How To Get Rid Of Mole Crickets In South Africa

What are Mole Crickets?

Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera. Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied, fossorial insects about 3–5 cm long as adults, with small eyes and shovel-like fore limbs highly developed for burrowing.

How To Get Rid Of Mole Crickets In South Africa

1. Go old school, with molasses

Your grandma’s molasses is a tasty ingredient in cakes, cookies, and candy, but it can also work as excellent bait for crickets. Mix 3 to 4 tablespoons of molasses in half a bowl or a jar of water. Place this trap in various parts of your house. The sweet scent of molasses is so hypnotizing to crickets it will lure them to jump in and drown. (Sorry, cricket lovers.)

2. Keep your yard trimmed and neat

Maintaining the outside of your house is also a good preventive measure to keep crickets away. Chelle Hartzer, board-certified entomologist and technical services manager for Orkin, recommends making sure that trees and bushes are neatly trimmed back and that areas near your home are not overwatered.

3. Grow nitrogen-fixing plants

Crickets are also inclined to feast on young plants or flowers. To prevent them from chowing down, experts suggest planting nitrogen-fixing plants, which draw nitrogen gas from the air and store it in their roots. These include peas, beans, and legumes. Planting garlic, clover, cilantro, sweet potatoes, and sweet peas in your garden can also irritate crickets and drive the bugs out.

4. Shut down entry points

Prevention is key when it comes to insect control. Keeping your home clear of crickets starts with blocking all entry points. Hartzer says it’s especially important to seal the gaps between the bottom of doors and the floor. “Don’t forget garages, too! Once crickets get into a garage, that often allows them further access to get in the house,” says Hartzer.

Both cricket species are attracted to moisture, so Fredericks advises eliminating moisture buildup by ventilating crawl spaces and basements and repairing any leaking pipes or air-conditioning units.

5. Let natural predators do their thing

Crickets are easy prey for other animals. Cats and dogs follow their natural instincts and will patrol their territory, including happily clearing your home of crickets. Place a bird feeder in your garden for even more help, as birds will chomp on any cricket in sight. Lizards and even spiders are natural cricket predators, too.

6. Make a natural cricket repellent

For natural cricket repellent, make a spray of fresh hot chilis and/or hot chili powder mixed with 2 cups of water and a few drops of dish soap. Wearing protective gloves, glasses, and a mask, spray toward (but not directly on) plant leaves and soil. The hellfire burn will keep them away. Crushed garlic cloves can also be added to the chili mix for a more potent blend.

7.Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fancy-schmancy scientific name for a white powder that is created from the skeletons of algae. When insects come in contact with DE, they become dehydrated and eventually die. Found in home improvement or garden stores, DE is safe to use around people and pets and can be sprinkled indoors and outdoors in crevices where there’s a cricket problem.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What attracts mole crickets?

These insects are often attracted to lawns that have an abundance of thatch—a thick, spongy mat of runners and undecomposed grass clippings on the soil surface. Improper mowing and excessive water or fertilizer can lead to this condition.

How do I permanently get rid of crickets in South Africa?

Sticky traps and glue boards can also catch crickets—and you can even DIY your own. Fill a jar with a 1 to 10 mixture of molasses and water. The sweet smell will attract the pests, the stickiness will trap them, and the water will ultimately drown them.

What is the easiest way to get rid of crickets in South Africa?

The most effective way to get rid of crickets and prevent future infestations is to reduce areas of moisture in and around your home. Mow the lawn, weed plant beds and move woodpiles away from the structure. Provide adequate ventilation in crawl spaces, basements, etc.

What home remedy can I use to get rid of crickets in South Africa?

What scent will keep crickets away?

Peppermint oil can also aid in repelling them if effectively applied. Once the crickets come across this smell, which they do not enjoy whatsoever, they move off. Crickets hate the smell of lemon too. All you have to do is to spray the lemon juice in the house, on floors, and on boards.

Where do crickets hide during the day?

During warm weather months, house crickets will typically live outdoors and prefer garbage dumps – gross. They often enter the home looking for moisture; this is a common theme with pests. When the house cricket gets into your house, they’ll usually hide in dark warm places during the day.

Does vinegar get rid of crickets?

Vinegar in water (at 4 oz. per quart) kills crickets in about a minute. Salt water will kill about 50% in about a minute.

What will kill mole crickets?

Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent (some experts say lemon-scented may work best ^2,3) with 2 gallons of water in a watering can, and drench an area about 2 square feet. As the soap penetrates, mole crickets pop up. Look closely so you don’t miss tiny nymphs.

Does washing powder kill mole crickets?

Well trained superintendents soap flush adult mole crickets in the spring where the male calling and spring mating activity is occurring. (Soap flushing is putting two to four tablespoons of household dish-washing detergent in two gallons of water

How do you stop mole crickets from spawning?

this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, simply find and dig up all of the mole crickets and move on. it’s common knowledge that if the island you’ve arrived at has a second level, you need to cover it with holes in order to prevent spawns up there.

How do you get rid of mole crickets naturally?

Mix two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent, like Dawn, with two gallons of water. Pour it over a 2-square-foot area of your lawn. The mole crickets should pop out of the soil as the soap mixture sinks down.