cricket will not appear in the garden if you dig up the soil every fall to the depth of a spade bayonet - the larvae and adults will die from the cold. A preventive measure against the appearance of mole crickets in the garden can be a refusal to use manure as a fertilizer for plants, since it is with it that the pest most often enters the site. You can replace manure with chicken droppings.

• How to treat strawberries during fruiting

Mole crickets love well-warmed soil, and to lower its temperature, mulch the surface of the area with light material - straw or sawdust.

Garlic, cilantro, coriander, parsley, marigolds, calendula or chrysanthemums planted between rows prevent the appearance of mole crickets. The pest does not like pine needles and fresh alder leaves, which are buried in the grooves along the perimeter of the beds. They say that a good mole cricket repeller is mothballs poured into deep furrows around the beds.

You can scare off mole crickets in a greenhouse using a mixture of sand and kerosene at the rate of 1 kg of sand and 50-70 ml of kerosene per m² of bed: spill the sand with kerosene, mix it thoroughly, throw a few shovels of dry earth to the sand and mix everything again. When planting seedlings, scatter this soil mixture over the surface of the beds and mix it evenly with the top layer of soil.

Reliable protection against mole crickets is provided by treating the root system of seedlings with a suspension of Aktara or Prestige. And those who are not bothered by the smell of rotten fish can use this method of repelling the pest: when planting seedlings in the ground, place small fresh fish in each hole. When the fish begins to rot, the smell of decomposition scares away the mole cricket and it leaves. True, she can go not far - to the next garden bed.

Plants with an unbranched root system can be saved from mole crickets by digging a cut plastic bottle into the hole and planting a seedling in it. This “armor” prevents the pest from getting to the roots and stems of the plant.

Well, it would be nice to enlist the support of the mole cricket’s biological enemies, which are birds (storks, rooks, crows, starlings) and insectivorous animals - shrews, hedgehogs, moles, lizards, ants, scolopendras or ground beetles. If you attract the most harmless of them to your site, you may never know what a mole cricket looks like.

Pest prevention

Mole crickets are dangerous pests that are quite difficult to get rid of. To protect the area from parasites, take preventive measures. A simple and effective way is to plant plants with a pungent odor. Cabbage plants really don’t like being in the vicinity of such crops as chrysanthemums, coriander, mint, garlic .

To preserve the harvest and prevent an increase in the cabbage weed population, plant plants with a strong aroma around the perimeter of the beds - valerian, coriander, chrysanthemums, etc. Also, the pest does not tolerate the smell of pine needles

To prevent the appearance of parasites, dig the soil deeply in the fall and carefully remove all leaves, branches and crop residues.

Mole crickets are dangerous pests that destroy crops. To save your plants, start removing parasites as early as possible, preventing them from actively multiplying and spreading throughout the area. Use several fighting methods at the same time to achieve the desired effect.

Sources

• https://givnost.ru/medvedka-nasekomoe-opisanie-osobennosti-vidy-obraz-zhizni-i-sreda-obitaniya-medvedki/
• https://aquarium-fish-home.ru/nasekomye/medvedka-vidyobraz-zhiznirazmnozheniefotokak-borotsyavred/.html
• https://www.poznavayka.org/zoologiya/medvedka-groza-ogoroda/
• https://MrDachnik.com/medvedka
• https://zifrik.ru/kak-izbavitsya-ot-medvedki-v-ogorode-navsegda/
• https://TaraKlop.ru/sad-i-ogorod/medvedka/
• https://obnaruzhil.ru/medvedka/kak-borotsya.html
• https://ogorodum.ru/kak-izbavitsja-ot-medvedki.html

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