How to get rid of mole crickets in the vegetable garden: the most effective ways

European mole cricket, or Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, is one of the most formidable pests of the garden. The insect lives in the ground and severely damages root crops, primarily potatoes, but it can also destroy cereals, various vegetable crops and some berries and even young fruit trees.

Experts advise to start fighting it in the spring, ideally before you sow the garden. OBOZ.UA has collected several effective methods.

Soap solution

If you notice their holes in your garden, try pouring soapy water over. Laundry soap will be the best because it has a natural composition. After a while, the bear will come to the surface of the soil and can be destroyed.

Eggshells

Gather a certain amount of eggshells and grind them in any way you like. Now you need to make it attractive to the insect. To do this, add a little unrefined sunflower oil to the shells. This mixture should be embedded in the soil along with the vegetable seedlings. When a bear tries to attack them, it will eat the shells and die.

Iodine

Dissolve 10 drops of pharmacy iodine in a bucket of water. This solution should be used to spill depressions in the ground before planting seedlings or seeds. The smell of iodine will scare the pest away from young plants.

Sweet baits

Like most insects, mole crickets love sweets. Therefore, make a trap for them with sugar. Take a glass jar, cover it with honey or jam, and put a couple of spoons inside. You need to bury this jar in the garden in a place where crickets can be found. Dig in the jar so that the edges are at ground level. During the night, at least a few insects will visit it. They will fall into the jar and in the morning you just have to destroy them.

Beer bait

Crickets love beer as much as honey or jam. The method of making beer bait is similar: pour a little fresh beer into a wide-mouthed jar or bottle and bury it in the ground at a 45-degree angle. The neck should be on the ground. Insects will come to the smell of the drink and can simply drown in it.

Plant barrier

Crickets do not like the smell of some plants and avoid areas where they are planted. Take advantage of this. Plant marigolds, chrysanthemums, calendula, onions, or garlic around the beds with potatoes and other crops. The pest will be very reluctant to overcome such a barrier.

Valerian infusion

Another strong vegetable odor that scares the pest away. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of valerian infusion in a 10-liter bucket of water and add a glass of this mixture to each plant after watering. This treatment should be repeated once a week. Usually, in 3-4 weeks, the pest simply disappears from the garden that has been treated in this way.

Chemical barrier

You can scare crickets away with kerosene or mothballs. These chemicals should be used around the perimeter of the garden to prevent the pest from entering from neighboring areas. Dig a shallow groove around your land, cover it with sand and pour kerosene diluted in water, or use crushed naphthalene instead of sand and kerosene.

Special products

There is a wide range of special preparations on the market that can be used to treat the garden to get rid of mole crickets. Consult with the seller to choose the one that is right for you, taking into account the crops you grow and the conditions on your site.

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