Some cultures believe crickets bring positive vibes. In fact, in Chinese culture and Indigenous tribes, it’s a custom to keep crickets in one’s home for luck.
But these folks probably didn’t have to deal with the incessant chirping of crickets or them jumping out of sight as they walked past, giving them scares. That certainly doesn’t feel like a good luck’s charm.
In fact, once you have crickets in your home, you probably just want to kick them out. We get it. Black, jumping bugs aren’t often welcome guests.
Let’s learn a bit more about these pests and how you can get rid of crickets in your house so you can sleep better and rely on quieter, less annoying good luck charms.
Crickets In Your House In Maryland
The rhythmic, melodic chirp of crickets might be fun to hear outside on summer evenings, but once they enter your home, their noises don’t sound as ambient. In fact, they can become quite a nuisance.
Let’s learn more about these bugs so you can better understand how to deal with them and keep crickets out of your house.
Types of Crickets in Your House in Maryland
In Central and Southern Maryland, you’re likely to see two types of crickets in your house: field crickets and camel crickets.
Field crickets are more than 1 inch long with dark-colored bodies. You can find them in your yard in tall grasses, shrubs, and wood piles. They love to jump when they are startled, probably making you jump too when you spot them.
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Camel crickets are lighter in color – beige, in fact – with humpbacks. Their long legs make them look like a cross between a cricket and a spider. They love dark, damp places like your basement, shed, or crawl space. When they come in larger numbers, their jumping can be surprising. It can feel like walking into a room of popcorn kernels popping.
Crickets can get hungry, snacking on fungus, wood, carpets, cardboard, dust, and plants. And they will multiply in your basement if the conditions are appropriately damp and dark.
The Sound of Crickets
Cricket invasion is not a silent and stealth attack. In fact, their chirping usually gives them away.
Only the male field crickets chirp, and they make this sound by rubbing their wings together. If you’re hearing chirping, you likely have crickets in your house.
What Attracts Crickets In the House
Spring and fall is a busy time for crickets. In autumn, females look for loose, moist soil in which to lay their eggs. The eggs then overwinter and hatch in spring.
As crickets look for warm shelter, they are drawn to your home. They usually enter through a hole in the wall or under doors. In your home, they prefer cool, dark places.
How to Get Rid of Crickets in Your House in Maryland
When you see crickets in your home, don’t panic. While they usually won’t hurt or bite you, and they may not damage your home the way termites can, in large enough numbers they can be a complete nuisance.
So, naturally, you want to learn how to keep crickets out of your house. Try these proven tips to help.
1. Reduce Any Extra Water and Moisture Indoors
Crickets come into your home, seeking refuge and moisture. So keep crickets out of your house by reducing excess moisture.
Do this by running a dehumidifier in your basement and have your pipes and drains checked for leaks. Outdoors, you can eliminate moisture near your home by maintaining your irrigation system and ensuring there are no leaks.
2. Keep Your Yard Clean
If you have yard debris piling up or wood piles close to your home, crickets will hang out there.
Cleaning up your yard is another way to keep crickets out of your house. To prevent pathways inside, prune tree and shrub branches near your home.
Also, store any firewood piles approximately 20 feet from your house.
3. Remember to Seal Cracks and Gaps
Sealing entry points is another way to keep crickets out of your house. If they can’t get in, they won’t be up chirping all night, keeping you awake.
To do this, find openings, cracks, crevices, or gaps around your windows, doors, foundation, or siding. Use silicone or caulk to seal them up. Installing weather proofing around windows and doors can also seal entry points.
4. Squash Clutter
Just like crickets like clutter outside, they also enjoy clutter inside.
To get rid of crickets in your house, clean your home regularly. Vacuum and sweep, properly store and dispose of garbage, and get rid of random piles of old papers and cardboard. Store paper keepsakes in plastic containers with lids that snap shut.
5. Hire a Pest Control Pro
If you think you have crickets in your house, and you’ve done all of the above to keep them out, you might want to consider hiring a pest control professional. They have dealt with them before in Maryland, and they know where to find them and how to stop them.
To get rid of crickets in your house, a pest control technician will conduct an inspection, looking for entry points and sealing anything that is ½ inch in size or less. They will also take note of any gaps that are over ½ inch since those need additional work to seal.
If a pest control pro finds a cricket problem, they will do a general pest control treatment to get rid of them. Then they will come back quarterly for perimeter pest control treatments and inspections to keep them out and ensure they aren’t coming back in.
When you hire a professional, you don’t have to stress about finding more crickets or what to do because you have an experienced team in your corner.
Seeing and Hearing Crickets In Your House? Let Natural Green Help
Crickets may be lucky to some people, but it’s OK to want them out of your Central or Southern Maryland home. No one needs the hassle or constant chirping. We get it.
And you certainly don’t want to feel like your home is experiencing a bug takeover.
If you’re concerned about crickets in your house, we’d love to help you. Hiring a pest control professional can reduce your anxiety and keep your home pest-free. And that sweet silence of no crickets is something anyone would love to have.
We want you to be able to enjoy your home -- without interruption from crickets. Give us a call and we’ll bring our proven pest control experience and create a custom plan for your Central or Southern Maryland residence. Get started today with a free quote.
Image Source: Crickets eating, field cricket, camel cricket
