Did you know that crickets are an important part of the food chain? These insects are distantly related to grasshoppers and are prey for several animals such as birds, lizards, and spiders, among others. In fact, even humans enjoy eating crickets. In Southeast Asia, deep-fried crickets are eaten as a snack food.
There are more than 900 species of crickets that have been identified by scientists. The cricket family, known as Gryllidae, is distributed all over the world, spreading from north to lower Alaska and south to the end of South America. Crickets tend to invade houses for food, light, warmth, and shelter usually as autumn approaches and the weather starts to cool. Additionally, crickets are attracted to nighttime light.
Are Crickets Harmful?
Many species of crickets are garden pests who feed on young plants or flowers, not damaging anything drastically. However, they can be truly destructive if their population continues to grow. They are not necessarily dangerous to humans as their mouths are too small to sting and inject venom. But their incessant chirping can be frustrating and annoying to deal with on a regular basis. They can disrupt your sleep at night by creating non-stop noise. Moreover, large cricket infestations may pose other risks by generating a huge amount of excrement that may lead to sanitation issues. Another serious concern is that crickets may attract other predator species to your home as they are a great source of protein and many animals are attracted to crickets, posing various risks to you and your safety.
While house crickets do bite, it is difficult for them to break through the human skin. Nevertheless, this doesn’t make them harmless. They carry dangerous diseases and parasites, such as E.coli and salmonella. You may get painful rashes or sores on your skin if you touch a cricket’s feces. The other symptoms of pest-borne diseases are frequently blamed on the flu.
Protect your home!
Considering these factors – it is imperative to take actions against a cricket infestation. You need to ensure that you block entry points for crickets to avert the infestation. If you are looking for professional cricket exterminators in San Antonio, contact Accurate Pest Control today. We strive to protect you and your family from harmful pests by using warranted pest treatments.