Very often the harvest is destroyed by mole crickets. The size of this pest can intimidate even an experienced gardener. The pest can destroy the upper and lower parts of the plant. But there is a way out, try to neutralize the mole cricket with eggshells.
- In the first case, you need to crush the shell into small fragments, and then scatter it around the plants. Such a barrier will protect them from the pest.
- In the second case, you need to prepare bait from the shell. Grind the shells into powder using a coffee grinder. Add a little vegetable oil to the powder for scent. Collect balls from the mixture and place them in your area. When the pest eats the bait, it will soon die.
How to get rid of mole crickets on the site using folk remedies
Chicken egg shells
This is a great way to protect seedlings. The raw materials are dipped in aromatic sunflower oil and then crushed with a rolling pin. The resulting crumbs are buried in the soil to a depth of 3 cm around the young plants. The smell of oil will serve as a bait: the mole cricket will approach the seedlings, swallow the shell and die from its sharp edges.
Soap solution
Pour the cheapest washing powder into a bucket of water and stir well. Next, up to three liters of solution are poured into each “hole”. After this, they put on gloves and catch the insects that begin to run out of their underground shelters. This is not the most pleasant or convenient method, but it is effective.
Ammonia
The persistent smell of ammonia has a very strong effect on insects. To combat the mole cricket, you will need 10% ammonia (about 3-4 tsp), which is dissolved in 10 liters of water. This concentration is considered completely safe for plants. The prepared solution is used for watering – no more than 500 ml per bush. The smell is quite pungent, but within a week it completely disappears, so the procedure will need to be repeated. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, stop watering completely. For seedlings and other young plants, another method is used: they soak pieces of fabric in the solution and lay them on the ground between the plants.
Kerosene
It is also used because of its pungent, repellent odor. From 50 to 70 ml of liquid is mixed with sand (about 1 kg) or earth (3 shovels). This mixture can be poured into holes or spread between vegetable crops.
Traps
They use champagne bottles, which are placed in the ground at an angle (no more than 30°). There is no need to deepen the containers too much; just 3 cm is enough. A little sweet and aromatic drink (wine, beer, compote, etc.) is usually poured inside, which will attract insects. Cover the neck with a piece of gauze. The insect gnaws through it and drowns in the contents of the bottle.
The mole cricket is a dangerous pest that can completely deprive gardeners of their harvest and damage ornamental plantings. To avoid serious problems, it is necessary to carefully monitor the site (remove weeds, dig the soil deeply, monitor its moisture level).
And if necessary, know how to quickly get rid of mole crickets: use proven insecticides, as well as improvised means. It is also recommended to regularly inspect plants and soil in order to promptly detect pests and places where they accumulate. Simple precautions will help keep your plants healthy and produce a rich harvest.
