Natural Cricket Control

Cricket, a little insect about an inch long, of a blackish or brownish color, common in houses and cultivated gardens. By rubbing together its peculiarly formed wing covers, the male can produce the pleasant chirping sound by which these insects are so well known and which has become associated with cheerful fireside scenes. There are a number of different species, which differ in color and form from the common cricket.

Natural Cricket Control

by Michael O'Brien

A cool summer’s evening, a nice breeze and the sound of crickets chirping could make for pleasant experience. The sound of crickets chirping in your house can indicate something else all together. Crickets are not particularly dangerous but in large numbers can be a nuisance and have the potential for doing some damage in your home if they are not controlled.

The average house cricket can be anywhere from three quarters an inch to one inch in length. House crickets are usually light brown in color and are not known to multiply or reproduce indoors. Most of us do not like the idea of bugs invading of homes but we can take heart knowing that the average house cricket does not bite humans or pets and are known to dine on smaller bugs. While a cricket or two in your house will not result in any serious damage, a large infestation can be damaging to fabric items like clothes and furniture. Food products are also at risk of being contaminated if the infestation is not prevented or controlled.

Several other species of cricket may find your house an attractive place to hang out, including the common field cricket and the camel cricket. Camel crickets and field crickets are slightly larger than their house cricket cousins and exhibit similar behaviors.

A number of things can be attractive to the average cricket and there are ways to keep them outdoors and out of your house. The key to controlling them in and around your home is to understand how crickets behave, what they like to eat and the type of environment that they find to their liking. Like many insects, crickets are attracted to damp quiet places like basements, cozy kitchen corners as well as gaps walls and baseboards. Nocturnal in nature, crickets are more active at night. Without actually seeing them evidence of a cricket infestation can be heard. By rubbing their wings together, cricket make a very distinctive chirping sound that can be quite loud.

There are some effective ways to prevent crickets from entering our home in the first place and many of these control methods do not involve the use of potentially dangerous pesticides or other chemicals.

Being small works to the advantage of the average cricket and any open space in the exterior of your home can be an invitation to a cricket. So be sure to sure up any cracks around the exterior of your home including gaps around the foundation or base of the house and around doors and windows. A good quality caulking compound will usually do the trick on smaller gaps and cracks, while larger gaps may require the use a self-expanding foam product. A variety of these products can be found at local hardware or home improvement store, along with advice on how to use them. You also want to make sure that your window screens are good repair.

Since crickets like damp environments, be sure to remove weeds and grasses from around the base of your house. Though they are nocturnal, crickets can be attracted to bright, white light. If possible, replace your white outdoor lights with a yellow-tinted bug light. Trash can also attract crickets, so make sure to keep the perimeter of you house clean.

If the crickets have managed to make their way into your home, other non-chemical methods are available to control them. Sticky types of bug traps can be are effective and keeping your basement or crawlspace dry can be a good deterrent. Keep food stuffs sealed and stored in a cool, dry place.

There are chemicals and insecticides available to control crickets though the non-chemical control methods could prove to be just as effective.