Facts and What You Can Do to Get Rid of Crickets in House

Once you have a problem with crickets, it is an uphill battle to get rid of them. Most crickets prefer to stay outside in the weather but will take a chance on coming in for a good reason.

Spider Cricket (Wikipedia) Do you like hearing that annoying pesky chirping of crickets at night when you are trying to relax or sleep? Crickets tend to have really bad timing when they choose to chirp away, and that is usually when it has become really quiet. There is even a saying about an awkward silence that a cricket chirping is what breaks it. The funny thing about crickets chirping is that it is only around half the population that is making the noise. That is because only male crickets are the ones that make noise. They are letting the females know where they are. Crickets are a nuisance, and that means that most people don't want them hanging around. A cricket may seem benign compared to termites and wasps�unless you're a sensitive sleeper. Long Island is the home of many cricket species. They become very active during the fall season and look for the best opportunity to get into your home looking for food or shelter. Many a muggy night I've lain awake, tossing and turning and cursing, tormented by crickets' chirping. If only I'd known about Rest Easy back then!

Sound of Crickets

The scientific word for that constant, insomnia-inducing noise a cricket makes is "stridulation." The bottoms of their wings are lined with tiny teeth, like a brush. To make the chirping noise, they quickly rub the top of one wing along the teeth of the other wing. It's usually the male crickets doing this, apparently to attract females and ward off other males. Insects are all cold-blooded, which is why they feel no remorse for annoying us. Cold-blooded creatures assume the temperature of their surroundings, and this tends to speed up their internal chemical reactions, which speeds up their general movements. So the hotter it gets, the harder it is to sleep, and the louder and faster crickets chirp outside your bedroom window.

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Spider Crickets, the Critters that You Don't Want in Your House

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Interesting Cricket Facts

In Brazil, cricket chirping is thought to be an omen of coming rain or financial success. In Caraguatatuba, a city in Brazil, a gray cricket is thought to bring money, a black cricket is considered to bring illness, and a green cricket is believed to bring hope. Crickets are fried in oil and eaten in Cambodia and parts of Vietnam. In most other countries, crickets are mainly used as feed for pets like amphibians and reptiles. Here in the United States, the highest a cricket ever climbed was being a character in the 1940 classic, Pinocchio�though why cricket would be a boy's moral guide, we have no idea. Buddy Holly, the man who helped invent rock and roll, chose the name The Crickets for the rest of his band (hopefully not to marginalize them).

Would You Eat Crickets?

The New York Times ran a profile of a woman named Megan Miller who started a cricket company. It's called Bitty Foods. They grind up crickets, mix them with coconut and cassava into a flour, and sell the flour to consumers. Miller and other entrepreneurs believe that the time is ripe for a new trend in food�to eat crickets and insects. It makes a lot of sense�on paper. Insects are very green, having a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional American livestock (crickets only take 6-8 weeks to fully mature). Raising insects is far more sustainable than raising cows. Insects are also very nutritious; they're high in vitamins, minerals, and protein: one cup of Miller's flour has 28 grams of protein.  

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"Raising insects is far more sustainable than raising cows.

Insects are also very nutritious; they're high in vitamins, minerals, and protein."

Rest Easy Pest Control

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  Super green. Nutritious. Novelty. Home run? I wouldn't invest your life savings in an American cricket startup just yet. There's only one drawback, but it's a decisive one: disgust. Most Americans think eating bugs is disgusting. It's one thing if someone thinks the food you make tastes bad. But if the very concept of the food you make induces revulsion in the average consumer, you're in big trouble. That's not to say that Bitty Foods won't find success in niche markets�the article mentions Paleo and gluten-free eaters�but insects are still a long way from crawling into the American mainstream. Eating insects is popular in certain countries in South America, Asia, and Africa. But let's face it: the only reason it's popular in those countries is that they're poor�or were poor when the insect-eating tradition started.

What You Can Do to Prevent a Cricket Infestation

Crickets on trap Being able to prevent crickets from getting into your home in the first place is the best plan. Once you have a problem with crickets, it is an uphill battle to get rid of them. Most crickets prefer to live outdoors in the warm weather but will take a chance on coming in for a good reason. They also tend to congregate in and around garages that are near your home. You can start with removing as much clutter and debris around the edges of your home as possible. This will take away their hiding places, and they will go somewhere else to look for shelter. They are also attracted to cardboard and books.

Contact a Professional Cricket Control Expert

If you already have a problem with crickets, you are going to need to have your home treated by a professional cricket exterminator. Rest Easy Pest Control can come out and assess the level of the infestation and determine the very best method to treat the problem. There are some home methods that you can try but most of them will only draw out the crickets into the open, and you will still need to have them treated and removed. Contact Rest Easy Pest Control for all your pest control needs.

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