Crickets are a nuisance for many people. They can be found in the yard, and even inside your home. More than any other pests, crickets are the most noticeable and can drive you absolutely mad.
Is there a cure to this cricket-induced madness?
Your local pest control technician can get rid of a cricket infestation on your property. Often they will devise a specific plan for your individual case which will also include prevention measures. But, it is an expensive service for a fairly harmless pest. DIY methods may be a better solution.
Now that you know that you can hire a local pest control business to get rid of your chirpy little house invaders, is it the right choice?
I’ve gone through a few details for you to consider before you pick up the phone and hire an efficient but expensive professional.
How will pest technicians get rid of crickets?
Pest control technicians have an advantage over the average homeowner because they know these pest’s habits and behaviors. However, for crickets, the methods they use to exterminate them are the same as you would use when doing it yourself. Perhaps the only difference is that the professionals will usually do a better and more thorough job due to their experience.
As an overview, a pest technician will seek to locate the nesting site of crickets, apply some form of insecticide and then investigate for the best ways to deter crickets from re-entering the home or property.
Firstly, a professional pest controller will try to locate the presence of a cricket nest in your home. This is done by looking for small, dark places that are cluttered with crickets.
The nest can be found on the side of an exterior wall, behind furniture or inside a closet near your living space. In the ‘wild’ crickets like to nest in long grass, and it’s here that they will lay their eggs. It’s important to locate this to stop the explosion of a cricket infestation.
Secondly, they will use insecticide sprays to kill them in these nests and other areas where a technician finds cricket sightings such as nearby a water source. They may also use sticky traps and a non-toxic insecticide power such as boric acid or one containing Deltamethrin (Amazon links), which is one of the only water-proof insecticides on the market.
Thirdly, the technician will give you suggestions to prevent crickets from returning, such as sealing up cracks in walls and cutting your lawn to make it less appealing to these pests.
Lastly, the pest controller will hand you a nice fat invoice for a job well done.
How much will it cost to get rid of crickets professionally?
The national average cricket extermination cost is $250. The price ranges between $175-$325 depending on where you live and could cost as little as $150 or as much as $675 depending on the methods used. DIY extermination is nearer $20-$80, depending on insecticides and the domestic disrepair.
Assuming that the crickets aren’t in a hard-to-reach place, extermination should only take a few minutes and this will obviously be cheaper. On the other hand, if the technician needs to dismantle parts of your home to get at the crickets, the price will increase.
Price can also vary depending on how many insects there are in different areas of the house – this is based on what we call “perimeter rates” or “square foot rates”. For example, if you only need extermination for bedrooms then that will be cheaper because less time has been spent doing other jobs before coming into your bedroom; whereas if they come to the house and find they have to work on a large space, the price will increase.
You need to be clear on what service you need and are paying for before you hire the company. They will normally carry out an inspection and you will be able to discuss the price.
Companies should provide what they are going to do before undertaking any work so that you know what is included in the quote and how much you are paying for it.
The great thing about having a pro do an inspection is that they may uncover other pest infestations on top of this one. This can be a great money saver in the long term. For example, if they discover the presence of a termite infestation earlier than you would have, they may be able to protect your home and the value it by treating for those particular pests.
Best DIY Cricket products
Here are my suggested products for trapping and dealing with a cricket infestation in your home without the professional price tag. You can buy all of these products in your local hardware store, or you can follow the provided links to buy them on Amazon.
Catchmaster Cricket XL
Here is the link to this product on Amazon.
Ortho Home Defense Max Indoor Insect Barrier
Here is the link to this product on Amazon.
Premium – 99% Pure Boric Acid Powder
Here is the link to this product on Amazon.
Delta Dust Multi Use Pest Control Insecticide
Here is the link to this product on Amazon.
Diaotec Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Here is the link to this product on Amazon.
Read more about ultrasonic methods of deterring crickets here.
How long will a cricket live in my house?
