5/5/2015 - By Dr. Raymond Snyder

The season for considering mole cricket control options is upon us.  There are several options for battling this destructive turf pest.  Selection of a control strategy should be based on your geographic location and experience with your turf environment.

The first and perhaps most aggressive approach is one in which an attempt is made to control nymphs at egg hatch and apply a secondary product a month or so afterwards to provide control against visiting adult mole crickets.  Products such as Talstar, Merit, Allectus, Provaunt, Arena and Triple Crown work very well for applications timing egg hatch.  The second phase of this program would include using Topchoice or Chipco Choice for extended longevity over the remaining season.

Effective programs, targeting only egg hatch, exist as well.  For example, Syngenta has an assurance program in which two applications of Provaunt are applied two weeks apart when egg hatch occurs.  Merit, Allectus and Triple Crown can also be used at egg hatch when attempting season long control. Application timing for this type of approach is critical so one must have experience as to when peak egg hatch occurs in their geographic area.

Single applications of Chipco Choice can work for up to 12 months with one slit application.  This strategy was provided excellent mole cricket control for numerous years.  I recommend applications of this type several weeks in advance of anticipated mole cricket activity as this will help to provide ample time for the product to “activate” in the soil.  Finally, any use of Topchoice or Chipco Choice products comes with the added benefit of control undesired fire ants.

Using one of the above strategies often results in highly satisfactory control, but some breakthrough may occur during the course of a long mole cricket season.  In such cases, control options include Talstar, acephate, and baits.  One such bait is Advion insect granule which provides excellent mole cricket control in the event of a breakthrough and has the added benefit of use across residential, commercial, athletic fields, and golf courses.

The link provided below details some programs to consider:

• http://www.greencastonline.com/greentrust365/golf_pdfs/2013_Mole_Cricket_Assurance.pdf