For all its terrifying appearance, the mole cricket insect belongs to the cricket family, and therefore sings in the same way as all of them, rubbing its elytra against each other - this is where the characteristic “cricket” sound arises. You would never think, when you hear their chirping in the garden at night, that it is the sound of a mole cricket and not a cricket. But this is how tenderly such a formidable pest sings.
And if you learn to recognize how a mole cricket sings, you can prevent massive damage to vegetable beds by this voracious insect predator in time. And the mole cricket singing at night is not just like that. It is the male who emits a cry, notifying the females that the eligible groom is ready for marriage. And the female hears these sounds at a distance of 600 m. If the insect begins to sing, you should wait for the replenishment of the offspring. And the songs fade away when the female has laid eggs.
Why is it dangerous?
- Poisonous or not?
No, despite its terrifying appearance, the insect is not poisonous. - Is it dangerous for humans?
The only danger of a mole cricket lies in its diet and lifestyle.
It lives underground, breaking through tunnels and gnawing through plant roots on its way, spoiling seedlings, eating most types of crops. Its diet includes tubers and root vegetables , as well as stems of garden plants. He especially loves cabbage and onions.
During their life, the mole cricket and its larvae damage potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, beets, eggplants, cucumbers, flower bulbs, roots of trees and shrubs. In addition, the mole cricket feeds on worms and some harmful insects , such as the larvae of the cockchafer.
Mole cricket bite
Does it bite or not?
The mole cricket is absolutely safe and simply cannot bite a person, so you will not find a photo of a mole cricket bite. The maximum that an adult can do is pinch the toe with its front paws. The thorns may be painful , but such a “bite” will not cause much harm.
What are they?
Mole crickets (also called “cabbage mole crickets”) comprise 3 genera, including various species of the order of Orthoptera insects that live in Eurasia, North Africa and Eastern Australia. That is, they are relatives of grasshoppers and grasshoppers, but their closest relatives are crickets.
The Latin name Gryllotalpa is translated as “mole cricket”. There are other names for this unusual insect: “earthen crayfish” and “top”. It is curious that our common mole cricket, reaching 50 mm in length, is the largest of all species. For comparison: mole crickets in the Asian tropics are two times smaller. Like all other insects, cabbage weeds have 6 legs. The hind limbs are not at all like those of grasshoppers or crickets, and are not adapted for jumping, but the forelimbs are surprisingly similar to the paws of a mole and are ideally adapted to a burrowing lifestyle. The color is chocolate brown, velvety, with a silky sheen. The front part of the body is covered with thick chitinous “armor”, so the mole cricket could be called a “knight-digger”. The cephalothorax shell is especially strong, into which the insect’s head can partially be retracted. The rear part with short elytra, folded flagella of reticulated wings and thin, up to a centimeter in length, thread-like appendages (cerci) is more reminiscent of an absurd tailcoat with long tails.
Surprisingly, this heavy insect, encased in thick chitinous armor, is capable of not only excellent swimming, covering considerable distances in the water, but also flight! True, mole crickets can only get off the ground in warm, windless weather, since the muscles of their wings cannot work in the cold.
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What doesn't he like?
Trying to remove mole crickets, gardeners tear up their underground passages and pour poisons or washing powder into them. In the same way, you can scare away mole crickets by scattering a pincushion made of pine needles around the garden plot.
Also, as a remedy against mole crickets, they use bait made from boiled corn , barley or wheat, adding a little sunflower oil and even more insecticide.
Making a fishing pit: in the fall, manure is poured into a pit 60-80 cm deep, and in winter it is thrown out and the pests found are destroyed.
If you need to protect the garden plants themselves , cut small pieces of natural fabric 20 by 10 cm, moisten with water and tie the base of the stems before planting them in the ground.
The smell of chicken droppings is also extremely unpleasant for mole crickets. To do this, you need to make a water infusion with droppings and periodically water the plants with it.
You can sow areas with rye as green manure , although there may not be room left for the rest of the crop.
Every few meters, stick green alder branches into the ground, and do not forget to replace them occasionally with new ones.
How to listen to a bear
Particular attention should be paid to sounds in the beds at sunset. It is then that you can listen to the mole cricket, which at dusk crawls out of its passages to the surface. It is worth listening to the source of the sound and placing traps there during daylight hours or distributing chemicals to combat the pest. There is no question of catching a mole cricket in the dark. This pest is capable of not only chirping loudly, but also sensitively listening to who is approaching it.
