Buzz
Combat your cricket issue promptly with our expert-endorsed advice
Crickets, those nocturnal insects characterized by their light brown or black appearance and elongated hind legs, can become quite the annoyance with their loud nighttime chirping during the summer months. Whether these crickets have invaded your home or are lurking in your yard, their presence can be bothersome. Although generally harmless to humans, their droppings can harbor harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Fortunately, there are both natural, non-toxic remedies and chemical solutions available to rid your surroundings of crickets. We'll outline the most effective treatments and provide tips on preventing cricket infestations from recurring.
Important Information to Consider
- To eliminate indoor crickets, place bowls containing molasses and water, or deploy sticky bait traps along your baseboards.
- Consider using diatomaceous earth in crevices and cracks inside your home. Seal any entry points to the outside with caulk or screens.
- Remove overgrown vegetation and relocate woodpiles away from your home to eliminate potential nesting sites. Apply granular bait or barrier spray around your property to deter crickets.
Step-by-Step Guide
Removing Crickets from Your Home
Create your own molasses traps to lure and capture crickets. Mix 1 part molasses with 10 parts water in a shallow bowl or jar. Position the molasses bait where you've spotted or heard crickets indoors, or near gaps and crevices in your flooring. The enticing aroma of molasses will draw the crickets in, but they'll be unable to escape.
- Crickets tend to inhabit warm, damp areas of your house, so consider placing the molasses traps in your basement, bathroom, laundry room, or attic.
- Regularly empty and replace the traps once or twice a week until no more crickets are found inside.
Utilize sweeping and vacuuming to eliminate crickets and their eggs. Sweep hard surfaces with a broom to clear away debris, deceased crickets, or eggs that may have entered. Then, vacuum carpeted areas with a vacuum featuring a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to extract eggs and crickets buried deep within the fibers. Dispose of the vacuum contents and dustpan contents in a sealed plastic bag.
- Although crickets typically prefer to lay eggs outdoors in soil, they may still attempt to nest in warm, moist sections of your house, such as the basement or laundry room. Cricket eggs resemble tiny grains of rice, measuring just a few millimeters in length.
Eradicate any visible crickets by swatting or crushing them. Use a flyswatter or sturdy shoe to eliminate the cricket if it's within sight. After dispatching the insect, use paper towels to clean up any remnants left on the swatter or floor.
- Following the demise of a cricket, apply an all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant to the affected area and wipe away any lingering bacteria.
Deploy adhesive traps near the baseboards of your residence. Position sticky traps in areas where crickets are prevalent, such as along walls, windows, and doorways. As crickets traverse the traps, they become ensnared in the adhesive and perish.
- Adhesive traps are non-toxic, making them an ideal pest control solution for households with pets or children.
- Inspect your sticky traps approximately once a week, replacing any that are filled with crickets.
Distribute diatomaceous earth into cracks and crevices. Diatomaceous earth, a fine powder, penetrates the cricket’s exoskeleton, dehydrating them. Wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling any diatomaceous earth.
Apply the powder along cracks, crevices, and floorboards where crickets are present.
- Reapply diatomaceous earth every 1–2 weeks.
- Avoid applying diatomaceous earth in areas accessible to pets or children to prevent irritation.
Use a spray insecticide to eradicate larger infestations. Choose an insecticide labeled specifically for cricket extermination. Spray the insecticide on window sills, entryways, baseboards, and room corners. Allow the spray to fully dry. As crickets traverse the treated areas in your home, they’ll perish rapidly.
- Follow all instructions on your insecticide packaging for safe and proper application. Standard spray insecticides containing pyrethrin must fully dry before being safe around children and pets.
Eliminating Crickets from Your Outdoor Environment
Maintain your lawn and trim overgrown vegetation. Regularly mow your lawn and keep the grass short to eliminate hiding spots for crickets to construct nests. Eliminate any weeds in your yard and trim bushes or tree branches touching the exterior walls of your home. Keep plants trimmed and lawn mowed to discourage nesting.
- Remove climbing ivy from your home, as crickets can climb it and gain easy access inside.
Clean up debris piles to remove potential nesting spots. Discard woodpiles, grass clippings, trash, or compost stored near your home, as they attract crickets. If you maintain compost or wood stacks, place them approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) away from your home to deter crickets.
- Inspect drains and roof gutters for leaves and plant debris accumulation. Clean gutters regularly to prevent cricket nesting.
- Secure trash cans with lids and elevate them on wooden blocks to deter crickets.
Distribute granular bait around the perimeter of your home. Apply the bait trap when the ground is dry and rain isn't expected. Sprinkle the bait lightly around the exterior of your home, extending it 2 feet (61 cm) from the walls. Crickets consume the bait on the ground, leading to their demise through chemical exposure.
