Crawfish (aka crawdads, crayfish, mudbugs)

Crawfish tube. Photo by Bart Drees.

A crawfish. Photo by Bart Drees.

Crawfish can become numerous in poorly drained soil. They build unsightly tubes that may reach several inches in height. Although some insecticides such as carbaryl and ethoprop are known to be relatively more toxic to earthworms, and bendiocarb, benomyl, carbaryl and pyrethroids are known to be relatively more toxic to crawfish than are other turf insecticides, NONE is registered or recommended for earthworm or crawfish control. Improving drainage may reduce earthworm populations and crawfish activity.

For more information on crawfish, we recommend** the book Texas Crawdads ($24.95 plus $2.47 tax (only in Texas) and $5.00 P&H) from http://texascrawdads.com

** Texas AgriLife Extension Service derives no financial benefit from the sale of this book.