Attempts to identify a chirping top by the sound and destroy it right there on the spot are most often doomed to fiasco: although the burrow, in the narrow part of which the insect sits, is shallow, there are always side passages, and the pest runs away very quickly.
But based on the intensity of this singing, you can approximately understand the density of the pest in the beds. Depending on the scale of the disaster, it is already necessary to plan further measures, ranging from simple folk methods to the use of pesticides (boiled porridge with poison and vegetable oil, etc.).
What is he afraid of?
To protect your garden from the invasion of mole crickets, you should regularly cultivate the soil and destroy them if nests are found.
If, before planting garden plants, you throw a clove of garlic, walnut leaves or coriander , and sprinkle the ground with crushed eggshells and another layer of soil, then this will most likely scare away the mole crickets.
You can plant marigold or chrysanthemum flowers between the rows, which will also prevent mole crickets from settling on the site.
From the end of May to June, it is recommended to loosen 10-15 cm depressions between the rows to ensure that mole cricket eggs are destroyed.
Greenhouses can be protected by digging grooves around them and filling them with sand soaked in kerosene.
Like most insects attracted to light, they are easily lured by lanterns at night. If you install a lantern against the wall, and place a basin with a mixture of kerosene and water below, then the mole crickets will fly into the light and die in the liquid when they land there.
From chemical agents, you can use special preparations like “Fenoxin Plus” , solutions of “Karbofos”, “Bankol”, “Grom”, “Bearcatcher”, “Medvetox”, “Rubit” and others.
Read more about how to get rid of mole crickets forever in this article.
Enemies
- Natural mole crickets are a favorite delicacy of moles, shrews, lizards and some birds (crows, rooks, starlings, herons and others). Thanks to them, the maximum that a mole cricket manages to eat in the garden is no more than 10% of the total harvest.
- Do moles eat mole crickets? Yes, mole crickets, like many other insects, are on the mole’s list of dishes.
How mole crickets chirp
What sounds the mole cricket makes depends on the gender, time of year and location of the imago. This insect chirps both underground and on the surface. Lively chirping may indicate that insects are simply communicating, and the cabbage fly (the second name of this insect) screams both day and night. By the way, it makes sounds that are more than twice as loud as a cricket. The upper limit of the bear is 1.4 mW. This is how its whistle can be distinguished from a cricket.
Males have a more powerful voice: it crackles so that females flock to him on dark nights to procreate. Although females are also capable of whistling, it is not as loud as the male whistles. His call signs are especially loud on dark nights, as he invites the opposite sex.
The depth at which the pest is located also matters. Underground it squeaks more quietly. If he needs to attract the attention of the female, a special structure is made for the exit part of the mole cricket’s earthen passage. This burrow is shallow and funnel-shaped; such a device works like a gramophone bell and amplifies the sound. Because of this, you can give signals without going to the surface, and the chatter sounds louder and further away.
Where does the bear live?
Photo: Medvedka in Russia
The insect's habitat is quite extensive. The mole cricket is unpretentious, the only thing it is afraid of is frost, and the desert is also not suitable for it to live in. It inhabits almost the entire territory of Eurasia except the Scandinavian countries, North Africa, both Americas, and Australia. But it did not conquer Antarctica and the northern Arctic territories.
Favorable places for mole crickets to live are meadows and river floodplains. Insects prefer damp areas. Underground passages, wetlands and irrigation canals are favorite habitats. It is also easy to find mole crickets in melon and melon fields, as well as in places that are characterized by deep groundwater.
Any type of soil is suitable for mole crickets to live in; the best option is loose, warm and moist soil, saturated with organic fertilizers. Under the ground, the insect digs passages that create an entire system that performs transport, protective and ventilation functions.
Interesting fact: The mole cricket digs holes of a perfectly regular oval shape.
In a humid habitat, the mole cricket spreads very quickly. But if the habitat becomes no longer inhabitable for it, the mole cricket is forced to move to a new territory. It often moves at night on water, land or air.
Interesting fact: Medvedka loves to live in dung heaps. An excellent option for them is well-heated wet manure (mullein).
