How to Get Rid of Crickets in Your House

House crickets typically live outdoors during warm months. However, they will move indoors in cold weather to seek shelter, food, and suitable breeding grounds. Crickets are attracted to warm, moist environments and light, so it is no wonder they enter homes through all possible entry points, including cracks in doors and crevices in walls. Here are ways to prevent crickets from accessing your house and methods for getting rid of an infestation if they have already found their way in.

Tips for Preventing Crickets from Coming Inside

Crickets are usually harmless to humans, but—like flies—they can carry and transfer parasites and diseases such as E. coli and salmonella as they hop from surface to surface. Their chirping sounds can be annoying and disruptive, especially at night. Plus, they can damage household items, such as clothing, upholstery, and wallpaper, and their feces can stain surfaces and attract other pests, such as ants and cockroaches. So, even if you enjoy their sounds on a summer night, there are plenty of reasons to keep crickets out of your house.

Because of their size, crickets are easy to see and remove. However, they are nocturnal, making them hard to track and eliminate. The best way to deal with a cricket problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are some tips to stop the problem before it starts:

• Seal all cracks, crevices, and other possible entry points. Inspect your home for cracks on the walls, windows, doors, and foundations. Seal them using caulk or weatherstripping. Use expanding foam to close openings where wires or pipes enter the house. Install mesh screens on windows, doors, and vents to prevent crickets from entering.
• Keep the grass trimmed and garden well-maintained. Crickets usually gain access to your home because they’re already hanging out in neighboring areas. Overgrown grass, plants, or clutter around your home provide ideal places for them to live and breed. Keep grass and plants short and away from entry points.
• Remove cricket attractants. Crickets are attracted to light, warm, moist places with food sources. Consider switching to yellow, sodium-vapor lights or warm-toned LEDs for patios and porches, as they are less attractive to bugs than white or fluorescent lights. Also, address any moisture issues in your home, such as leaky faucets or pipes, because crickets are attracted to damp environments. Use dehumidifiers in basements and crawl spaces.

• Declutter and tidy up your home. Remove clutter around your home, including garages and sheds. Untidy spaces provide hiding spots for crickets and other pests. Keep storage areas organized and clean to eliminate potential breeding grounds. Clean up food waste and spills immediately.
• Rely on pets and birds. While dogs are decent cricket hunters, cats are experts. Both pets are surprisingly good at controlling crickets all year round. They can be a natural source of pest control, and crickets usually don’t hurt their digestive system. Also, put up bird feeders, baths, and houses. Pigeons, doves, and finches are crickets’ natural predators.
• Set up a pesticide barrier: If nothing else works, apply a store-bought pesticide around the perimeter of the house. Be sure to read the instructions to learn how to apply it in a way that is safe for human and pet exposure.

Ways to Get Rid of Crickets in the House

If crickets have already infiltrated your home, you can employ several natural and chemical methods to send them packing. In the worst case, you may have to hire a professional exterminator. Here are some of the best options to get rid of crickets inside your home.

Natural Methods

• Diatomaceous earth: Spread food-grade diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your home and in areas where crickets are active. This natural substance is abrasive to insects. It dehydrates and kills them. Avoid using it in wet areas, as the water renders the dust ineffective.
• DIY repellents: Crickets don’t like the smell or sting of pepper. To make a DIY natural repellent, mix red chilies or chili powder with a few drops of dish soap and water to create a light paste. Put the paste on strips of wax paper for easy disposal and leave them in areas with lots of crickets. Crickets also dislike strong scents, so sprinkle or spray essential oils, such as peppermint, lavender, or citronella, around entry points and infested areas.
• Sticky traps: Use store-bought sticky paper and glue traps to immobilize the insects until they die. Set the sticky traps near cricket-prone areas. Add a few drops of molasses to a bowl of water for a DIY trap that attracts and drowns crickets.
• Use boric acid: This acid kills crickets by damaging their nervous system, so place strips or balls of boric acid in all cricket-prone areas. Ensure you read the instructions before use, and keep it away from children and pets.
• Vacuum cleaner: Vacuum corners, curtains, and hiding places. If you’re lucky enough to catch a few crickets, wait for them to die in the vacuum bag and dispose of them in the trash. Vacuuming and steam cleaning are effective ways to eliminate any eggs.

Chemical Solutions

• Baits: Place commercially available cricket baits or granules in areas where crickets are active to attract and kill them.
• Insecticides: Pesticides containing pyrethroids kill crickets instantly. Use insecticidal aerosol sprays or dust labeled for cricket control to treat areas where crickets hide or nest, such as baseboards, cracks, and crevices. Always apply the pesticide according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Go Pro

If a cricket infestation has left you defeated, it is time to hire a professional pest control service. Experts can quickly assess the situation and recommend efficient and effective tailor-made solutions that aren’t harmful to you or other members of your household.