Authored by Sandy Rothra in Pest Control 
Published on 10-12-2009

Crickets are more than just loud pests. You know there is a cricket in the house when you hear the chirp, and you will hear it. When they get into the house, they chew natural fabrics including clothes, bedding and furniture. Also they may eat through wall board and wall paper. They do have some natural enemies including scorpions, spiders, and rodents. Since we don’t want these in the house either, we must find other ways to get rid of them.

To get rid of the one cricket driving you crazy in the house, try to find it and capture it, not an easy task. Sometimes you can suck it up with the wand of the vacuum. It is important that you find it. It may only be one cricket. However, they each lay hundreds of eggs. Those eggs will hatch in the spring and you will then have a severe problem.

Get rid of crickets by acquiring another pet. A pet frog or lizard with free roam in your home will be able to keep the cricket population down. Many people would consider that worse than the crickets. However, some cats will also hunt crickets.

Get rid of crickets by baiting them. You can purchase baits but must take care to keep them from pets and children. For a safe alternative, mix some molasses and water in a jar. Crickets are lured to this bait and they drown in it.

Get rid of crickets by spraying insecticides inside the house in areas where you have heard them. Pesticides are poisonous to pets and children so you must use care and read the instructions.

Get rid of crickets by cleaning your house. They like damp dark areas to lay their eggs. Piles of dirty laundry or lint under furniture provide ideal locations for them to settle in.

Get rid of crickets by sealing holes and cracks in screens and around windows and the home foundation.

Get rid of crickets by clearing vegetation from near the foundation. Trash and plant material should be cleared out at least twelve inches from the house. Crickets have been known to chew holes in walls as a way to gain access to your home.

Get rid of crickets by cleaning roof gutters and drains. These areas collect debris and become ideal breeding areas for crickets. They like to hide in warm, damp areas.

Get rid of crickets by cleaning up debris outside your home. Keep garbage cans covered. Dispose of junk in your yard or garage. Clean out trash from your basement.

Get rid of crickets by spraying pesticides around the outside of the foundation. An alternative would be hiring an exterminator. This would prevent crickets from getting into your home.

A few crickets may not seem a major problem, and they disappear in the winter. However their eggs remain to hatch in the spring and the problem will start all over again. The infestation the following year could be serious. It is easier to prevent a cricket infestation than to get rid of them.