Cricket Control
Cricket Control in Pasadena: Silence the Chirping Invaders
Are crickets chirping away at your sanity? Crickets are often romanticized in literature for their gentle nighttime songs, but when they invade your home, that charming chirping quickly becomes an unbearable annoyance. These nocturnal pests are attracted to warm, dark, and damp environments, and once they find their way inside, their constant sounds can disturb your peace—especially when you’re trying to sleep.
At Pasadena Pest Control, we understand that while crickets may seem harmless, their presence can lead to sleepless nights, damaged property, and a lot of frustration. Our expert cricket control services are designed to bring back the silence and keep these pests out for good.
Signs
- Droppings
- They look nearly identical to termite droppings, but here are some ways to tell the difference:
- Cricket droppings are black. Termite droppings range in color based on the type of wood they are consuming.
- Cricket droppings are typically spread out whereas termite droppings tend to pile
- Cricket droppings are often found in garages, basements, areas with clutter and moisture
- They look nearly identical to termite droppings, but here are some ways to tell the difference:
- Gnaw Marks
- Crickets sometimes gnaw on paper, cardboard, furniture, plants, clothes and other fabrics (wool, silk, cotton), leather and rugs
The Dangers Crickets Pose in Your Home
Crickets may not be the most dangerous pests, but their presence can still cause significant issues for homeowners:
- Sleepless Nights: Crickets are nocturnal, meaning they start chirping when you’re winding down for the night. Their relentless calls can be maddening, especially when they hide in hard-to-reach areas.
- Damage to Fabrics: Crickets are known to nibble on fabrics like clothing, curtains, and upholstery. Wool, silk, and cotton are especially at risk, leaving you with holes in your favorite items.
- Food Contamination: Though rare, crickets can contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria as they scuttle across countertops or pantries.
- Structural Damage: Certain cricket species, like the cave cricket, will chew on wood and drywall, causing minor but unsightly damage over time.
- Infestations: Once crickets find a way inside, their numbers can quickly grow, especially in warm, dark areas such as basements, garages, and attics.
Cricket Biology and Life Cycle
Understanding the life cycle and habits of crickets is essential to effective control. Here’s what you need to know:
- Egg Stage: Female crickets lay hundreds of eggs in moist soil or crevices, which hatch after a few weeks, depending on the species and climate.
- Nymph Stage: Young crickets, or nymphs, resemble adults but are smaller and wingless. They molt several times, growing in size with each molt.
- Adult Stage: Adult crickets are ½ to 1 inch in length, with long antennae and powerful hind legs designed for jumping. Male crickets create the familiar chirping sound by rubbing their wings together, primarily to attract mates.
- Lifespan: Crickets typically live for about 90 days, but in that time, they can reproduce rapidly and lead to a growing infestation.
Why Your Home Attracts Crickets
Crickets are opportunistic and will seek out environments that suit their needs for food, warmth, and shelter. Here’s why they might be attracted to your home:
- Moisture: Crickets thrive in damp, humid environments, such as basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms.
- Warmth: As the temperatures drop outside, crickets are drawn to the warmth inside your home, especially in fall and winter.
- Bright Lights: Outdoor lighting can attract crickets at night, leading them closer to entry points like doors and windows.
- Cluttered Storage Areas: Crickets love hiding in cardboard boxes, old newspapers, and other cluttered spaces in attics or garages.
- Cracks and Gaps: Even the tiniest cracks in your foundation or around doors and windows can serve as an entry point for crickets.
- Untidy Lawns: Overgrown grass, leaf piles, and woodpiles around your home create ideal outdoor hiding spots for crickets before they move indoors.
- Ground Cover: If you have an established cricket issue, then it is likely that when you move something such as pots, boxes and anything else providing shelter, crickets will be beneath them. Reducing the number of items directly on the ground will make controlling crickets more manageable.
5 Fascinating Facts About Crickets
- Chirping Communication: Only male crickets chirp, and they do so by rubbing their wings together, not their legs.
