Crickets are a pest that people have many different opinions and ideas about, and some of these traditions are good while others are bad. While some people imagine crickets as a friendly conscience guide or a delicacy covered in chocolate, others just associate crickets with the loud chirping noise they make, especially on warm summer nights.
Regardless of whether you like crickets or not, they generally aren’t a welcome pest around Richmond, Virginia properties. This is because crickets are actually invasive and potentially dangerous pests.
So, to help you keep these problem bugs away from your property, we’ve put together an in-depth guide to prevention and control.
Identifying Crickets
While there are many different crickets in the world, the main variety in the area is house cricket. This species has a light yellowish-brown body and three dark stripes on its head. They are only around ¾ of an inch long and have long antennae.
We generally associate crickets with the loud noises they make as they rub their front wings together. And, while a sporadic chirp here and there can be pleasant, this noise can become extremely annoying and even make it difficult to sleep at times, especially as the population grows.
Crickets, Property Damage, and Disease
While some pests, such as spiders or wasps, are seen as dangerous and scary, most people don’t worry about crickets. However, the truth is that crickets are both destructive and dangerous.
Crickets will chew on all kinds of household items including future, wool, silk, and even food items. While the damage might not be a lot at first, they can end up destroying keepsakes and any food they come into contact with will need to be thrown out which leads to the biggest concern with crickets.
These pests carry diseases, and while the pathogens they spread aren’t fatal, they can cause painful sores. And, they do have the ability to bite which can be a little unsettling even if it is not that common.
Some Cricket Prevention Steps
To help deter crickets, it’s important to note that they are mainly attracted to areas that have excess clutter and also to outdoor lighting. They thrive in humid environments and with ample access to food.
Following these few simple measures can help reduce the risks of having a cricket problem:
- Keep outdoor lighting pointed away from the entrances and walls of your home or business and opt for more yellow-toned lights.
- Remove extra clutter around the inside and outside of your property.
- Lower humidity by fixing leaky plumbing and using dehumidifiers.
- Regularly clean up leaf piles, damaged wood, grass clipping, and other organic debris from your yard.
- Make it more difficult for crickets to get inside by filling up holes in the walls and foundation of your building.
These steps will help you avoid potential problems down the road, but if crickets are already making themselves a nuisance, it may be time to call in the professionals.
The Best in Cricket Control
Finally, the last and most effective way to both prevent and remove crickets from your property is with assistance from Go-Forth Home Services. With over 60 years of experience, we provide reliable residential and commercial pest eradication plans that will keep away crickets and other troublesome pests.
We even make it easy to get started by providing free quotes. All you have to do is send us a message online or give us a call to learn more.