Crickets in the house, why do they appear and how to get rid of them?

Summer is rich not only in sun and warmth, but also in a variety of insects. In addition to the eternal struggle with mosquitoes, flies and bees, many have to decide how to get rid of crickets at home or in the garden. Insects rarely enter a room, but once settled in a house, they disturb the sleep and peace of residents by performing their nightly concerts. In addition, one female can lay up to 200 eggs, so if timely measures are not taken, soon there will be an orchestra of crickets in the house.

Crickets in the house cause serious inconvenience in the form of unsanitary conditions and loud trills at night. Ensuring a restful sleep can only be done by destroying or expelling the pest, which home remedies and chemicals can help do

You can deal with pests yourself. Chemicals, traps and folk remedies will come to the rescue. The article contains the most effective methods that will help get rid of insects and prevent their appearance in the house.

Reasons for the appearance of crickets in the house

Causes of small pests:

1. Light in the house . Like all insects, crickets love light, especially at night. That's why they get closer to home.
2. The insect may be attracted by the smell of garbage . Garbage that sits for a long time begins to rot. The smell is so strong that the insect senses it from afar.
3. Increased humidity in the house . In hot weather, the cricket seeks a moist environment.
4. Open doors and windows in the house . With the door and windows open, any type of insect from small to large can appear.

Description and features of the insect

The cricket, which lived in the desert climate of Asia and Africa, quickly spread across all continents.

Appearance

The length of the body of a bug with developed and strong wings does not exceed 2.5 cm. Insects have different colors, some individuals are very light, others have a dark brown tint. Of the three pairs of legs, the hind limbs are designed for jumping. The female cricket lays several hundred eggs, from which wingless larvae emerge. The insect lives up to 4 months and then dies.

How to recognize by sound

Warmth and food attract bugs to human homes. The monotonous trills emitted by crickets at night when they are awake are very annoying, but catching a moving insect is not easy.

How and why they sing

With sounds that prevent people from getting enough sleep, males lure females during the mating season and mark the boundaries of the territory so that the enemy does not lay claim to it. There are folds on the insect's wings that vibrate when they touch, producing a chirping sound.

Methods of disposal

Getting rid of the singing bug is not at all difficult. First you need to find it in the house. This means you need to listen to its chirping. Then approach him slowly and carefully, otherwise he will get scared and you will have to look for him again. Finding it during the day is very difficult, so it is better to do this at night.

Folk method

Instructions:

1. You can lure a cricket out in the most seemingly simple way. To do this you need to take a small container. Mix molasses, lemon balm and add a little water. This will definitely attract the cricket's attention.
2. Lighting sealing wax. The smell repels crickets. Therefore, the insect will quickly leave the house.
3. Do not leave water in the open. There should be no damp places in the house. A cricket will not live long without water. Therefore, he himself will go into his habitat.

Chemicals

All kinds of special sprays. They can be found in any store. The spray will help you quickly and easily direct the stream to the target. Once hit by a bug, it soon dies. The spray can be used to treat areas where small pests may be located.

Traps and bait

1. Special baits. They can be purchased at the store. The bait will help lure him out of the gap.
2. Sticky strips. They are absolutely safe for human health. Sticky strips should be distributed where the cricket may be. He will definitely leave his house and fall into a trap.

Mechanical method

1. A vacuum cleaner is a safe product. If there are children or animals in the house, then this method is perfect.
2. Using smooth movements, cover the bug with the jar. Not many are capable of killing. In this case, it is better to catch him and release him.

How to get rid of it: methods of struggle

The first thing that comes to mind is to catch a cricket. Despite the apparent simplicity of the method (you can clearly hear where the sound is coming from), it is difficult to implement the idea. Insects sense air vibrations well, their hearing is sensitive, and it is difficult to get closer than three or four steps to the “singer.” Owners have to use other, more effective methods.

Crickets destroy small pests, such as moths, but constant night “concerts” and insomnia among residents neutralize the benefits of living close to humans.

