Crickets are known for their unique singing, and in small numbers, they are harmless. But once they start multiplying inside homes, they can damage expensive clothing, furniture, and even walls. At Accurate Pest Control in San Antonio, Texas, you can discover simple ways to control your property’s cricket population. But let’s first understand what attracts these invaders in homes and how to prevent them from escaping your basement.

Why do crickets come in homes?

Like millipedes and centipedes, crickets are considered only occasional pests in homes and other buildings. They love being outdoors and don’t survive well or breed indoors; this is why there are fewer home infestations. However, crickets will enter buildings, searching for shelter to protect them if the weather gets bad.

Since crickets are attracted to warmth, they are most commonly found in kitchens or near heat sources like the furnace or water heater. Once they come into homes, they can burrow into cracks and behind baseboards but may frequently flee outdoors when they get the chance.

How to get rid of crickets?

One or two crickets in your home will not cause enormous damage, but it can be concerning if they are in large numbers because they tend to chew upon fabric or paper lying around. To prevent crickets from entering your home, place glue boards in the spots of the room where you hear the most chirping. Furthermore, you can leave some cornmeal in the middle of the board as bait. In most cases, you will catch the frustrating cricket within a day or two. Similarly, if you see any crickets outright, you can omit the glue boards and, in their place, trap them using a powerful vacuum pipe.

If the infestation is severe, use sprays and baits to exterminate crickets until you get hold of a licensed pest control company in San Antonio, Texas. When utilizing any synthetic spray and bait traps, ensure to buy only labeled for insects you want to control and the area to be used, then carefully read and follow all label instructions/directions. If you have a pesticide spray handy, we advise you to spray it around the entry points of your house, baseboards, and in your garage and basement locations.

How to keep crickets away from your property?

• Crickets enter homes if there is a gap for them to get in, and they can only thrive if conditions allow them to do so. Therefore, to control future infestations, seal/caulk all potential entry points like cracks in the structures and holes/gaps around doors and windows.

• Cut tall grass, weeds, and mulch, and do not store firewood or other organic material or debris near the home. Crickets and other pests hide between them to use the wood as shelter and slowly make their way into homes.

• Crickets are also attracted to lights in the dark. To control enticing them to your balcony or windowsill, use yellow sodium-vapor lights outdoors instead of white or mercury-vapor lights. 

If you are dealing with any infestations, call Accurate Pest Control in San Antonio, Texas, to schedule your preventative maintenance and eliminate crickets from your property.