Crickets become abundant with warm spring and summer weather. They are nocturnal insects and most active on warm summer nights when males attract mates by rubbing their wings together and chirping. What do we do when there are hundreds of these pests at our front doors and in our commercial building lobbies?
The most important step is to make sure that your home is sealed from the constant swarms of these noisy insects. We’ll explain what attracts crickets and how to get rid of them. If you need help identifying where they’re getting in, one of our technicians can help. When you need cricket pest control for your problem, call the pros at Buckaroo. We’ll assess and diagnose your pest problem quicker than you can say “Jiminy Crickets!”
The Value of Crickets
Crickets are useful insects that help balance the ecosystem. They are omnivores that eat a variety of plants, flowers, fruits and other insects. They break down plant material to help enrich our soils.
Crickets are also a food source for pets and in some countries they’re a food source for humans. In Cambodia and Vietnam, crickets are considered a delicacy. In other cultures, they are a sign of good luck.
The Cricket Life Cycle
Why do we see so many crickets when the weather turns warm? A female cricket can lay over 200 eggs at a time. Once she mates, she spends most of her life laying up to 2,000 eggs. Two weeks later, those eggs will hatch into cricket nymphs.
Nymphs, or baby crickets, go through several phases of molting (shedding their skin) before they become adults capable of reproducing. This process can take 2-3 months. Once they become adults, crickets live an additional 2-4 moths. How long crickets live can vary depending on weather and food.
Cricket eggs that are laid in late fall become dormant until the spring and hatch when the weather turns warm. This restarts the entire life cycle and causes seasonal infestations.
What Attracts Crickets?
So, what attracts these crickets to your house? Crickets are primarily attracted to light, food, and shelter. Light is the biggest attraction. Crickets will swarm where there are bright lights such as car lots, parks, homes and commercial buildings.
They love to venture indoors at nighttime when the temperatures drop in the fall. In your home, crickets favor warm, moist environments like the kitchen. They will be attracted to fruits, vegetables and pet food. Sometimes crickets also eat natural fabrics like wool, silk and cotton.
How to Get Rid of Crickets
If you want to eliminate crickets in your home, you must seal the entry points where they are getting in. Crickets can fly and easily travel through windows, vents and gaps along your foundation. Use caulk to seal these gaps and repair and screens with holes.
Inside, keep your home clean, especially where you see crickets collecting. Store food in pest safe containers, including pet food once your pets are done eating. Turn off the lights when you don’t need them. If necessary – spray with the proper chemicals to eliminate the infestation. This is an area where hiring a professional can help.
Pest Control for Crickets in Texas
If you have more questions or would like an inspection by one of our trained techs, give us a call at 972-362-4026. You can also use our handy online schedule form. Our team can identify where crickets are getting in and implement a program to eliminate them. Don’t let chirping crickets drive you crazy another day!
