Crickets belong to the order Orthoptera, where grasshoppers place, but differ in suborder, which goes under Ensifera whereas, the grasshoppers in Caelifera. Crickets are nocturnal feeders that feed on vegetables, fruits, and flowers in the top foliage of the plants. The gardeners often consider them a nuisance for their chirping sounds at night. Otherwise, they're not associated with carrying any disease. However, few Mole Crickets and King Crickets have a stinging habit that could injure the skin minutely. Crickets are not difficult to handle but, their diagnosis maybe for their emergence and damage at night.
Crickets are cosmopolitan pests, and most of their species originated from Eastern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and South America. The first-ever studied invasive mole cricket species is Neoscapteriscus didactylus from South America. Gryllotalpa Africana hails from South Africa, whereas many Gryllotalpa species are native to Asia, Europe, and Australia. More than 107 cricket species are from Asia whereas, tropical Asia holds the diversity in species. Kuala Lumpur once reported 88 cricket species chirping from a single location. Otherwise, a similar site may have more species as all cricket species don't chirp but communicate through their body smell. At the moment, Crickets are a widespread garden and urban pest throughout all states of the US. Anyhow, Cricket's minor infestation is tolerable.
The length remains to a maximum of 2 inches for the larger species. The tree crickets are pale green or pale white whereas, the field crickets are dark black or brown. Crickets may be small to medium-sized with somewhat flattened and cylindrical bodies. The heads are spherical, antennae originating from the first segment with compound eyes. The forehead contains 3-ocelli, a trapezoid protonum. The tip of the abdomen is with a pair of long cerci, and females have cylindrical ovipositor that is long, narrow, shiny, and smooth. The femora were also adapted for jumping. Another distinctive feature of all crickets is armored hind legs with many adjustable spurs. The fore wings are made with hard chitin that protects their soft bodies whereas, the males possess a stridulatory organ used to produce chirping sounds. A few species may have wings, but that doesn't help them fly.
Female crickets attract males through stridulatory calls and non-chirping through smells. A female mounts the male and receives male sperms in her external genitalia that travels to the oviduct. Later, most female cricket species oviposit either in soil clods or within the foliage and stems of the plants. Few ground species lay eggs in underground soil chambers or burrow them in the soil. Other, soil-dwelling species lay and hatch eggs and feed the nymphs for almost a month. The nymphs resemble a fruit fly that passes through 10-larval stages to become an adult. They increase their body size with each molt, however, their reproductive organs become fully functional on full maturity.
Both tawny and short-winged mole crickets could become pests of garden plants, while their infestation is more common on tomato, carrot, potato, cucurbits, radish, eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, and peanuts due to their tunneling habit. Southern mole cricket also infests garden vegetables and causes severe damage to planted seeds and seedlings together. Soil tunneling cricket species earthen up the soil around the stems, and seeds are pushed to water stress. This could result in total germination failure, and the seedlings often die of chlorosis. The damage often resembles that of cutworms. Cricket garden invasion is on warm, humid nights. They could feed on the roots primarily, approaching the stems afterward and into the top foliage of the plants. Their damage sometimes contributes plant pathogens to the seedlings and young vegetable plants. They also feed on the roots of turf and pasture grasses that dry out the desired moisture from the root zone resulting in yellowing and withering.
Most garden crickets migrate to your planting area from the neighboring pastures and fields in spring when an excessive feeding ground is available. Sometimes they also emerge from the dense weed covers and infest your vegetable plants at night.
Besides following all preventive measures if cricket infestations go beyond control, here are the most authentic strategies to suppress their population using the biological, organic, and chemical practices;
NatureGoodGuys- Beneficial Nematodes are 5-million juvenile Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. They parasitize root and foliage cricket species effectively. Heavy watering is required for applying them in the garden. These nematodes adhere to the bodies of target pests, including crickets causing an infection that kills them within 10-days of application. The nematodes multiply on the host body and never let crickets dominate. These nematodes are harmless to humans and the environment. The gardeners frequently apply them on indoor cannabis, herbs, vegetables, citruses, and leafy greens.
Beneficial nematodes perform well at or above 40°F. Avoid releasing them in the garden if any bait was applied shortly. These nematodes can chase crickets to their hidings and remain active for the next 6 weeks. A 5-million nematodes are enough to apply in 20000 square feet of garden area.
This new chemistry mixes Beauveria bassiana Strain GHA with Pyrethrins enabling the product to possess multiple modes of action. Pyrethrins offer a rapid mode of action and kill crickets on exposure, instantly. Whereas, Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that germinates on the body of the host and weakens its chitin. The crickets can't molt and move to the next instars. These fungi also penetrate the body of the crickets and release toxins such as Bassianin and Oxalic acid, which are also stomach poisons for many species of crickets. The combination contains 0.75% Pyrethrins and 0.06% Beauveria bassiana.
The maximum application rate is 2.68 ounces per gallon of water on 1000 square feet of vegetables and orchards planting areas.
Trifecta- Crop Control is excellent chemistry that combines several essential oils from the herbal sources that perform as an insecticide, acaricide, and a fungicide together and can be applied on all types of edible stuff in the garden. No residual effects and environmental threats are associated with botanical products since, they break down to Nanoparticles that not only enhance the product efficacy but, increase their longevity. It contains essential oils from thyme, clove, garlic, pepper, corn, geraniol, citrus, rosemary, and inert matter comprising rubbing alcohol and vinegar. It’s an admirable product that could suppress many pests and diseases at a time besides mole and garden crickets.
No further mixing in water is required. Apply thoroughly on both sides of the leaves upon hearing the first chirping sound from your garden.
It's a bio-pesticide, and its active ingredient is 1% Thyme oil. Thyme is a natural pest deterrent when it grows in a garden. Its insecticidal and fungicidal properties are recently explored. It deters many flying, chewing, and sap-sucking pests, including crickets. Thyme also cures many foliages and roots diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. Bio-pesticide can be applied in different growing cultures irrespective of the crops growing there. It's also excellent chemistry to use in greenhouses and hydroponic facilities. BOTANOHEALTH is OMRI listed and the first choice of many indoor growers. This stuff applies to all edibles during entire stages of growth.
BOTANOHEALTH mixing ratio is between 1.5 to 3 ounces per gallon of water, depending on the severity of crickets' infestation in your garden.
Systemic Insect Control contains 0.22% Imidacloprid which retains residual effects in the soil and plant materials for about 8-weeks. Never use this product on edibles, including vegetables and fruits, and its application on flowering plants can kill pollinators as well. Apply with care on ornamental stuff. However, the gardeners can apply it around garden beds for controlling the juvenile cricket species that feed on the roots.
Spread these granules around the garden beds and water them immediately after application. It could create a barrier to stop crickets’ movement to the beds.
Check out our other guides on common garden bugs.
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