How to Get Rid of Crickets in Your House
Getting on your nerves? Here are three methods for getting rid of house crickets: chemical, natural, and expert.
House crickets are usually outdoors during the warmer months. However, they will move indoors in cold weather in search of shelter, food and suitable breeding grounds. Crickets are attracted to warm, moist environments and light, so it's no surprise that they enter homes through all possible entryways, including cracks in doors and cracks in walls. Here are ways to prevent crickets from entering your home and ways to get rid of an infestation if they've already found their way in.
Tips for Preventing Crickets from Coming Inside
Crickets are generally harmless to humans, but—like flies—they are parasites and E. coli and salmonella can carry and transmit disease when they fly from surface to surface. Their chirping sounds can be annoying and annoying, especially at night. Additionally, they can damage household items such as clothing, upholstery and wallpaper and stain their drapery surfaces and attract other pests such as ants and cockroaches. So, even if you enjoy their sounds on summer nights, there are plenty of reasons to keep crickets outside your home.
Because of their size, crickets are easily identified and removed. However, they are nocturnal, making them difficult to track and eradicate. The best way to bargain with a cricket issue is to avoid it from happening in the to begin with put. Here are a few tips to halt the issue some time recently it begins:
- Seal all cracks, crevices and other potential entry points. Inspect your home for cracks in walls, windows, doors and foundations. Seal them using caulk or weatherstripping. Use expanded foam to seal off openings where wires or pipes enter the house. Install mesh screens on windows, doors and vents to keep crickets out.
- Trim the grass and keep the garden well maintained. Crickets usually gain access to your home because they are already hanging around. Congested grass, plants, or clutter around your domestic give perfect places for them to live and breed. Keep grass and plants brief and absent from section focuses.
- Banish the fascination of cricket. Light-colored, warm, damp areas with food supplies draw crickets. Consider switching to yellow, sodium-vapor lights or warm-toned LEDs for patios and balconies, as they are less attractive to bugs than white or fluorescent lights. Furthermore, as crickets are drawn to moist areas, moisture issues in your house, such as dripping faucets or pipes, should be addressed. Install dehumidifiers in crawl areas and basements.
- Clean and tidy your room. Remove clutter around your home, including the garage and shed. Unclean spaces provide hiding places for crickets and other pests. Organize and sanitize storage spaces to get rid of any breeding grounds. Clean up spills and food waste right away.
- Depend on birds and pets. Cats are the best at catching crickets, but dogs are ok too. Both pets are surprisingly good at controlling crickets year-round. They can be a natural source of pest control, and crickets generally do not harm their digestive system. Also, keep bird feeders, baths and houses. Pigeons, doves and finches are natural predators of crickets.
- Install an insecticide barrier: If all else fails, apply store-bought insecticide around the perimeter of the house. Be sure to read the instructions to learn how to apply it safely for human and pet exposure.
Ways to Get Rid of Crickets in the House
You may get rid of crickets in your home using a range of chemical and natural ways if they have already taken over. In the worst case, you may need to hire a professional exterminator. Here are some of the best options for getting rid of crickets inside your home.
Natural Methods
- Diatomaceous earth: Spread food-grade diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your home and where crickets are active. This natural substance repels insects. It dehydrates and kills them. Avoid using it in wet areas, as water renders the dust ineffective.
- DIY Repellent: Crickets don't like the smell or sting of peppers. To make a DIY natural repellant, mix a few drops of cayenne pepper or chili powder with dish soap and water to make a light paste. Place the paste on a strip of wax paper for easy disposal and place it in an area with lots of crickets. Crickets also dislike strong scents, so sprinkle or spray essential oils, such as peppermint, lavender, or citronella, on entry points and around the affected area.
- Sticky traps: Use store-bought sticky paper and sticky traps to immobilize insects until they die. Place sticky traps near cricket-prone areas. To make a homemade trap that draws in and drowns crickets, add a few drops of molasses to a basin of water.
- Use boric acid: This acid kills crickets by damaging their nervous system, so apply strips or balls of boric acid to all cricket-prone areas. Make sure you read the instructions before use and keep it away from children and pets.
- Vacuum Cleaner: Vacuum corners, screens and hiding places. If you're lucky enough to catch a few crickets, wait for them to die in a vacuum bag and throw them in the trash. Vacuuming and steam cleaning are effective ways to remove any eggs.
Chemical Solutions
- Baits: To draw and kill crickets, scatter commercially available cricket bait or granules in locations where the insects are busy.
- Insecticides: Pesticides containing pyrethroids kill crickets instantly. Use insecticide aerosol sprays or dust labels to control areas where crickets hide or nest, such as baseboards, cracks and crevices. Always apply pesticides according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Go Pro
If a cricket infestation has defeated you, it's time to hire a professional pest control service. Experts can quickly assess the situation and recommend efficient and effective tailor-made solutions that are not harmful to you or other members of your family.
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