The soapy water is used only for sampling the population in a small location...for scouting purposes. It's not recommended that the whole garden be drenched. I suggest that brownthumb use this technique to see if there is a high population in the lawn as well as the garden. No sense in investing in control measures if there's only a handful of these critters. brownthumb, you might be interested in investigating biological control. There is a fungus that controls mole crickets...Beauveria bassiana. Also, beneficial parasitic nematodes can be used on these insects. Call your local extension office to find out what kind of mole cricket you are likely to have (Southern or Tawny), to determine which nematode species would be effecive. It will be one of the Steinernema species. Be aware that there are predatory insects that will exist happily in a garden area, such as certain beetles, wasps, and others. A chemical free area encourages those beneficials. Birds can be helpful, too. I've watched robins hopping around, obviously listening carefully to the soil. If there are mole crickets there, the birds can find them.

Hard to say, but I would try the following I suspect fuel problems, but I would eliminate the spark plug first. 1) Replace the spark plug - NOTE it must be gapped per the manufacturers specs 2)Drain out your fuel and replace it with fresh-from-the-pump fuel. Does it have a manual choke? If so does chocking it make it better or worse (can you keep it running by using the choke)? 3)With it running try spraying carb cleaner in the carb - if you can see the jet aim it right at the jet. Best of luck, keep us posted!

I would take a close look at the bearings on the mow deck mandrel. If they are worn, and get hot after some use, they will start to bind and that can cause the engine to stall. http://cdn6.bigcommerce.com/s-5or0xc2x/products/10898/images/55227/shopping_q_tbn_ANd9GcSHkAuCS4k0Z4Eqqf-aSXnS5wk5T6vRL_dHn0iWWhN5PegjZjN7w-EvSeyYsBBa3ph0YWZl0fS4%2526usqp_CAE__02808.1485640951.1280.1280.jpg?c=2

Clicking sounds, when they happen in your car, often mean the battery voltage has fallen. Often, but not always--there are, regrettably, other things that can be causing it, but this is one you can check at home. If you have a voltage tester, check the voltage of your battery. Any battery left sit since July has a good chance of self-discharge. A "12 volt" battery has a wide range. If it's reading 12 volts, that's actually not good. A live battery should be reading much higher, around 12.6 volts in a good charge state. (A bit of spot research indicates that the Craftsman does use the 12 V battery, but absolutely check your manual before continuing from this point) You might be able to jump start the battery from your car, but again, check the manual. If not, a 12 V charger may have a 50A setting that will allow a jump start from house power (mine does). Post that, running the mower should recharge the battery if it has an alternator. If not, it will need to be recharged. You should use a safe and reliable 12 V battery charger to do this. I use a 10 A automatic adjusting model to charge my car right now during the pandemic since I'm not traveling and do almost everything via audio or video call. ****** Check the connections to assure that they're firmly attached as well. Sitting around can lead to a bit of warming and cooling and detach or weaken connections on wires. It's not likely, but it can happen. Make sure to wear electrically neutral gloves when fiddling around battery wires. They not only bite, they can kill if you complete a circuit across your chest. The starter might also be a problem, but with it setting since July, my dollar's on the battery. Lead batteries don't reward sitting around very well. And I doubt it would have up and gone, and with sitting around, you threw a red flag on battery issues, so...