Crickets may bring to mind the familiar sounds of a warm summer evening, but hearing them outside is very different from finding them throughout your yard—or inside your home.
Crickets are related to grasshoppers and katydids, and while they play a role in the natural environment, they can become a nuisance when populations build around Phoenix-area homes. They may create plenty of noise, find their way indoors, and even attract predators you definitely don't want hanging around your property.
So, when do a few crickets become a pest control problem? Here’s what to know. And remember: it’s cricket season right now in Phoenix!
Why Are There So Many Crickets Around My House?
Crickets look for many of the same things other pests do: food, water, and shelter. Phoenix properties can provide all three.
You may find them around:
- Irrigated lawns and landscaping
- Sprinkler systems and other sources of moisture
- Mulch and vegetation
- Rock or debris piles
- Wood stored near the house
- Cracks and gaps around the foundation
Crickets generally hide during the day and become more active after dark, which is why you may suddenly notice much more activity at night.
That Chirping Isn't Just Background Noise
Most of the familiar chirping comes from male crickets rubbing their wings together, often as part of attracting a mate.
One cricket outside may simply sound like summer. Several crickets around or inside your home can be another matter entirely. Persistent chirping can become particularly frustrating at night when you're trying to sleep—and finding the cricket responsible isn't always easy.
Crickets May Attract a Bigger Problem
Crickets are a food source for a variety of predators, including scorpions. A property that provides plenty of food, water, and hiding places for crickets may also become more attractive to the pests that feed on them.
That doesn't mean spotting a cricket guarantees you'll have scorpions. However, reducing cricket populations can be one part of making your property less hospitable to other unwanted pests.
What Happens When Crickets Get Inside?
Crickets aren't generally known for biting or stinging people, but that doesn't make them welcome houseguests.
Once indoors, some crickets may feed on or damage materials such as:
- Fabrics and clothing
- Paper products
- Certain glues
- Stored foods
- Other organic materials
For businesses that handle or serve food, the presence of crickets can also create sanitation and pest-management concerns.
How Are Crickets Getting Into the House?
A cricket doesn't need an open front door to get inside. Small openings around a home can provide plenty of opportunities.
Check for:
- Torn window or door screens
- Gaps beneath exterior doors
- Cracks around the foundation
- Openings around pipes and utility lines
- Gaps around windows and exterior walls
Reducing these entry points can make it more difficult for crickets—and plenty of other pests—to move indoors.
Make Your Yard Less Inviting to Crickets
Cricket control can start outside. A few changes around the property may reduce the conditions that encourage them to stick around.
Try to:
- Keep vegetation trimmed away from the house
- Avoid stacking firewood against exterior walls
- Remove unnecessary yard debris
- Repair damaged screens and seal accessible gaps
- Avoid excessive moisture around the foundation
- Keep outdoor eating areas clean
- Consider exterior lighting that is less attractive to insects
Inside, keep food properly stored and clean up crumbs and spills that could provide another food source.
When Is It Time for Professional Cricket Control?
Seeing an occasional cricket outside isn't necessarily cause for concern. Repeated indoor sightings, persistent nighttime chirping, or large numbers of crickets around the property may indicate it's time for a closer look.
Professional cricket control in Phoenix can help identify where crickets are gathering, how they may be entering the home, and what can be done to reduce the problem.
Got Crickets? Frontino Pest Control Can Help
If crickets are taking over your Phoenix-area home or yard, Frontino Pest Control can help. Our pest control professionals can assess the activity and recommend an appropriate approach for your property.
Contact Frontino Pest Control at 602-338-9223 to schedule a pest inspection and request a quote.
