Crickets and How They Can Get In Your Home
December 29, 2014
Crickets can be a really big problem. They come in the house and are very hard to get rid of. Before you attempt to rid your home of crickets you should try to identify what type of crickets they are. There are several types of crickets that can come into your house. They include -
- Mole Crickets
- House Crickets
- Field Crickets
- Camel Crickets
and they all have different looks and shapes. There are also treatments that have been specifically designed for specific cricket types. It helps to know what you're dealing with.
The house cricket lives outside but will come inside in large numbers. The adults are identified by their 3 dark bands on their heads, about 3/4 of an inch in length, that are a light yellowish-brown color.
These crickets will eat just about anything. They like to chew on silk and woolen products and they can cause a lot of damage to them. They are nocturnal so you don't see them much during the day. You can hear them and know them by their distinctive chirping sound. You see them in warm areas like your basement, kitchen, fireplace, cracks and crevices, and behind your baseboard.
These crickets will attack fruits and vegetables and a lot of other food types. They will even attack rubber. Crickets are close relatives to cockroaches, and both bugs go through a gradual metamorphosis. Their young resemble the adults, only they don't have fully developed wings.
House Cricket Facts
The house cricket was first introduced to both the United States and Canada back in the 18th century. They were the object of many early writers because of their songs and how they chewed up clothes. House crickets are from 3/4 of an inch to a full inch long. The female features a long and slender ovipositor.
Because they love to stay warm, they seek out warm places. Bakeries were often overrun with them. When they are exposed to cold areas they become very sluggish and slow. Once the area warms up they come alive and are more active. They begin to leap around and sing.
Today the house cricket is less of a problem because modern houses give them fewer place to hide than the older buildings. During warm weather the house cricket will live outside and only take to the inside when things turn cold. Then they seek out buildings, dumps, sheds, shelters, and anywhere else they can stay warm.
Since they are nocturnal you usually start noticing them around dusk. That's when they begin to look for food inside your home. They are also omnivorous and will readily feed on bread crumbs and are especially attracted to liquids. They love beer and also sweetened vinegar. You can place these liquids in the right type of container and they will drown in it.
How They Get In and Steps to Take
House crickets can find a way into your home no matter what precautions you take. Any house with a basement or old underpinning is susceptible to crickets getting in. It is nearly impossible to keep them out altogether. However, you can set up control mechanisms to keep them at bay.
The traps we use to trap mice and rats actually work a lot better for catching crickets. You can put a small bit of cornmeal in the middle of a few of those sticky traps. Then place the traps along your walls and in corners near light, moisture, and heat sources. That will catch the crickets that do make it into the house. As long as the infestation is small this should be enough to handle your problem without taking any expensive measures.
Windows and door are the main entrances for crickets. Using weather stripping along with door sweeps goes a long way to deterring them from coming in. You can use screen patches or caulk to seal up your screens and windows.
Take a walk around your house with a caulking gun. Fill in any cracks and crevices you find in your foundation, as well as any entry points where your plumbing and electricity goes into your home. Seal those openings off good. Make sure all your vents (foundation vents and dryer vents) are screened over.
Clutter provides crickets with good warm habitat. De-clutter your home and watch for areas that hold moisture. In basements and attics as well as in crawl spaces, crickets can find good breeding ground. You want to keep these areas dry and sealed in.
Chemicals vs. Natural Organic
Most of the time house crickets can be handled without using any type of chemical solutions. However, in the case of a plague that is overwhelming, insecticidal dusts can be used effectively. Cricket baits are commonly used around crawl spaces, attics, outbuildings, home perimeters, basements, and lawns.
A natural solution would be to use a vacuum that has a HEPA filter on it. That is an excellent non-toxic way of killing crickets. You can use the odd attachment for pulling crickets out of cracks and crevices along with their eggs. It will pull them out from behind baseboards, trim, wall voids, and carpet perimeters.
For all your cricket and pest control problems, Alliance Pest Services has your pest program that fits your budget and solves your specific pest problem. Best New Jersey Pest Control.