Homeowners dealing with turf damage often confront two distinct, destructive forces: the tunneling mammal known as the mole, and the burrowing insect called the mole cricket. Both creatures operate beneath the soil surface and cause visible disruption to turfgrass. This leads many to wonder if the mole is a natural predator that can offer relief from the widespread destruction caused by mole crickets. Understanding the specific dietary needs of the mole and the unique biology of the mole cricket provides a clear answer.
The Primary Diet of the Mole
Moles are specialized insectivores whose diet consists almost entirely of small invertebrates found within the soil profile. They possess an extremely high metabolism, requiring them to consume a large volume of food daily, often eating 60 to 100 percent of their body weight every 24 hours. This constant need for sustenance drives their persistent tunneling behavior across a yard.
The most preferred food source for the mole is the earthworm, which provides a high-protein, easily digestible meal. Studies show that earthworms constitute the largest portion of their diet, followed by various insect larvae. These larvae include white grubs, beetle larvae, and other soft-bodied invertebrates abundant in rich, moist soil.
Moles are attracted to soil conditions that support a thriving earthworm population, such as well-irrigated and organic-rich turf. Attempts to remove moles by eliminating white grubs alone are often unsuccessful. If the earthworm population remains robust, the moles have sufficient food and will continue their tunneling activities.
The Direct Relationship: Moles and Mole Crickets
While moles will consume nearly any invertebrate they encounter while tunneling, they do not reliably control mole cricket populations. Moles are predators of opportunity and will certainly eat a mole cricket if it crosses their path, but the insect is not a preferred food source compared to a tender earthworm. Mole crickets possess a tough, chitinous exoskeleton, which makes them less palatable and harder to digest than the soft-bodied prey that moles favor.
The mole cricket’s tough outer shell acts as a defensive barrier, making it a lower-value target for a mole searching for easily consumed biomass. Relying on moles for effective population management of mole crickets is an unreliable strategy. The damage caused by an unchecked mole cricket infestation will continue regardless of a mole’s presence.
The most effective biological controls for mole crickets are highly specialized, such as the parasitic Larra bicolor wasp or the Steinernema scapterisci nematode, which specifically target the insect’s life cycle. Moles are simply not equipped to target mole crickets with the precision necessary to reduce a widespread population below damaging levels.
Understanding the Damage Caused by Each Pest
The damage caused by moles and mole crickets can appear similar, but a close inspection reveals distinct differences in their tunneling patterns. Mole activity is characterized by two specific types of disruption.
First, the molehill is a conical mound of excavated soil pushed to the surface as the mole digs its deep, permanent tunnels and nesting chambers. Second, moles create shallow, raised ridges that crisscross the lawn surface, which are temporary foraging tunnels used to hunt for food. These raised ridges typically follow an irregular path.
The damage from mole crickets, in contrast, results in extremely shallow, meandering surface tracks where the insect is foraging just beneath the turf. This tunneling causes the soil to feel soft or spongy underfoot because the crickets have severed the grass roots from the soil.
The most severe mole cricket damage is the result of their feeding behavior, causing large, irregular patches of turf to turn brown and die. The crickets chew on the grass roots and stems, preventing the plant from absorbing water and nutrients. The mole cricket actively consumes the root system, leading to widespread turf death that can be easily pulled back like a loose carpet.
Management and Coexistence in the Yard
The presence of one pest does not eliminate the other, meaning separate management strategies are necessary. Since moles are primarily attracted to a reliable food source, the most effective long-term approach to discouraging moles is to manage the population of earthworms and insect larvae. Removing the mole’s preferred food will eventually cause the mole to move to a more productive area.
Mole crickets require direct intervention. Management of mole crickets typically involves treating the lawn with targeted insecticides or introducing specialized biological controls, such as beneficial nematodes, during the vulnerable nymph stage. The goal is population reduction below the threshold that causes aesthetic or economic damage.
Understanding the difference between the damage is the first step toward effective treatment. If the problem is raised ridges and mounds, the mole is the primary concern, requiring trapping or removal of the food source. If the lawn has spongy patches and dying turf that is easily lifted, the mole cricket population must be addressed directly to save the grass.