Mole Crickets

Mole crickets have a cricket-like appearance, however their front legs are modified for digging through the soil, and resemble the front legs of a mole.

In South Carolina, we have three species of mole crickets, the tawny mole cricket, the southern mole cricket, and northern mole cricket.

The northern mole cricket is the only native species in South Carolina, but causes little, if any damage to lawns. The southern mole cricket primarily feeds on small organisms in the soil, and rarely turf. The damage it causes to lawns is mainly due to tunneling, by disturbing the root system of the lawn. The tawny mole cricket is most destructive to lawns, as it feeds mainly on turfgrass roots and shoots.

Mole cricket mounds appear similar to earthworm mounds, however, earthworm mounds appear as if they were constructed with small, round pellets of soil, while mole cricket mounds appear as if the soil was pushed up from underneath with a hole in the middle.

To determine if mole crickets are present, use a soap drench in the suspected areas of the lawn. Mix 1-2 fluid ounces of liquid dish soap (lemon scent works best) in a gallon of water until suds appear, and then pour this mixture over a 2 square foot area. Any mole crickets present will come to the surface quickly