The Usual Suspects

Crickets vary in size but are usually no larger than 1-1½” in length. They are generally brown or black and square in shape, with large, strong back legs designed for jumping. Crickets usually live and breed outdoors in fields or wooded areas or under boards, stones or piles of lumber, firewood or debris, but they may live and breed indoors in a crawl space, cellar or garage. They sometimes invade buildings searching for food, moisture or shelter. They are also attracted to bright lights, and dozens or even hundreds may be drawn to lighted homes where they can feed on and damage clothing and upholstery. The best way to limit crickets is to eliminate as much potential harborage as possible outside the building.

Tips for control of crickets:

• Store firewood away from the home and off the ground.
• Dispose of or elevate piles of lumber.
• Clean up leaf litter and debris that could provide shelter.
• Remove any heavy ground cover in landscaping within 10 feet of the home.
• Install yellow light bulbs in outdoor fixtures.
• Seal cracks and holes in the outside walls.
• Improve crawl space ventilation to make the subspace less attractive to crickets.