House crickets spend the warm months of the year outside. In colder months, though, they will relocate indoors in search of food, cover, and appropriate nesting habitats. Given their attraction to light and warm, wet conditions, it is not surprising that crickets penetrate homes through any openings, including wall cracks and door cracks. Here are some strategies for keeping crickets out of your home and how to eradicate an infestation if they do manage to sneak inside.
Read also: How To Clean a Mop Head
Advice on How to Keep Crickets Out of Your Home
Although they are generally safe for humans to handle, like flies, crickets can carry and spread illnesses and parasites like salmonella and E. Coli as they hop from surface to surface. Particularly at night, their chirping sounds can be bothersome.
In addition, their excrement can discolor surfaces and draw in other pests like cockroaches and ants. They can also harm home things like clothes, furniture, and wallpaper. Therefore, there are several reasons to keep crickets out of your home, even if you like the sounds they make on a warm night.
Seal all cracks, crevices, and other possible entry points
Look for cracks in the foundation, windows, doors, and walls of your house. Weatherstripping or caulk can be used to seal them. Seal gaps where pipes or wires enter the house with expanding foam. To keep crickets out of your home, cover your vents, doors, and windows with mesh screens.
Maintain a well-kept garden and keep the grass cut
Crickets typically enter your property through existing encampments in nearby locations. Your home’s overgrown vegetation, plants, or clutter give them the perfect areas to dwell and procreate. Maintain short grass and plants away from points of access.
Take out everything that attracts crickets
Light-colored, warm, damp areas with food supplies draw crickets. For patios and porches, replace your white or fluorescent lights with warm-toned LEDs or yellow sodium-vapor lights, which are less enticing to insects. You should also take care of any moisture problems in your house, including dripping pipes or faucets, as crickets prefer moist areas. Install dehumidifiers in crawl areas and basements.
Clean up and declutter your house
Clear out all the stuff from your house, including the sheds and garages. Untidy areas give bugs like crickets a place to hide. Organize and sanitize storage spaces to get rid of any breeding grounds. Clean up spills and food waste right away.
Depends on birds and pets. Dogs make good cricket hunters, but
cats are experts
Surprisingly, both pets are year-round adept at controlling bugs. In addition to being a natural pest deterrent, crickets often don’t harm humans’ digestive systems. Install dwellings, bathrooms, and bird feeders as well. Naturally occurring predators of crickets are pigeons, doves, and finches.
How To Get Rid Of Cricket In The House
Natural Methods
Diatomaceous earth:
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth to your home’s exterior and any areas where crickets are present. Insects find this natural material abrasive. It kills them and dehydrates them. Steer clear of applying it in damp locations as the water ruins the dust.
Homemade repellents:
Pepper stings and smells bad to crickets. Create a light paste by combining a few drops of dish soap, water, and red chili powder to form a homemade natural repellant. Place the paste on wax paper strips for convenient disposal, then place them in high-cricket locations. Since crickets don’t like strong smells, scatter or mist essential oils like citronella, lavender, or peppermint near entryways and infestation sites.
Sticky traps:
Sticky paper and glue traps from the store can be used to immobilize insects until they die. Place sticky traps next to areas where crickets are common. 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
Place strips or balls of boric acid in any area where crickets are a problem since this acid kills them by attacking their nervous system. Before using it, make sure you read the directions and store it away from kids and animals.
Vacuum cleaner
Clutch hiding spots, drapes, and corners. Should you be fortunate enough to capture a few crickets, allow them to expire within the vacuum bag before discarding them in the garbage. Steam cleaning and vacuuming are efficient methods to remove any
Chemical Remedies
Baits:
To draw and kill crickets, place commercially available cricket baits or grains in locations where the insects are active.
Insecticides: Pyrethroid-containing pesticides rapidly kill crickets. Treat locations like baseboards, fissures, and crevices where crickets hide or make their nests with insecticidal aerosol sprays or dust designated for controlling crickets. Always apply pesticides according to the directions provided by the manufacturer.
Go Pro
It’s time to contact a reputable pest control company if a cricket infestation has defeated you. Professionals can evaluate the situation fast and offer specialized, cost-effective remedies that won’t endanger you or your family members.
Read also: Things You Should Never Clean With Vinegar