Mole Crickets

What Are Mole Crickets?

If you haven’t heard of mole crickets, the name gives away what they do: They are crickets that dig in the ground like moles. At about 1 inch in length, mole crickets possess a pair of stocky, shovel-like front legs that help them burrow underground. They eat the roots and shoots of plants that they burrow under. In the United States, mole crickets are most commonly found in the southeast.

Are Mole Crickets Dangerous?

Mole crickets, while scary-looking, are not dangerous to humans or pets and don’t purposefully venture inside. However, they are considered an agricultural pest because of the damage they can cause to lawns and gardens by burrowing and eating.

How Can You Tell If You Have Mole Crickets?

You won’t find evidence of mole crickets in your house, but you definitely will in your yard. If you have a mole cricket problem, you will find small bulges in the ground and small mounds of dirt scattered across the yard. Patches of ground may feel spongy from the grass detaching from its roots. Eventually, grass affected by mole crickets will turn die, leaving brown patches in an otherwise healthy yard.