Blue skies and green grass has dominated the week. I had hoped for more rain out of the front that passed thru on Tuesday but the 0.18” and moderate temperatures behind the front have helped cool down the hot spots on the course.
Last week I talked about a very tiny, actually microscopic and hard to control pest that can cause damage to our course, Bermudagrass mites. This week we targeted a much larger pest, Mole Crickets, that left uncontrolled can also be very damaging to our course. Luckily, Mole Crickets are much easier to control especially if you catch them in the early stages of their life.
Mole Cricket
Mole Cricket Damage (not our course 😁)
Here are some details about Mole Crickets, their impact and how we prevent them from tearing up the course.
Mole crickets are a significant pest on Florida golf courses, causing extensive damage to turfgrass through their tunneling and feeding on turf roots.
Mole crickets, particularly the tawny mole cricket (*Neoscapteriscus vicinus*), southern mole cricket (*Neoscapteriscus borellii*), and short-winged mole cricket (*Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus*), are invasive species introduced to the southeastern U.S. around 1900, likely via ship ballast from South America. In Florida, they thrive year-round due to the warm, humid climate and sandy soils, which are ideal for their burrowing habits. Golf courses, with their well-maintained turf and sandy substrates, are prime targets.
Mole crickets dig extensive networks of tunnels, often 20 feet per night, just below the soil surface. This disrupts the root systems of turfgrasses like bermudagrass and bahiagrass, leading to uneven surfaces, spongy soil, and scalped patches when mowed. On putting greens, where smooth surfaces are critical, even minor tunneling can ruin playability.
Tawny and short-winged mole crickets are herbivorous, feeding on grass roots, shoots, causing brown, dead patches. Southern mole crickets are more predatory, eating soil-dwelling insects, but their tunneling still causes mechanical damage. Animals like armadillos, raccoons, and birds dig up turf to feed on mole crickets, exacerbating damage and creating additional maintenance headaches.
Mole crickets cost Florida’s golf industry millions annually in control measures and turf repair, with some estimates suggesting over $200 million in damages across turf-related sectors.
In Florida, mole crickets are active throughout the year, but they cause the most damage in spring (March–June) and fall (August–October) when adults are tunneling and feeding aggressively.
They generally have one generation per year but in South Florida can have multiple per year. Eggs are laid in April–May in underground chambers. Each clutch contains up to 60 eggs, hatching in about 20 days. Nymphs emerge in early summer, tunneling and feeding as they grow into adults by fall.
Adults, except for the flightless short-winged species, can fly up to six miles during mating season (spring), spreading infestations to new areas, including golf courses near infested lawns or sod farms.
Chemical applications are most effective when nymphs are small and easier to control, which is usually late spring/early summer in our area.
That’s why we had West Coast Turf Applicators out today to spray for mole crickets. They use a combination of insecticides for control and guarantee control for 6 months or they will come back and treat again.
There has been some attempt industry wide to introduce biological controls for Mole Crickets with limited success. Here are some of the attempted controls:
Larra Wasp - Since the 1980s, the parasitic wasp was introduced from South America, and has reduced mole cricket populations by up to 95% in some areas (not in FL). It lays eggs on mole crickets, and larvae kill the host. Planting nectar sources like Spermacoce verticillata or Pentas lanceolata attracts these wasps.
Nematode - The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema scapterisci infects and kills mole crickets. Applied commercially since the 1990s, it spreads naturally through infected crickets, offering some long-term suppression.
Brazilian Red-Eyed Fly - Ormia depleta, another introduced parasitoid, targets adult mole crickets, reducing populations in central and southern Florida.
Natural Predators - Birds, toads, and beetles eat mole crickets, but their impact is limited compared to specialized biocontrol agents.
Challenges Specific to Golf Courses
High Standards - Putting greens and fairways demand blemish-free surfaces, leaving little tolerance for even minor mole cricket activity. Roughs can handle more damage, but aesthetics still matter.
Sandy Soils - Florida’s coastal courses often have sandy soils, ideal for mole cricket tunneling, making infestations harder to control than in clay-heavy soils.
Environmental Regulations - Strict rules on pesticide use in Florida, driven by concerns over water quality and wildlife, limit chemical options and push reliance on integrated pest management (IPM).
Cost - Intensive management, especially on high-end courses, involves pricey insecticides and labor for monitoring and repairs, straining budgets.
In summary, Mole Crickets remain a persistent challenge, but Florida’s golf courses have a robust toolkit to manage them. Balancing immediate control with sustainable practices like biocontrol and cultural adjustments is key to keeping conditions pristine without breaking the bank or harming the environment.
Here are a few pictures of routine maintenance that the team worked on this week.
Edging course signage…
Box blading and raking cart paths…