- Temperature Gauge: You can estimate the temperature outside by counting cricket chirps. The higher the temperature, the faster they chirp!
- Hearing With Their Legs: Crickets have ears located on their front legs, allowing them to pick up vibrations in the environment.
- Jumping Champions: Crickets can jump up to 20 times their body length, which helps them evade predators.
- Fast Reproduction: A single female can lay up to 200 eggs at a time, meaning cricket populations can explode quickly.
Effective Tips to Control Crickets
Here are some quick and simple ways to keep crickets from making your home their own:
- Seal Entry Points: Use caulk or weather stripping to seal cracks around windows, doors, and foundations where crickets can sneak in.
- Reduce Outdoor Lighting: Use yellow-hued “bug lights” or reduce outdoor lighting at night to avoid attracting crickets.
- Eliminate Moisture: Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and downspouts to remove the damp conditions that attract crickets.
- Declutter Storage Areas: Keep attics, garages, and basements tidy and organized to eliminate cricket hiding spots.
- Mow Lawns Regularly: Keep grass trimmed and remove piles of leaves or other organic material that can attract crickets.
- Use Dehumidifiers: In basements or other damp areas, use a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture that crickets love.
- Remove Food Sources: Keep pet food sealed and clean up crumbs to reduce food sources that might attract crickets.
- Outdoor Barriers: Spread diatomaceous earth or insect repellent granules around the perimeter of your home to discourage crickets.
- Set Traps: Sticky traps can help capture crickets indoors, especially in basements and garages.
- Check Window Screens: Ensure that window screens are intact and free from tears or gaps where crickets could enter.
Why Professional Cricket Control is Your Best Bet
While DIY methods can help reduce cricket infestations, complete and long-lasting removal requires professional expertise. Here’s why Pasadena Pest Control is the most reliable choice for cricket control:
- Thorough Inspections: We don’t just look for crickets—we find the cracks, gaps, and moisture issues that invite them in and provide them shelter.
- Targeted Treatments: Our eco-conscious, customized treatments focus on the areas where crickets thrive, eradicating them from your home.
- Preventive Measures: We provide lasting solutions with regular protection and minimizing conducive conditions.
- Expert Knowledge: Our licensed professionals understand the behavior of different cricket species and know how to target them effectively.
- Deep Reach: When crickets are in the walls or somewhere else difficult to get, our technicians will determine the best methods to eliminate these well-hidden nuisances keeping you up at night.
Safety First
“Is it Safe?”
At Pasadena Pest Control, we keep the safety of your family and pets at the forefront of our minds as we plan and work, doing so with minimal disruption to your daily life. We apply chemicals according to the label, which in California is among the strictest and safest in the nation. We take into account your pets and plants, your family and the features specific to your property. At Pasadena Pest Control, we are well-trained on safety procedures, eco-consciousness and educating our customers. And yes, we are licensed, bonded and insured.
When you work with us, you will always know what to expect, how to be prepared, when we are coming, when we’ve started and when we’re done. In short, we provide The Service We’d Want in Your Shoes.
Say Goodbye to Crickets – Call Pasadena Pest Control Today!
Don’t let crickets chirp away at your sanity. At Pasadena Pest Control, we specialize in restoring peace to your home by eliminating these noisy invaders. Call or text us today for a free consultation and let us silence the chirping once and for all!
Home Protection Plan
This pest is considered a “General Pest” and is covered under our General Pest Home Protection Plan. For more information on our Home Protection Plan, see here.
Call Pasadena Pest Control—Because Chasing Roaches at 2 A.M. is So Last Season
Let’s face it, chasing down oriental roaches in your basement at midnight is not how you want to spend your time. Call Pasadena Pest Control, and we’ll handle these pests faster than you can say, “Why does my house smell like old gym socks?” Time to get serious about your roach problem—give us a shout today!
Questions Others are asking
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be happy to provide more information.
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They seek warmth, moisture, and food sources, especially in cooler months.
Keep your home dry, seal entry points, and reduce outdoor lighting that attracts them.
They can damage fabrics, paper, and plants.