What Are Crickets and Why They Come Indoors
Crickets are insects that tend to invade homes, especially in late summer and early fall, when they’re seeking warmth, shelter, and moisture. Crickets don’t typically carry diseases that are dangerous to humans, but they can be noisy males chirp at night and can damage fabrics, carpets, and other materials by chewing.
Common signs of a cricket presence include:
- Heard chirping at night — especially in quiet rooms or near dark corners.
- Visible crickets hopping around — especially in basements, garages, and near entry points.
- Damage to fabric, wool, silk, or carpeting — crickets sometimes nibble on these materials.
Crickets are attracted to moisture, clutter, and easy access points around your home. They can enter through tiny gaps in foundations, doors, and window screens if left unsealed.
How to Get Rid of Crickets — Step by Step
1. Remove Attractants Inside and Outside
Crickets are drawn to light, moisture, and clutter. To reduce their appeal:
- Reduce moisture inside by fixing leaks and using dehumidifiers.
- Keep outdoor lights dimmer or switch to yellow lighting white light attracts insects that crickets feed on, which in turn attracts crickets.
- Declutter dark spaces like basements or garages where crickets hide.
Reducing moisture and hiding spots makes your home less inviting to crickets.
2. Seal Entry Points
Crickets often enter through gaps around doors, windows, vents, and cracks in walls or foundations. Walk around your home and:
- Use caulk or weather stripping to close gaps around doors and windows.
- Repair damaged screens.
- Seal cracks in foundations or walls.
Sealing these entry points creates a physical barrier that helps prevent crickets from getting inside.
3. Vacuum and Trap Crickets Inside
Visible crickets can be vacuumed up easily, which removes them and any eggs they may have laid helping reduce future generations.
You can also set sticky traps or glue boards along baseboards, corners, and near entry points where crickets are spotted. These traps help capture crickets moving through your home.
4. Use Natural Repellents
Natural deterrents can help reduce cricket activity:
- Essential oil sprays (peppermint, cedar) — these strong scents can repel crickets when sprayed around entry points.
- Diatomaceous earth — a powder that dehydrates insects on contact when sprinkled in areas where crickets walk.
Natural repellents can support other control methods, especially when combined with sealing and vacuuming.
5. Reduce Outdoor Cricket Habitats
Crickets use grass, weeds, mulch, and vegetation beds near your home as cover. To discourage them:
- Mow the lawn regularly.
- Keep flower beds tidy and vegetation trimmed back from your home’s foundation.
- Move firewood or debris piles at least 20 feet away from your home.
By clearing these outdoor shelters, you reduce the number of crickets that can approach your house.
When Self‑Help Isn’t Enough
Sometimes, even when you follow all of the steps above, crickets continue to show up — especially if there are large populations outdoors or hidden entry points you can’t easily access. Crickets are just one of many pests that can invade homes unexpectedly.
That’s where professional help makes a big difference.
Old Bay Pest Control offers comprehensive services for crickets and other pests, including inspection, targeted treatments, and ongoing prevention plans. Their technicians are trained to:
- Identify cricket entry points and common hiding spots.
- Apply safe, effective treatments that reach where DIY products can’t.
- Provide follow‑up visits and seasonal pest control plans tailored to your needs.
- Help prevent crickets and other pests like ants, mice, roaches, and spiders.
If crickets reappear despite your efforts or you’re dealing with frequent pests overall, professionals can evaluate your home and design a treatment plan that works year‑round.
Prevention Tips That Really Work
Once crickets are gone, you’ll want them to stay gone. Here are key preventative habits:
- Empty trash and food waste regularly — crickets can be attracted to organic scraps.
- Maintain low indoor humidity — dehumidifiers or improved ventilation help.
- Keep doors closed and install door sweeps on exterior doors.
- Use outdoor lighting strategically — switch to less attractive bulbs and motion sensors.
These steps reduce cricket attraction and give your professional treatments more long‑lasting impact.
Do Crickets Cause Damage?
While crickets don’t bite or carry serious human diseases, they can:
- Damage soft fabrics like silk, wool, and cotton by chewing.
- Leave droppings and debris in storage areas.
- Disrupt sleep with nighttime chirping if they get into bedrooms or quiet spaces.
So catching them early and preventing access improves both comfort and peace of mind.
Crickets may seem harmless, but they can quickly become annoying guests in your home especially when they infiltrate dark corners, closets, basements, and garages. The most effective way to get rid of them combines:
- Reducing moisture and hiding spots,
- Sealing entry points,
- Vacuuming and trapping,
- Natural repellents, and
- Professional pest control from Old Bay Pest Control that offers tailored solutions for crickets and other pests.
Whether you’re dealing with occasional cricket sightings or frequent pest invasions, proactive treatment and prevention help keep your home comfortable and cricket‑free all year long.