- Typically, 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of granular bait covers 1,000 square feet (93 m2), but double-check package instructions.
- Granular bait traps are also effective against cockroaches.
- Be cautious as granular bait contains chemicals harmful to children and pets.
Create an insecticidal barrier around the foundation of your home. Select a cricket-specific chemical insecticide. Use the spray wand to apply chemicals, extending 1 foot (30 cm) from the wall and 1 foot (30 cm) up the foundation. Ensure to spray into window wells, crawl space vents, and weep holes in bricks.
- Pesticide barriers typically last 2–3 weeks; follow reapplication instructions to maintain effectiveness.
- Insecticidal barriers are less effective on bare concrete; use granular bait traps instead.
- Keep pets and children away from insecticidal barriers until they dry to prevent irritation.
Apply an insecticide across your lawn to combat mole crickets. Mole crickets, characterized by large heads and claw-shaped front legs for soil digging, cause patches of dead grass. Water your lawn heavily, then apply an insecticide with neonicotinoids, organophosphates, or pyrethroids in early summer. Ensure the lawn is watered after treatment to absorb the insecticide.
- Allow the yard to dry completely before allowing pets or children outside, as wet chemicals may cause irritation.
Preventing Cricket Infestations
Maintain cleanliness and organization in your home. Crickets thrive in cluttered areas with debris for nesting. Sweep and vacuum your home weekly to eliminate food scraps and discard cardboard boxes and paper products, which crickets consume or use for nesting.
- Regularly clean countertops with a multi-purpose cleaner and disinfectant to eliminate bacteria from cricket droppings.
- Take time to clean hidden areas where crickets may hide, such as beneath appliances and furniture.
Fill cracks and openings in your home. Apply caulk to seal any cracks, crevices, or gaps along your home's floorboards to prevent cricket intrusion. Use weatherstripping on doors and windows to close gaps when shut. Ensure screens on doors, windows, and vents are intact; repair or replace damaged ones.
Switch off bright exterior lights during the night. High-intensity lights like white, neon, or mercury vapor attract crickets, so turn them off when crickets are active at night. Consider replacing them with yellow lights which are less attractive, or use motion-activated lights. Keep blinds closed to reduce indoor light visible to crickets.
Operate a dehumidifier in humid conditions. Crickets thrive in warm, moist environments, so use a dehumidifier in areas with high humidity, such as basements, laundry rooms, or bathrooms, to reduce moisture levels and deter crickets.
Apply a chili powder repellent to discourage crickets. Mix 2 cups (470 ml) of water with chili powder and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Lightly spritz baseboards, plants, and entry points to repel crickets with capsaicin. Add minced garlic for enhanced repellent effects.
- Reapply the spray every 1–2 weeks for continued protection.
Encourage natural predators in your yard. Lizards, spiders, and birds prey on crickets, so promote their presence by providing habitat and food sources. Install a bird feeder and use native plants to attract birds and other predators. Preserve spiders and lizards in your yard to control cricket populations naturally.
- Limit or avoid outdoor insecticide use to prevent harm to natural predators.
- Household cats are effective indoor cricket hunters.
- For cricket-infested lawns, apply beneficial nematodes to eradicate them.
Spotting Cricket Infestations
Identify light brown or black insects with elongated hind legs. Commonly encountered crickets, such as house and field crickets, measure up to approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length. House crickets sport a pale tan hue, while field crickets typically exhibit dark brown or black coloration. Both varieties feature lengthy antennae and hind legs akin to grasshoppers. Although crickets pose no threat to humans, their excrement may harbor bacteria that can contaminate household surfaces.
- Mole crickets, characterized by their bulky head and claw-shaped front legs, predominantly inhabit yards and rarely invade homes.
Listen for distinctive chirping sounds. During mating rituals, crickets produce loud chirps by rubbing their wings together. If you discern a high-pitched chirping noise indoors or outdoors, which diminishes upon approach, crickets may be present.
Inspect clothing, upholstery, and vegetation for signs of damage. Crickets may nibble on both synthetic and natural fibers, as well as garden plants when hungry, leaving behind telltale signs of their presence. Watch for frayed edges or punctures in fabrics, which may indicate a cricket infestation indoors.
Pointers
The guidance provided here reflects the firsthand insights of Mytour readers like yourself. If you have a valuable tip to contribute to Mytour, please share it with us below.
- It's crucial to inspect for areas of stagnant water when combating cricket infestations. I discovered a slow leak behind my refrigerator, accompanied by numerous eggs.
- Always ensure to clean up crumbs and tidy after meals. Bugs, particularly crickets, are attracted to any food remnants they encounter and will persistently return for more.
Cautions
- Prior to using insecticides, thoroughly review all safety guidelines and adhere strictly to the instructions provided on the packaging to ensure proper application.
