Cricket Pest Control in Baltimore County
A Comprehensive Guide to Crickets
From Baltimore, MD’s Pest Experts
A cricket’s chirp can be pleasant when heard from afar — but when repeatedly incessantly within your own home, the insects’ chirping can quickly become a nuisance. Though harmless, crickets are prolific breeders and can produce hundreds of offspring each year. For many areas across Maryland, this can mean an overwhelming spike in cricket populations, leading to infestations both indoors and outdoors. Here at All Star Pest Management, we offer comprehensive cricket control services to homes and businesses across Columbia, MD, and the surrounding region. Read on to learn more about crickets, and contact our bug extermination team today!
What Are Crickets?
Crickets are small insets typically brown or black in color with long hind legs. Some cricket species can fly, while others are flightless. Likewise, many cricket species produce a chirping noise through a process called stridulation (used by male crickets to attract mates), while other species are silent. Most crickets are nocturnal and herbivorous, though some species can be omnivorous when food-deprived. The two most common types of crickets found in Maryland are field crickets and house crickets, both of which are relatively small and light brown in color.
Cricket Infestation Signs and Prevention Tips
Both field crickets and house crickets can lay hundreds of eggs each, producing a massive amount of offspring once hatching begins. To prevent crickets from entering your home, it’s important to turn off outdoor light as early as possible each night. Lights at night attract nocturnal crickets, making them more likely to lay their eggs nearby.
It is also important to make sure gaps, holes, and cracks in your building are properly sealed to prevent crickets from entering from the outside. Several chemical treatments can also be used to keep crickets away from your property.
Comprehensive Cricket Control at All Star Pest Management
In the late summer months, cricket populations can skyrocket to incredibly large numbers across Maryland. If your property is overrun by crickets during this time, it is highly advisable to call a bug extermination team like our professionals at All Star Pest Management. We offer a host of effective and environmentally friendly cricket control treatments to help take care of large cricket populations without harming other life of your property. Contact our bug extermination team today!
FAQs
How Can I Identify Crickets?
While there are roughly 100 different species of crickets in the United States, the two most common types of crickets found in Baltimore County, Maryland, are field crickets and house crickets. Field crickets are dark brown and measure about an inch long. House crickets, on the other hand, are smaller, about three-quarters of an inch long, and are typically tan or yellowish-brown with three distinctive dark bands on their heads. Both species have large back legs that they use for jumping. Crickets are sometimes confused with cockroaches.
Why Are There Crickets in My Home?
Crickets typically enter homes in search of moisture, food, and warmth, especially as Maryland’s summer gives way to colder fall temperatures. As nocturnal insects, entryway lighting attracts them to easy access points, such as doors and windows. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to find crickets in the basement, garage, entryways, or near light sources inside their homes. You may notice crickets on the exterior of your home near windows and doors.
How Can I Keep Crickets Away From My Home?
Prevention is critical when it comes to any type of pest control. We recommend reducing external lighting, especially around home entryways. However, if you need lights for safety, try using a soft yellow bulb, which is less likely to attract crickets. You can also use caulking to seal openings around your windows and doors to prevent them from sneaking into your home.
Do Crickets Carry Diseases?
Crickets pose a very minimal threat to your family, including pets. However, they can carry diseases that contaminate the food they come into contact with. Some of the most common types of diseases crickets are known to carry include E. coli and Salmonella. If you find crickets in your food, it should be disposed of immediately.
How Long Do Crickets Live?
A cricket’s typical life span lasts six to three weeks, depending on several environmental factors.
Why Do Crickets Chirp?
A cricket’s chirp is one of its most unique characteristics. Male crickets produce the noise by rubbing their wings together. There are two primary purposes for chirping. Firstly, it’s a means to attract a mate. Secondly, it serves as a territorial signal to other males and alerts potential predators of their presence. They mostly chirp at night, and the rate at which they chirp indicates the temperature. They will chirp much more rapidly when it’s warmer out than during colder evenings.
Do Crickets Bite or Sting?
Luckily, crickets are not capable of biting or stinging. Many people confuse their long antennas for a stinger. However, crickets do not have one. Their mandibles are not strong enough to break human skin, so bites are extremely rare and not something you should worry about. Knowing that crickets pose no physical threat can be reassuring to many homeowners. However, just because they don’t pose any harm doesn’t mean they can’t be annoying.
What Damage Can Crickets Cause to My Home?
It’s essential to know crickets are not intentionally causing damage to your home. Their behavior is primarily predicated on finding food and shelter. However, they are known for chewing on fabric, paper, and even wood, which can cause damage to your home and clothing. An indoor infestation can also lead to unpleasant odors. Decomposing crickets can attract other pests, especially mice, creating a cycle of pest problems if not addressed quickly.