Sticky traps

A device with a sticky surface will help you catch the cricket. Place adhesive tape in areas where night singers have been spotted. For greater efficiency, it is advisable to buy several products to catch annoying insects. Adhesive tape is inexpensive and gives noticeable results.

Important! When breeding “singing” insects, traps alone are not enough: toxic aerosols and mechanical removal of ovipositions will be needed.

Folk remedies and recipes

To scare away annoying “singers”, compositions based on medicinal plants are suitable:

• wormwood decoction. For a liter of water you will need 2 tbsp. l. chopped leaves and stems. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, close the lid, remove from heat, and let it brew for two hours. Pour the strained product into a spray bottle and spray the baseboards, floors, walls, window sills, window frames;
• pyrethrum powder. The herbal remedy does not harm people or pets. Owners often use a special variety of chamomile to repel harmful insects. Crickets also cannot tolerate the characteristic odor of the plant. Sprinkle pyrethrum powder over areas where annoying “troublemakers” have been spotted.

Chemicals

Toxic drugs will be needed if the insects have managed to lay eggs. Compositions based on Dichlorvos - varieties Super, Neo, Varan - are suitable for killing crickets. A universal product with or without scent has a detrimental effect on adult insects. Repeated treatment of the premises with insecticides helps to destroy individuals that have hatched from eggs.

Disinsection rules:

• put on a protective suit, plastic transparent glasses, a respirator, protect your hands with gloves;
• the can of Dichlorvos is ready for use;
• close all doors and windows, remove household members from the apartment. Pets and an aquarium with fish are also not needed during the treatment;
• shake the can several times and begin disinfestation;
• Treatment is carried out in areas where crickets have been observed. Be sure to spray the composition on doors, window sills, corners, window frames;
• the optimal distance to the surface is 25–30 cm. Carefully go through all areas, spray the composition into the cracks, behind the baseboards if they lag behind the walls;
• keep the container with the toxic composition at arm's length so that the fumes do not get on your face;
• after disinfestation, leave the premises;
• return after 6 hours, open the windows, pick up dead insects;
• mandatory stage - airing for half an hour;
• All that remains is to collect the egg deposits from the baseboards and in the corners with a vacuum cleaner with a disposable filter, and do wet cleaning;
• re-treatment of the apartment is carried out after 40–70 days. During this period, adult insects emerge from eggs that remain undetected;
• After destroying the crickets, owners should think about how to prevent the reappearance of annoying “singers” in an apartment or house. The “Prevention Measures” section describes available ways to protect your home from insects.

Tools Overview

Effective pest control products:

1. Doctor Klaus . An effective universal insect repellent. The product is produced in the form of a spray. It must be sprayed directly on the pest or on their possible habitats. The price fluctuates around 230 rubles.
2. Dichlorvos universal . A universal remedy for different types of insects. Has no smell. But after use, the room must be ventilated. It is not advisable to be in the room without a mask. Cost from 75 rub.
3. Tornado . Destroys harmful parasites such as crickets, spiders, and Prussians. Produced in the form of a spray in a volume of 100 ml. Cost from 90 rub.
4. Raid. He will cope with any task given. Kills all small insects. Raid is a spray can. Convenient indoor use for hard-to-reach places. After use, ventilate the room. The cost ranges from 120 rubles.
5. Tarax. It can be used indoors and outdoors. The drug helps fight crickets and other insects. Cost from 120 rub.

Criterias of choice

Before you start fighting household pests, you need to decide on the choice of disinfestation method. Here the emphasis is on what type of insect is annoying in the apartment, what its number is and how long it has been parasitizing. The safety level of the insecticide should be determined and whether it has an unpleasant odor.

Human safety

All pesticides are divided into highly toxic, moderate and weak. Before using aerosols or insecticide concentrates, you should read the instructions for use of the product. The procedure for treating the premises takes place when the household members leave the apartment. Boric acid, borax, and plants with a strong odor for repelling are safer and more environmentally friendly. But care must be taken to ensure that children do not try these substances or the bitter herb.

