The Best Way To Keep Crickets In Oceanside Away From Your Property
Most of us base our perception of crickets on the adorable guy in Pinocchio sporting a bowler hat and a cute little vest. In real life, however, crickets are much less cute and much more annoying and disgusting.
In California, you're likely to encounter either a house or a camel cricket sneaking around your property.
House crickets are 3/4 to 7/8 of an inch in length, with winged yellowish-brown bodies and three bands on their heads. If you are kept awake with incessant chirping, it's most likely the fault of a house cricket that got into your home and decided he wanted to stay.
Camel or "cave " crickets are usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long with a light to dark brown body and a humpbacked appearance thanks to oversized hind legs and long threadlike antennae.
Camel crickets don't chirp and do not have wings like some other cricket species.
Let's take a quick look at what attracts crickets to your home, how to get rid of crickets if they're already inside, and how to find top-notch pest control in Oceanside if DIY approaches fail.
How And Why Crickets Chirp
Incessant chirping is the earliest and often the only sign of a cricket in your Oceanside house besides seeing the little invader itself. Male crickets, in particular, house crickets, produce chirping noises by rubbing their wings together to attract females once they've found an area with suitable shelter and food sources. Unfortunately, crickets are nocturnal, and their loud chirping only seems to happen when you're trying to get some shut-eye.
The Damage And Disruptions Crickets Can Cause In Your Home
Crickets don't bite and do not cause damage to the house itself like some of their insect cousins, but they will go to town chewing on clothing, carpets, and fabrics, often leaving tiny mandible imprints. Their chirping is also a major nuisance, keeping people from getting a decent night's sleep.
What Attracts Crickets Into The House?
Crickets in Oceanside are driven into your house in search of warmth and food, especially as the rainy or cold season starts to creep in.
You'll usually find them around fireplaces, heat sources, or in the kitchen.
Food that crickets are searching for can be just about anything. They're omnivores and will happily feast on plants, vegetables, seeds, other insects, and a variety of fabrics around your home. Camel crickets will even chew through cardboard.
To avoid dealing with a cricket infestation in on your Oceanside property, follow these simple tips to deter them:
- Make sure there are no leaks or other moisture nearby your house.
- Turn off the exterior lights at night or replace them with yellow bulbs; like most other insects, crickets gravitate toward light.
- Seal gaps in the foundation, outside walls, windows, and doors, and cover vents with mesh.
If regardless of your best prevention efforts, you discover crickets in your house serenading their potential mates in the middle of the night, it's time to get an Oceanside cricket control professional on the case!
Total Cricket Control For Oceanside Residents
An experienced pest control technician will evaluate the extent of the cricket infestation on your property and clear the unwanted insect musicians out of your house.
If you can't sleep in your Oceanside home thanks to the constant chirping of love-sick crickets, give Bull's Eye Pest Control a call today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Oceanside.