Knowledge of the biology and life cycle of correctly identified pests is the key information needed to design an effective control program. Your local County Extension agent or other turf professional can provide assistance with identification of turf pests. The young resemble the adults except that they are much smaller, have no wings and are sexually immature. Adults lay eggs in underground cells in the spring. The eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the weather.
Nymphs feed and grow through the summer, and mature into adults in the fall.
Mole crickets spend the winter deep in the soil but come to the surface to feed during warm periods. Adult crickets leave the soil on warm spring nights to fly around, sometimes in huge numbers, looking for mates and egg-laying sites. There is one generation per year, and most adults die by early summer. The most damaging species of mole crickets feed on grass. With other species the majority of turf damage is related to their tunneling activity.