Cricket Pest Control

A cricket is an insect related to the grasshopper. Like grasshoppers, they have chewing mouthparts, and their back legs are larger and stronger than their other two pairs. Crickets have rounded heads, long and thin antennae, and wings that bend down on the sides of their body. Unlike grasshoppers, crickets typically appear flat. Most common cricket species are ground crickets, house crickets, and field crickets, along with the camel crickets and the distinctive mole cricket. Ground crickets are much smaller than other species, and are brown. House crickets grow to be around 16 to 22 mm long and are yellowish-brown. Field crickets can grow longer than 2.5 cm and are brown or black. House crickets can bite humans, but generally are not able to puncture the skin. Crickets carry and spread a variety of diseases through their saliva and excrement. In addition to their potential health hazards, they can wreak havoc on items throughout the home, such as clothing, furniture, houseplants, and wallpaper. Crickets often cause damage by eating seeds and crops and can even destroy an entire garden.

Crickets prefer to live in moist conditions. Inside, they are most commonly found in basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. Outside, they will live in a variety of places, including flower beds and gardens, overgrown grass, and near compost piles or garbage cans.

Crickets generally prefer to live outside, but sometimes outdoor conditions will cause them to enter homes and businesses. For instance, if food sources dwindle or weather becomes too extreme, be it too hot or too cold. Conditions that tempt them to enter buildings are bright outdoor lights and moisture. Crickets can enter through unsealed cracks in the foundation or the spaces around windows and doors.

Certain types of crickets will spend the winter as nymphs and develop quickly once warm weather arrives. They usually appear as adults and start mating in late spring. They can be heard all the way through late June or early July, which is when they lay their eggs and subsequently die off. Other types of crickets don’t appear as adults until mid to late July and can be heard all the way through the fall, before they lay their eggs and are killed by frost. There is usually a period after the first type dies out and before the second type fully matures, during which neither type can be heard. All types of crickets are active during the night.

In order to prevent crickets entering homes and businesses, any cracks and crevices in the foundation or gaps around windows and doors should be sealed. The best way to avoid attracting crickets is by using dehumidifiers to decrease moisture levels. Storage areas, such as basements, attics, and closets, should be kept as clutter free as possible in order to minimize possible hiding places. To get rid of crickets on your property call EXCEL today and have one of our cricket control experts visit you.