Pest Control: House Crickets

Despite not posing a risk to humans, crickets can cause discomfort at home.

There are many animals that today can represent a pest since a large number of them can have a negative impact on the environment and health. However, not everything we call pest is necessarily a danger to human beings. House crickets, for example, can be cataloged as pests and pest control can be used to eliminate them. In reality, they are not a risk, just a nuisance.

In general, these small invaders are often found outside of houses and buildings and in some regions of the world, including Florida, they are mainly used as bait for fish and food for some pets. Nevertheless, in cases where these insects have decided to invade your home, their presence can become a problem for all tenants in the area.

What is a house cricket?

A house cricket is a small insect, scientifically known as Acheta Domesticus, that can reach an average length of 25 and 30 millimeters. It has antennas, which stand out for the fact of being able to reach even the total length of the animal's body, and a brown coloring with some dark stripes and yellowish tones. As part of their anatomy, they have wings that cover much of the abdomen and long hind legs that allow them to jump.

These small insects, generally nocturnal, eat organic matter such as fungus, disintegrated matter, eggs, insects, fabrics, and leaves. Inside the house, they eat any food and can sometimes cause severe damage to your clothes, sheets, curtains, and favorite flowers.

House cricket pests seek humid and warm places to breed. That is why in cold seasons of the year they can be found near fireplaces and kitchens inside homes. It is also why in warm periods there can be a significant increase in the population of these insects, which makes cricket sightings in the street more frequent.

Are house crickets harmful?

On one side, believe it or not, these little bugs can bite. However, their bite is quite weak and lacks sufficient strength to damage the skin and cause a wound. On the other side, many say that these small animals can transmit some bacterias and diseases as cockroaches do, but actually, there is no verifiable evidence to support this theory.

In the end, the most significant danger lies in your cotton, silk and wool fabrics, crops and ears. House crickets can be incredibly destructive when it comes to clothing, furniture, and curtains; plants and vegetables can also suffer the same fate. Also, their sound, generated by the friction of their wings, can be very annoying late at night, which is when they are usually most active.

Pest control for house crickets

Although they are not a risk to our health, cricket pest control may be necessary when large numbers of these animals invade your home and even surrounding areas. For pest control, you can use simple, but effective methods that will cleanse your house of this annoying little animals:

• Use cricket bait. It is an efficient and simple way to attract crickets in every room where you are. Just place several tablespoons of molasses in a bowl full of water halfway through and wait for the crickets to fall into the trap. You can also use chemical bait to catch them, but don't forget that it's toxic, so keep children and pets away from the place.
• Use sticky glue traps. This is an inventive non-toxic method that you can place in all the places where crickets tend to be: warm and humid areas of the home, near the slots of doors and windows, and walls. This trap, in addition to catching crickets, also works with other varieties of insects, so it is a useful method to avoid several pests.

• Use insecticides. You can use this chemical method with caution in specific areas where the insect iis present.

• Vacuum frequently to remove eggs. The other methods focus more on the nymph and adult stages, so using the vacuum cleaner also eliminates the first phase of cricket reproduction.

• Use prevention methods. There are several methods, such as sealing cracks and utility lines holes, that can prevent the entry of this pest.

Finally, if it turns difficult to eliminate the pest with home remedies, call the pest control experts. Fumigation and pest elimination companies, such as iTerminate, offer several alternatives to clean your home and help you sleep peacefully. If you want an assessment or to solve any doubt, don't forget to contact them through their social networks where they will answer you quickly.

iTerminate gives you all the information you need about these annoying creatures.

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