Crickets – An Earful of Annoyance

The sound produced by crickets is made by the males rubbing their wings together to attract the females.   The word “cricket’ actually stems from the French common name “cricri.” The chirps can also signify danger or something as simple as stating “I’m here.” The sound and frequency of the chirp has been correlated to the temperature.  If you encounter a snowy field cricket, simply add 40 to the number of chirps produced in a 14-second interval to determine the temperature in Fahrenheit!

This is a fun and interesting fact of nature but an irritating nuisance for homeowners.   A house kept at 75 degrees harboring a snowy field cricket will hear roughly 140 irksome chirps per minute.  If this isn’t problematic enough, crickets may tempt a myriad of other insects into the house.  Scorpions, spiders, lizards, frogs, beetles and rodents all feed on crickets.  If your home has crickets, these other critters might go searching for food inside your home.

Most house crickets are attracted to warmth and are often present in the vicinity of the fireplace, kitchen, furnace, water heater or basement.  Most will conceal themselves within cracks, behind baseboards and may burrow into the mortar of walls.

If you find a cricket in your home, follow these steps in order to rid yourself of the pest:

• Remove heavy ground cover such as weeds and ivy from around the home.
•  Clean and vacuum storage areas in the house.  Proper storage of items and elimination of other harborages inside and out are important steps in cricket control.
• Caulk all doors and possible entrances such as foundation vents, clothes-dryer vents, basement window frames, plumbing, and electrical entrances.
• Control moisture by fixing leaks and possibly adding more vents.  A dehumidifier may be used to make damp basements or cellars less hospitable to insects.
• Keep outside lights off during times when crickets are most active.  If possible move outside lights farther away from your home to draw crickets away.

If crickets in your home are giving you an earful of annoyances, call HomeTeam Pest Defense at 855-855-4873 for professional guaranteed services!  We can take all the guess work out of cricket control and return your home to the quiet sanctuary you deserve.