Common Pest: Crickets

Crickets are one of the most common house pests. There are five main species of crickets that invade homes in the area. None of them are terribly devastating to houses, but they can be very annoying and lead to minor damage to homes. They can also invade homes in overwhelming numbers that can give be a real nuisance.

Here are the five most common household crickets with tips on how to prevent and get rid of them.

• Field crickets are black and usually are between ½ and 1 ½ inches in length. They usually come into houses during the fall to avoid the cold temperatures outside. The major damage they do in homes is eating holes in clothing made from natural fibers.
• House crickets are yellowish brown in color with three dark brown bands on their heads. They usually come into homes in the fall to escape the cold just like field crickets do, but they can come in at any time of year. They also like to eat holes in clothing made from natural fibers.
• Ground crickets are small crickets around a half-inch in length with coloration ranging from reddish brown to black. They tend to invade homes in large numbers, especially during the fall. 
• Camel crickets are between ½ and 1 ½ inches in length. They are easy to recognize by their humped backs from which they derive their names. They do not chirp and rarely do any damage in homes.
• Mole crickets rarely invade homes, and when they do, they rarely do any damage. They are very strange looking and their appearance can be frightening, especially to young children. They only come into our homes when their tunnels are flooded during rainstorms.

The best way to prevent cricket infestations in the home is to prevent them from finding friendly habitat around the house. They like cool, dark places, so get rid of firewood piles, rock piles and the like from around the house. If a cricket infestation happens, do not panic. Our quality pest control experts can quickly find the cause of the infestation and get rid of the crickets with a minimum of bother to the household. We can then help homeowners take steps to keep them from coming back.