Among household pets, crickets are usually not thought of as being harmful or even bothersome. In the summer months, people even take pleasure in the songs of crickets as they enjoy outdoor and backyard activities. There’s something almost soothing about their mating songs. However, when those sounds are inside your house – especially at night – all of a sudden it’s more irritating than soothing.

As a whole, crickets are not as invasive a pest as, say cockroaches or termites. However, when weather changes in the fall, they may be looking for protection and will enter your home through gaps, cracks, and crevices. Ill-fitting doors and windows, or openings in the crawl space can create an open invitation.

While some may think that a cricket is a cricket, there are actually different types. The levels of their presence and the damage they can cause vary with the different species.

Field Cricket

The most common is the black field cricket – the one that gives off the sound we are most familiar with on a summer evening. This variety ranges from half an inch to an inch in length and are black-brown in color. Because they are attracted to light and because they are nocturnal, outside lights can bring them from their tree home to your home.

While they mainly eat other insects, they can also damage fabrics (natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, linen and silk) and furs. Particularly at risk of cricket damage are fabrics that have been soiled by food or perspiration. Fortunately, the field cricket does not reproduce indoors, limiting any infestation to just a few stray crickets.

House Cricket

The house cricket is lighter in color than the field cricket. It is easily identified by the three dark bands on head and pro-thorax (the section bearing the first set of legs). Ranging in size from three-quarters of an inch to one inch in length, this species will breed indoors. This means they can be more of a problem than their cousins the field cricket. Like the field cricket, they can also cause damage to natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, linen and silk.

This is also the same species that is often raised commercially to use for feeding small animals and rodents, and as fishing bait.

Camel Crickets

Camel crickets are not even thought of as a cricket due to their different appearance. They are tan and have a humped back and can grow to be one and a half inches long. Their powerful back legs give the appearance of a grasshopper or katydid. Because they have no wings, they have no song. Although harmless, their strong jump can be quite startling to someone who happens upon them.

Camel crickets love damp places and are often found in crawl spaces, basements and damp garages. For this reason, they have earned the nickname “cave cricket.” Because they will reproduce in these damp places, they can become quite a nuisance to the homeowner.

Dealing with a Cricket Invasion

As with any unwanted pests, homeowners can take common-sense measures to prevent crickets, such as caulking and sealing cracks and crevices around the home. Good sanitation measures can also deter crickets.

Many times, however, in spite of all that has been done, a proven professional is needed to ensure the extermination is done effectively and efficiently. If the lovely song of the cricket has become an irritating sound that keeps you awake at night, call the professionals at Connor’s today!

Tags: Crickets

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 at 9:00 am and is filed under Crickets . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.