Having an unpleasant odor

Many insect repellents have an unpleasant odor. It will make you dizzy if you stay in the house during treatment. With aerosols, the smell quickly disappears. Gels are available with a pleasant aroma or odorless. The plant smells strongly of wormwood, which is often used to repel cockroaches and fleas.

Ease of use

Carrying out pest control in an apartment yourself requires the use of products that are convenient to apply to surfaces. It is not for nothing that sprays in aerosol packages are chosen. They also give preference to ultrasonic devices, which they plug into the network and that’s it.

Destruction of nests

The female is capable of laying eggs from 50 to 200 pieces, if conditions are ideal, then up to 500 pieces.
Therefore, if you do not find a nest in time, then in a month a huge number of small insects will appear in the house. Where are nests most likely to be located?

1. It's worth checking the basement.
2. Gaps in the house. The gap could be in the floor or even in the furniture. Carefully look through all hard-to-reach places.
3. Skirting boards.

How to get rid of nests:

1. Thoroughly vacuum all corners, cracks, floors, carpets. The vacuum cleaner must be turned on at maximum power.
2. Call a specialist to your home. Qualified specialists can easily find and destroy nests.
3. Pet. If there is a pet in the house, then it will definitely find the nest with its sensitive scent. You should carefully monitor the behavior of your pet.
4. Treat the basement and baseboards with a special spray. After some time, ventilate.

How to remove from the site, garden

It is extremely difficult to get rid of crickets, especially since they will be extremely reluctant to leave their favorite place. Catching these insects is useless and pointless, because numerical superiority will clearly be on their side. At the same time, in the history of plant cultivation, gardeners have not faced such problems, so there is still a way out. All selected methods can be divided into traditional and chemical, and it’s up to you to decide which one to prefer. You may also be interested in information on how to deal with black

How to get rid of crickets using folk methods:

Video on how to get rid of crickets:

The listed methods are simple and safe, but do not provide quick results and maximum efficiency. You can combine them with more modern ones, but you should be aware that the use of toxic chemicals can kill birds, so you should not take such risks with wildlife.

Chemical extermination

There are no special preparations against crickets, but combined action insecticides can be used. Conventional products designed to kill cockroaches, moths and ants can be ineffective and even dangerous. Before use, you must familiarize yourself with the specifics of using a particular product, and also take the necessary measures to protect your respiratory system and skin. It should be noted that the number of chemical treatments should not exceed two times per season, and harvesting can be done no earlier than a month after using insecticides.

What drugs are suitable for killing crickets:

Crickets in the garden mean not only midnight singing, but also serious damage to the crop. A few individuals will not cause serious harm, but the rapid reproduction rate and omnivorous nature of these insects pose a great threat to cultivated plants. If you notice characteristic signs of the appearance of these pests on your site, a review of suitable methods for getting rid of them, proposed in our article, will help you.

One or two crickets that appear in the house are generally considered harmless. But if they decide to set up a nest in your home and begin to actively reproduce, then this scenario does not bode well. Your things will suffer from such proximity: clothes, paper supplies, furniture, and sometimes even walls. But it is quite possible to prevent an invasion and preserve property. And then we will tell you how to get rid of crickets in the house and prevent them from reappearing.

Folk signs associate the appearance of a cricket in the house exclusively with positive events, but nothing good can be expected when meeting an entire army of these insects

Prevention of occurrence

To prevent the cricket from appearing again, it is necessary to take preventive measures.

How to carry out prevention:

1. There should be no cracks in the house.
2. The trash can must be well closed. The smell attracts small pests.
3. Don't turn on bright lights at night.
4. Birds are excellent hunters of crickets. If you make a house for birds, you don’t have to worry that the insect will appear again.
5. The house should always be clean and tidy.

Where does it live?

