Crickets are everywhere in Arizona, including Yuma. Homeowners everywhere are likely familiar with that infamous chirping sound in the middle of the night. While crickets aren't considered to be scary like spiders, or disgusting like cockroaches, they can bring harm to your home if left unchecked.
If you spot crickets around your home, it's time to call in the experts at Hitman Pest of Yuma to rid your home of crickets.
Can Crickets Cause Damage To My Home?
Crickets love to eat fabrics like clothes or carpets. They also enjoy plants, so your garden is a target for a crickets next meal too.
Crickets chirping inside your home can be loud enough to cause some sleepless nights.
Crickets can attract other insects as they are a common food source for other creatures we don't want in our homes. Controlling crickets will help reduce the presence of other pests.
Some of the other pests that consider crickets a food source are:
- Small snakes - Yes, some snakes, like the Western Ground snake love to dine on crickets.
- Spiders - crickets are a favorite meal for a spider to find in it's web.
- Scorpions - Scorpions will often hunt for delicious crickets to have for a snack.
How Do You Get Crickets?
Crickets like to live near moist areas and where their food sources live. Crickets will primarily eat plants and other insects. Once they enter the home, they will eat clothing, carpeted areas, and other fabrics (wool, cotton, and silk).
Signs You Have Crickets
As is the case with most insects, you will find them where their optimal living conditions are and their food source. During the warm Arizona summers, you will likely see them crawling around inside your home. They are attracted to lights, so it may make it easier to see them inside and outside.
In colder climates, it may be harder to find them as they seek warmer areas. Crickets can be easily heard, telling if you have them present inside your house and around the exterior. While some may enjoy the sound of crickets chirping, others cannot stand the noise.
Crickets commonly hid in areas where there is a cover from the elements. This can include patios, porches, yard debris, or even walkways.
As you look around the inside of your house, you may see crickets around sinks, drains, faucets, toilets, and tubs. If you have other insects, they may be near their nests and gathering areas. You may also see them inside your home near lighting fixtures or even in the vents or crawl spaces in your ceilings.
How can you prevent crickets?
One of the best strategies to reduce crickets from your home is by reducing moisture areas and, more importantly, around your exterior.
In Arizona, many of us periodically water our landscaping with sprinkler systems. These sprinkler systems increase the amount of moisture around your home’s property. Most would argue that it is near impossible to eliminate watering your landscaping in the desert heat.
Mowing your lawn frequently, eliminating weeds throughout your property, and picking up debris can reduce crickets.
It can be beneficial to look at the openings to your home. Crickets will look for any space to enter into your home. If you find areas, try to seal them or, better yet, have a professional perform this task for you. Residential pest control experts like Hitman Pest of Yuma can help identify the ways crickets are entering your home.
If you keep firewood outside, regularly check for cricket nests. Crickets love the moist protective region of log piles.
You may even want to limit or eliminate exterior lighting or install motion detection lighting. There are even amber-colored lighting you can buy that does not attract crickets.
What Do Crickets Look Like?
Crickets are usually yellow and brown, with three bands on the top of their heads. They contain six legs with wings and approximately 1 inch in length. These legs allow crickets to jump, allowing them to hop around your home and furniture. They are found throughout the entire United States.
Crickets are nocturnal and are very active during the evening hours. They will usually hide during the days. They are commonly known for their loud chirping sounds.
There are three main types of crickets; house cricket, tropical house cricket, and the field cricket.
House cricket – is a lighter color with large spurs on their legs.
Tropical house cricket – is a lighter tannish color with shorter wings.
Field cricket – is dark brown or black with large legs.
Some interesting facts about crickets:
- Crickets are known to eat other crickets.
- Crickets chirping can help you calculate the outside temperature.
- Some crickets have evolved to become silent
- Crickets are also typical food to eat for humans throughout regions in Southeast Asia.