Research shows the average lifespan of field crickets is 58 days. The length that crickets live is very dependent on species and diet, but natural death won’t usually occur in less than 30 days. This means that one individual pest could potentially take up residence in a home for nearly two months.
Although the presence of crickets isn’t going to pose as high a threat to you and your home as a cockroach, ant, or bed bug, it’s still unpleasant. These pests will adversely affect your life by destroying your quality of sleep, and perhaps your sanity.
A cricket’s life cycle is about as complicated as the human life cycle. They hatch from eggs, and then they go through a series of molts until they reach adulthood.
When crickets are adults, their behavior will depend on factors like temperature and humidity levels in your home. If it’s cold outside (or if you happen to live in an area where there aren’t any natural predators), these insects can thrive inside for up to 60 days (as verified by Prof. Zajitschek). So, it’s best to actively get rid of them if you are already getting irritated.
Is it bad to have crickets in your house?
Having crickets in the home is not the worst type of pest and doesn’t reflect badly on a home. They carry few diseases humans can contract and do very little damage. They are, however, extremely audible and the disruption they cause to your sleep could in time affect your physical and mental health.
Crickets like human habitation because it is light, warm, and has the vital moisture they need to live. It’s not abundant with food thought as these pests are resigned herbivores.
Crickets have been known to chew on fabrics, leather, and paper. This is a good reason to get rid of them as this will cause a lot of damage over an extended amount of time, especially with a large population of crickets.
The biggest damage that crickets cause is to crops and garden plants. So, finding crickets in your house will certainly mean they are in your yard.
The best way to get rid of crickets is by introducing the insecticide into their habitat. This will take out a lot, but not all, because insects are highly resistant creatures. If you have them in your house and want to keep things natural then try using boric acid powder or diatomaceous earth (DE).
If the infestation becomes too large for either method mentioned before, pest control professionals can come and do it for you. They will charge an hourly wage so make sure that they’ve enough time on their contract with you as well as how much money they’re being paid per hour before hiring one over from another company. The average cost ranges between $150-$325 depending on the size of the job.
The easiest way for a pest control technician to eliminate these pests would be using traps that emit pheromones to lure in male crickets and then killing them with an insecticide which could either be injected directly into the trap or used as bait. They will also use sprays and powders at infrequent intervals throughout your house.
Can you see cricket eggs?
Cricket eggs are a whitish or yellow-brown color and they’re oval in shape. They can be about 1 to 2 mm long, but some species lay larger eggs that measure around 3 mm. Usually, a female will lay around 200 eggs per batch, so swift eradication will quickly stop a large infestation of crickets.
If you see a cricket or hear one, then looking for the eggs is very important as hatchlings could soon overrun your home. They are most likely to nest in warm and moist places, so your kitchen, bathroom, and firewood are prime locations to search.
When you discover eggs, use your vacuum to suck them up and then empty the dust as far away from your home as you can. If you choose to, you can empty this dust into a fire or a bucket of water to kill off the eggs.
Do crickets eat other household pests?
Unfortunately, unlike centipedes, crickets do not feast on other pests in your homes such as the troublesome cockroach, ant, or bed bug. Crickets are actually a pretty harmless insect to have in your home, but as they don’t help you out with other pests by eating them, you probably wouldn’t put up with their racket.
Should you kill crickets?
Getting rid of some insects, especially the ones that do us no harm, is always a personal choice. If you are losing sleep, as you will be with crickets in the home, you could be endangering your own life and others. Mistakes at work or on the road can lead to accidents which all originate from a poor night’s sleep.
The decision to kill crickets is a personal one. If you are bothered by them and feel they may be impacting your quality of life then it’s time for some extermination!
You can go two ways with cricket killing – do-it-yourself or call in the professionals. The DIY route will save money but has many potential pitfalls which could worsen the problem rather than solve it. A professional exterminator will know how best to get rid of these pests without damaging your home or possessions and at a competitive price point that won’t break the bank while providing peace of mind.