The house cricket lives in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. The insect is often found in Russia, France and Germany, Belarus and Poland, Romania, Italy, as well as in other European countries. Large populations of this insect are recorded in India and Pakistan, China, Korea, Japan, as well as in southern Australia. Recently, the house cricket has been living on the North American continent, where it was brought from Europe.

The main habitat of house crickets is human dwellings, warm basements, warehouses or industrial premises, as well as heating power lines. In temperate latitudes, with the onset of a warm period lasting from late May to mid-September, the house cricket can live outside buildings. The optimal conditions for the life of these insects are temperatures from +30°C to +35°C. When it gets cold, they find cozy shelters in any heated buildings, because when the ambient temperature drops below +21°C, crickets stop eating, become apathetic, move little, and the growth process of the larvae stops.

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Adviсe

1. To prevent small parasites from appearing in the house , you should get rid of cracks that may be in the floor, in the doorway, under the door, in the windows.
2. Since small bugs appear in spring and summer , it is necessary to carry out prevention more often during this period.
3. Place sticky traps in places where insects appear most often.
4. Lavender and vinegar can help fight off pesky insects. These are natural ingredients and are safe for human health. Suitable as a preventive measure.
5. Do not open a window or window with the light on. Bright light attracts insects.
6. Do not leave the trash can open. It can attract pests.
7. Trim the lawn on the property. Crickets love tall grass.
8. Sawdust and compost should be kept at a great distance from the house.
9. Clean the basement more often.

If you follow all the recommendations, then you can live peacefully and not be afraid that these harmful bugs will visit your house again.

What harm do they do?

Crickets are omnivorous and cause enormous damage to garden plants.
In addition to the remains of human food, worms and small insects, the bugs eat leaves and root stems of plants.

They cause the most damage:

• strawberries;
• potatoes;
• corn;
• legumes;
• tobacco;

• wheat;
• rye;
• beans;
• beets;

• carrots;
• onion;
• tomatoes;
• cabbage

In terms of damage, a cricket invasion can be compared to its closest relative, the locust. These insects can leave a gardener without any hope for a harvest in a very short time.

In Asian and African countries, crickets are bred specially. These insects are eaten (their bodies are rich in calcium and protein). They even make chips from them.

Catching chub on a floatless rig

The first fishing option is that such important elements as a float and a sinker are missing. Therefore, the grasshopper is thrown a short distance due to its low weight. But in this case, the rest of the work of delivering the bait can be done by the current. The fishing line is released from the reel using your hand so that there is always a supply of fishing line, otherwise the bait will not behave naturally. This method is suitable for fishing on small rivers, when it makes no sense to make long casts.

The casts are made just above the possible stopping place of the chub and the bait is released so that it floats independently with the current. The closer the bait passes in relation to the chub, the greater the chance of feeling its bite.

Advantages of this method:

The casts are so soft that they cannot scare the chub.

Disadvantages of this method:

Inability to cast bait over a significant distance.

Reproduction

With the arrival of twilight and until the morning, sexually mature males attract females with their singing. The sounds they make also serve to scare away competitors. Each male occupies his own territory and fiercely defends it from the invasion of rivals.

House crickets perform their arias with the help of a stinging cord (stridulation vein), which is rubbed at the base of the elytra against a serrated surface, causing a vibrating movement. To extract monotonous sound signals at a frequency of about 3800 Hz, it has from 193 to 260 miniature teeth.

After mating, the couple separates. Insects usually mate several times with different partners.

Two days after fertilization, the female lays eggs in soft soil, sawdust, vegetable remains, or any other nutrient substrate available to her. During a season, she is able to lay an average of about 800 of them, with a maximum of 2,600 pieces. The eggs have an elongated curved shape measuring 2.3x0.4 mm and are painted an inconspicuous dark gray color.

Depending on environmental conditions, incubation lasts from 8 to 12 weeks. The cooler the weather, the longer it lasts.

The development of hatched larvae depends on temperature and the abundance of food supply. Before turning into adults, they undergo 9 to 11 molts over a period of 87-126 days. As a rule, in the wild only one generation is born during the year.