Now you know where the mole cricket is found. Let's see what she eats.
Natural enemies of mole crickets
The mole crickets have adapted to life very well. They do not have many natural enemies in nature. Not all birds are able to find insects underground. And, nevertheless, they are destroyed by rooks, starlings, and hoopoes. Mole crickets are eaten by moles and shrews, animals that also lead an underground lifestyle. Some insects are also enemies: ants and ground beetles, phorid flies that eat mole cricket eggs and infect adults, nematodes, and ectoparasite mites. The larra anathema wasp drives the mole cricket out of the ground, paralyzes it and lays eggs in it, as a result of which the developing wasp larvae devour the insect alive. Bacteria that develop in damp, rainy weather can destroy mole crickets.
Photo by: Lukáš Konečny
What does a mole cricket eat and what causes damage to the garden?
The insect is the most common pest of fruits and vegetables; they damage the root system and the entire underground part of plants: tubers, root necks and even just sown seeds. They also harm seedlings of ornamental and berry crops planted both in open ground and in greenhouses. Very often the pest destroys the following species:
- new potatoes;
- fodder and sugar beets;
- carrot;
- white cabbage;
- tomatoes;
- bell pepper;
- beans;
- radish;
- pumpkin;
- poppy.
Cabbage weed also harms melons and melons: watermelons and melons. He also likes to eat young shoots of sunflower, hemp and tobacco. All grain crops suffer from it: wheat, oats, barley and rye. In the southern regions, the mole cricket damages citrus fruits, peanuts and tea.
In addition to plants, it also eats the larvae of insects living underground, as well as earthworms.
Description and features of the bear
The mole cricket is an insect related to the cricket. Like him, the heroine of the article is classified as an Orthoptera. This is one of the genera of insects. Medvedka stands out among others:
- Body length from 4 to 10 centimeters. This is taking into account 2 thread-like outgrowths at the end of the abdomen. The appendages are called cerci. The length of 2 antennae on the insect’s head was also taken into account.
- Dark brown on top and greenish on the belly.
- Big eyes. They are located on the cephalothorax of the mole cricket.
- Mouthparts of the gnawing type. The jaws are pushed forward.
- The front legs are transformed into something like shovels or claws. Their flattened structure allows the mole cricket to dig the ground, like moles. It is with its front legs that the pest cuts off young shoots and makes cavities in root crops.
- Wide but shortened elytra. Soft wings protrude from under them. They are located along the back of the insect.
- Large pronotum. It accounts for approximately a third of the length of the mole cricket.
- A hard shell on the cephalothorax. The chitinous layer, like a helmet, covers the insect's head.
Mole crickets differ from other crickets by their shortened antennae, enlarged anterior back and modified forelimbs. In the photo, the mole cricket appears not only in the form of an adult insect, but also as a larva.
Mole cricket larvae are microscopic copies of adults
Juveniles are similar to mature ones, but lack wings and are smaller in size. The mole cricket larva emerges from the egg. It is up to 3.5 millimeters long. The color of the egg is yellowish. A brown coating and greenish reflections are visible.
Lifestyle of a "beetle"
Where does the bear live? Most often in heavy clay soils. Loves fertile land. Prefers open areas well warmed by the sun's rays . Well, the main thing for her is that there is sufficient humidity. Therefore, these insects are often found in floodplains. However, they also often become inhabitants of gardens, vegetable gardens and summer cottages. Especially where the owners carefully monitor watering and generously fertilize the soil)
In Russia, the mole cricket lives mainly in the European part. The exception is the extreme northern regions. Abroad, it is found in Europe (again, except in the northern regions with perpetually frozen soil). In the south of the Earth, the geography of its distribution reaches the north of Africa.
Mole cricket reproduction
Arthropods breed their offspring in June-July. In the soil, at a depth of about 5-10 centimeters, insects organize a nest . Bears are very caring parents. Therefore, they lay eggs in special spherical chambers with compacted walls, made in soil and moistened with saliva. The diameter of one such cavity is about 8-10 centimeters . In a “family estate” equipped in this way, females lay from 200 to 600 eggs. Fecundity varies among species and also depends on environmental conditions. The mother bear diligently licks her offspring, protecting the eggs and hatched larvae from the proliferation of parasitic fungi on their surface.
