Buzz
Are you frustrated by the incessant chirping of crickets in your basement throughout the night? Perhaps you require a method to capture some crickets to nourish your pet snake or for angling bait. There exist numerous rationales for capturing crickets, and nearly as many methods to accomplish it. If you desire to capture dozens of crickets swiftly, continue reading.
Procedures
Using Newspaper to Trap Crickets
Combine equal portions of granulated sugar and plain breadcrumbs. This mixture serves as cricket bait! For capturing several dozen crickets, a cup of sugar and a cup of breadcrumbs should suffice.
- Avoid using spicy or flavored breadcrumbs. Plain breadcrumbs are optimal for capturing crickets, and additional ingredients may repel them.
- You can prepare a large batch of sugar and breadcrumbs and store any excess in a jar for future use. This enables you to capture more crickets every few days.
Scatter this blend on the ground where you've spotted clusters of crickets. It's preferable to utilize this technique outdoors, as spreading this mixture indoors might attract other pests such as cockroaches and mice. Sprinkle it during dusk, just before the nocturnal crickets emerge.
Overlay the blend with a solitary layer of newspaper. Spread it across the surface where you sprinkled the sugar and breadcrumbs. Utilize only a single layer to ensure the crickets can access it from underneath.
Select a spacious jar with a secure lid to capture the crickets. Opt for a large glass jar or a plastic container with a snug-fitting lid. If you intend to retain the crickets alive after capturing them, puncture holes in the lid.
- There are specialized containers designed for housing live crickets. Explore the offerings at a bait shop or browse online for options.
- You may add some of the sugar and breadcrumb mixture into the jar to sustain the crickets.
Revisit in the morning before the dew evaporates. This is the opportune moment for capturing crickets. They will be satiated and calmly waiting beneath the newspaper layer. If you delay until the sun evaporates the dew, the crickets may have a chance to escape.
Lift the newspaper and usher the crickets into the container. Employ a scoop or a small brush to guide them into the container. Secure the lid firmly once you've captured the crickets.
Using a Soft Drink Bottle to Catch Crickets
Remove the top section of a 2-liter soda bottle. Employ a sharp knife to cut around the bottle's circumference. Ensure to grip the bottle firmly to prevent any slips.
Insert the inverted top into the bottle. The pour spout should point toward the bottle's bottom, with the cap removed. Seal the top edge of the bottle using duct tape.
Sprinkle sugar into the bottle's bottom through the spout.
Continue sprinkling until a fine layer of sugar forms at the bottle's base.
Position the bottle on its side in an area frequented by crickets. This method can be applied indoors or outdoors. Crickets will enter through the spout in search of sugar, but many will struggle to find their way out.
Retrieve your crickets early in the morning. Transfer them to a sealed container for storage.
Using Duct Tape to Catch Crickets
Position a strip of duct tape with the sticky side up where crickets tend to gather. Common locations include the floor along baseboards or windowsills in rooms suspected of cricket presence. This method is most effective indoors to prevent outdoor debris from contaminating the tape.
Check the tape the following day. Crickets will become ensnared in the adhesive as they traverse it, facilitating easy removal and disposal. Alternatively, you may opt for commercial sticky traps or 'motels' designed for trapping roaches.
Using a Cardboard Tube to Catch Crickets
Fill a cardboard tube with a small amount of bait. Opt for tubes from paper towel or toilet paper rolls, selecting longer tubes to maximize catch potential.
Position the tubes in areas suspected of cricket activity. Placing them along baseboards and windowsills is particularly effective.
Retrieve the crickets early the next morning. Transfer them to a ventilated container for storage.
Using a Loaf of Bread to Catch Crickets
Halve a long loaf of bread lengthwise. Ensure the loaf is uncut, as pre-sliced bread will not suffice for this method.
Use a spoon to hollow out both sides. Transfer the removed bread to a bowl.
Combine some of the removed bread with granulated sugar. Mix equal parts bread and sugar.
Fill one of the hollowed-out halves with the mixture. Pack in as much as possible.
Secure the loaf by replacing the top and using rubber bands or toothpicks. Alternatively, wrap the loaf with duct tape or plastic wrap.
Trim off the ends of the bread. This exposes the hollowed-out section, allowing crickets to enter.
Put the bread in areas frequented by crickets. By morning, you'll likely find a loaf teeming with crickets.
Tips
- You can offer fresh fruits to your crickets. If the fruit dries out, simply moisten it or replace it with a fresh slice.
- Common hiding spots for crickets include woodpiles, building foundations, compost piles, inside walls, and anywhere with accessible water.
- Crickets tend to hibernate or perish in cold temperatures.
The insights shared here reflect the experiences of Mytour readers like yourself. If you have a helpful tip to contribute, please share it with us below.
- Place an empty tissue box filled with leaves and rocks outside to shield crickets from rainwater. Over time, crickets may be drawn to your home, making them easier to catch.
- Keep in mind that these methods may attract more than just crickets. For example, the soda bottle method might capture fire ants instead.
Materials You'll Require
- Granulated sugar
- Breadcrumbs
- Newspaper
- 2-liter (0.5 US gal) soda bottle
- Duct tape
- Cardboard tubes
- Unsliced loaf of bread
- Rubber bands or toothpicks
