As you step outside during hot summer nights, you can often hear the soft hum of crickets chirping in the grass. While peaceful outdoors, there’s nothing more annoying than a cricket coming inside and interrupting your sleep!
House crickets typically invade your home during the fall to escape frigid temperatures, but these pests can appear during any season. Once indoors, house crickets can surprisingly harm many of your possessions.
When you hear late-night chirping, act quickly to remove these annoying pests from your home. Check out this article to learn the top tips for house cricket removal!
What are House Crickets?
So, what makes house crickets different from the run of the mill outdoor cricket? Field crickets spend most of their time outdoors. Don’t worry about spotting a field cricket in your home, as they won’t typically migrate indoors during the winter.
While the two crickets are comparable in size, field crickets are usually black, while a house cricket is a lighter tan color. Both species live throughout the United States, so any residents in proof.’s service areas may have these pests in their homes or yard!
A house cricket’s diet may differ depending on its location. They stay outdoors in warm weather and feast on plants and foliage. Your flowers, fruits, and vegetables could become a cricket’s next meal if you have a garden. Crickets will also consume insects like aphids, beetles, or other pests for nourishment. Most of these pests prefer to feed on vulnerable insects and will even consume decaying bugs.
When these pests head indoors, they turn toward your household items. According to the University of Minnesota, they may take a bite of fabric materials like curtains, sheets, bedding, and clothing.
Like other insects that eat fabric, the crickets will chew through fibers like cotton, wool, and linen. While the damage isn’t severe, you will have to repair or replace items in your wardrobe and linen closet.
Your indoor plants may also sport the tell-tale sign of cricket damage. Because these tiny pests also consume plant materials, they may munch on your inside greenery.
The crickets won’t significantly impact your property, but they can still damage the items you hold dear. No one wants a hole chewed through their favorite blouse! When you find signs of house crickets, be sure to give proof. pest control a call to handle these destructive pests.
Prevent Crickets From Heading Indoors
If you have any exterior cracks outside your home, crickets can squeeze through these gaps. Poorly fitted doors and windows can also allow these pests to slip inside. They can wreak havoc on your home by feasting on your clothing and keeping you awake at night.
While they tend to lay eggs outdoors, the pests can lay eggs in humid indoor areas. As the eggs hatch, you could have a much larger problem on your hands.
Rarely, house crickets may invade your home when accidentally introduced. If you have animals or reptiles that feast on these pests, handle them carefully to avoid releasing them indoors. You wouldn’t want your pet missing out on a meal!
Don’t fret if you have crickets in your home. There are options to eliminate them quickly and regain those hours of lost sleep.
Create a Homemade Cricket Trap
You can easily make your own cricket trap with materials you already have at home. Grab a spare container or bowl and line the bottom with molasses. Then, fill the container with water.
The molasses will attract the crickets to hop inside. After hitting the water, they will struggle to climb out and drown. If your container or bowl is too tall for crickets to crawl in, you can fashion a small ramp from a book, piece of paper, or lid.
Place Sticky Traps
This option won’t eliminate all crickets, but you can easily catch a few that bounce by! Sticky traps contain a glue-like substance that will keep any pest in place if they accidentally graze over the surface.
Once you have trapped a sufficient number of crickets, feel free to dispose of the insects and enjoy the quiet!
Regularly Check Damp and Humid Areas
While crickets won’t flock to sites with excessive moisture, they seek out damp and warm areas to hide. To cut down on the cricket population in your home, keep an eye on all locations that may collect water.
Wipe down your sink and bathtub, check for water under your fridge, and look for leaks. Crickets may also congregate in your bathroom or basement.
Storebought Pesticides
If other options fall short, you could consider purchasing a pesticide from the store. Many retailers carry products designed for crickets, while other wide-use pesticides may eliminate their presence.
However, be cautious if you use these products. Some over-the-counter pest control solutions may not resolve your problem. Others could be dangerous when applied incorrectly, so always follow the product’s description. If you are concerned about young children or pets interacting with these chemicals, you may want to leave these selections on the shelf.
Contact proof. pest control
proof. understands how annoying it is to miss precious shut-eye, and crickets are the one pest that can keep you up all night! We know the best methods to remove these pests and can get you sleeping soundly again.
Contact us today for a free consultation! We are glad to help your home be pest-free once again!