Crickets

Name: Bowling Green Pest Control
Address: Bowling Green, KY, US
Telephone: (270) 510-0473
Price range: $
Rating: 5.0

(Acheta domesticus / Gryllus spp.)

Jumping insects that enter homes in fall, chew on fabrics, and keep homeowners awake with loud chirping.

Overview

Crickets are common fall invaders in Bowling Green homes. House crickets and field crickets are attracted to lights and warmth, while camel crickets seek dark, damp areas like basements and crawl spaces. While generally harmless, crickets can damage fabrics, paper, and wallpaper by chewing, and male crickets produce a loud, persistent chirping that can keep residents awake at night. They enter homes through gaps around doors, windows, and foundation cracks, especially as temperatures drop in autumn.

Appearance

House crickets are about 3/4 to 1 inch long, light yellowish-brown with three dark bands on the head. Field crickets are slightly larger, dark brown to black. Camel crickets (also called spider crickets or cave crickets) are wingless, tan to dark brown, with a distinctly humped back and extremely long antennae and legs — they are often mistaken for spiders. All crickets have powerful hind legs adapted for jumping.

Habitat

Outdoors, crickets live in leaf litter, under stones, in woodpiles, and in tall grass. House and field crickets are attracted to light and warmth and commonly enter homes in fall. Camel crickets prefer dark, cool, damp environments and are most common in basements, crawl spaces, utility rooms, and garages. All species are nocturnal.

Diet

Crickets are omnivores that feed on a wide range of organic materials. Outdoors, they eat plants, decaying vegetation, and other insects. Indoors, they can damage fabrics (especially silk, wool, cotton, and synthetics soiled with food), paper, wallpaper, and stored food products. Camel crickets may also feed on fungus and organic matter in damp areas.

Lifecycle

Females lay hundreds of eggs in the soil. Nymphs resemble small adults and develop through 8 to 10 molts. House crickets develop in about 2 to 3 months under warm conditions. Field crickets have one generation per year, with adults appearing in late summer and fall. Camel crickets can take over a year to mature and overwinter as nymphs or adults.

Signs of Infestation

!Loud chirping at night, especially from walls, basements, or hidden areas (not camel crickets — they are silent)
!Seeing jumping insects in basements, garages, or near exterior lights
!Chewing damage on fabrics, paper products, or wallpaper
!Large numbers of crickets congregating around exterior lights at night

Prevention Tips

✓Switch exterior lights to yellow or sodium-vapor bulbs that attract fewer insects
✓Seal gaps under doors with door sweeps and caulk around windows and foundations
✓Reduce moisture in basements and crawl spaces
✓Remove leaf litter, tall grass, and debris from around the foundation
✓Keep garage doors closed at night

Professional Treatment

Perimeter treatments around the foundation and entry points reduce cricket intrusion. Granular baits placed along the foundation and in mulch beds intercept them before they enter. For camel cricket infestations in basements, reducing humidity and applying targeted treatments to harborage areas are effective. Glue traps placed along walls and in corners can monitor and reduce indoor populations.

Did You Know?

•Male crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together — the rate increases with temperature.
•You can estimate the temperature by counting cricket chirps: count chirps in 14 seconds and add 40 for degrees Fahrenheit.
•Camel crickets cannot chirp because they are wingless.
•In many cultures, crickets are considered symbols of good luck.

Quick Facts

Size

1/2 to 1-1/4 inches

Color

Light brown (house), dark brown to black (field), tan to brown (camel)

Legs

6 (with powerful hind legs for jumping)

Shape

Cylindrical body, long antennae, strong hind legs

Also Known As

House cricket, Field cricket, Camel cricket

Danger Level