My lawn is infested with crickets..the jumping kind. Any ideas how to get rid of them without harming the good

Question

I live in the Columbia SC area.

Answer 1

Are they mole crickets? If so, I would suggest putting out a product containing bifenthrin and imidacloprid. Bayer Home Advanced products should contain those materials, try the Bayer Complete Insect Killer. This doesn't contain bifenthrin, but it will still work, provided you follow the directions on the label.

If not, this product will still work on crickets, as grasshoppers are labeled.

Here's a link to the site:
http://www.bayeradvanced.com/lawn/problem-solver/insects-pests.cfm

Scotts Turfbuilder with SummerGuard may work better because it has bifenthrin in it. I did some research on bifenthrin efficacy which is why I recommend this product. Most of the Scotts products contain bifenthrin.

Here's another link:
http://www.scotts.com/index.cfm/event/ProductGuide.category/category/%2FCategories%2FProducts%2FWeed+Insect+and+Disease+Control

Just read and follow all label recommendations!

Soap and water doesn't work. It is mainly used to find out if you have mole crickets in the ground. If you do want to check it out, it's fun. The crickets will come up to the surface, but once they 'recover', they'll go right back down into the soil. If you hold them in your hand, they'll start 'digging' in your hand to get back into the soil. It doesn't hurt.

Answer 2

Do you have any idea at all how "lucky" you are???????

If you wish to get rid of them without harming them.... get several buckets of just plain liquid dish soap and cold water.... make sure it has suds in it, and pour it on your lawn. Most or all of them will leave in a couple days. That worked very well for a friend of mine over in Ca. That will also help get rid of many other types of smaller insects which the crickets are currently enjoying feeding on without chemicals/poisons being around your home.

Answer 3

You can use an organic insecticide that is Hopper-specific. This means it kills only grasshoppers and crickets. It is safe for pets and won't hurt beneficial insects.
Your question is also perfectly timed as August & again in March are the best times to apply this!
See here for more details:

http://kbn.ifas.ufl.edu/cricket/molecr.htm

Answer 4

I didn't know there were 'non' jumping crickets. Well I feel for you, I think they stink!