Mole cricket larvae are similar in appearance to adult individuals. Just smaller in size. Another difference is slightly different proportions of body parts. For example, the head is usually larger compared to the rest of the animal's body. From the moment of hatching from eggs to reaching adulthood, different species of mole crickets can take from 1 to 2.5 years. During this time, the younger generation molts several times. At first, adult females patiently guard and protect the developing larvae. Their parents leave them approximately after the second molt of their offspring.
Folk remedies
Fill the area of soil affected by the mole cricket with plenty of water, then lay sheets of plywood, slate or cardboard on it. In a few hours, mole crickets fleeing the “flood” will gather under them. Collect pests and destroy;
Dig buckets or glass jars three-quarters filled with water into the soil. Sometimes such traps work;
At the height of autumn, several holes are dug in the area, into which manure mixed with straw is placed. This is where mole crickets gather for the winter. All that remains is to wait for stable cold weather, take out the contents of the pits and scatter them on the surface. Insects will quickly die at sub-zero temperatures;
Pour 1 kg of onion peel into 10 liters of warm water and leave for 4-5 days. The resulting infusion is poured into the minks. You can use washing powder or laundry (tar) soap with the addition of vegetable oil, which promotes better adhesion of the caustic liquid to the insect’s body;
Plant marigolds. Mole crickets are repelled by “live repellents”.
So, mole cricket in the garden: fight or rejoice?
In small quantities, the presence of mole crickets on the site is very favorable . However, if insect pests in the garden become noticeable, then it is better to take appropriate measures.
You can start with less invasive procedures. For example, plant marigolds around the perimeter or try homemade traps . If it doesn’t help, then move on to more destructive chemicals.
Other articles about insects:
– Fleas in the house: how to get rid of them?
– Biological methods of exterminating insects
– Is it possible to get rid of bedbugs using folk remedies?
Pest prevention
Mole crickets are dangerous pests that are quite difficult to get rid of. To protect the area from parasites, take preventive measures. A simple and effective way is to plant plants with a pungent odor. Cabbage plants really don’t like being in the vicinity of such crops as chrysanthemums, coriander, mint, garlic .
To preserve the harvest and prevent an increase in the cabbage weed population, plant plants with a strong aroma around the perimeter of the beds - valerian, coriander, chrysanthemums, etc. Also, the pest does not tolerate the smell of pine needles
To prevent the appearance of parasites, dig the soil deeply in the fall and carefully remove all leaves, branches and crop residues.
Mole crickets are dangerous pests that destroy crops. To save your plants, start removing parasites as early as possible, preventing them from actively multiplying and spreading throughout the area. Use several fighting methods at the same time to achieve the desired effect.
Sources
- https://givnost.ru/medvedka-nasekomoe-opisanie-osobennosti-vidy-obraz-zhizni-i-sreda-obitaniya-medvedki/
- https://aquarium-fish-home.ru/nasekomye/medvedka-vidyobraz-zhiznirazmnozheniefotokak-borotsyavred/.html
- https://www.poznavayka.org/zoologiya/medvedka-groza-ogoroda/
- https://MrDachnik.com/medvedka
- https://zifrik.ru/kak-izbavitsya-ot-medvedki-v-ogorode-navsegda/
- https://TaraKlop.ru/sad-i-ogorod/medvedka/
- https://obnaruzhil.ru/medvedka/kak-borotsya.html
- https://ogorodum.ru/kak-izbavitsja-ot-medvedki.html
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Control measures
To begin with, it doesn’t hurt to clean up the area. Check manure and compost heaps - this is the mole cricket's favorite place. The next area to be examined is the banks of garden ponds (if there are any) and the dampest places. In the fall, it is useful to carry out deep plowing in the garden to destroy mole cricket tunnels, but active control should begin in the spring, before the females lay eggs.
If you decide to use branded chemicals, then keep in mind that none of them are absolutely harmless; they are all toxic to one degree or another. Either these are substances that repel insects with their smell, or solutions that penetrate plants and make them fatally poisonous to mole crickets (as well as all other arthropods that find themselves in the “affected zone”). It should be noted that mole crickets are resistant to insecticide poisons.
Today, ultrasonic repellers can be purchased in stores and gardening centers. As gardeners have seen, this product is ineffective, especially since the range of action of each such device is small.
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