At some point or another, everyone has wasted time searching for that one annoying cricket that has slipped inside of their house. While this may seem like nothing more than a nuisance, can crickets actually be considered pests? On its own, a single cricket is basically harmless, but when a group of them gather, they can become a problem both outside and inside of your home. Read on to learn how crickets can become pests in Bartlesville, OK, and the best practices to follow in order to keep them from getting inside in the first place.
House crickets
While most cricket species are perfectly content to remain outdoors on vertical surfaces such as telephone or electrical poles and exterior walls, house crickets may seek shelter within your home when the temperatures start to drop. Like most pests, house crickets are in search of moist, warm environments when the weather turns. House crickets are particularly fond of fabric, and could begin to eat through your clothing, furniture and carpeting.
Individually, these types of crickets are typically surface feeders, meaning that they will usually only roughen these fabrics enough to pull the fibers loose. However, when large groups gather together, they have the ability to eat through your belongings completely. Your best defense against crickets—and all pests for that matter—is to make sure your home is properly ventilated so humidity levels remain low and moisture does not begin to build up.
Keeping crickets out of your home
Crickets won’t cause any substantial damage to your home itself, and have not proven to be harmful to the health of humans, but the loud, grating chirp of their mating call can quickly become a nuisance. To ensure that your home remains cricket free, make sure to seal up weaknesses in the weather-stripping around doors and windows, as well as any small holes that were created when your plumbing or electrical wiring was installed. During the warmer months, crickets are drawn to piles of garbage, so it can also be helpful to keep the areas outside of your home clean at all times so as not to attract any unwelcome attention. You can also minimize the gathering of crickets in your yard by cutting your grass and removing weeds from your garden on a regular basis.
The best way to make sure that crickets never find their way into your home is to set up a repellent perimeter to deter their entry. Here at Excellence Pest Control we can help you do just that, with our nearly 20 years of experience keeping pests of all kinds on the outside of your home where they belong. While they may not seem like the typical insect invader, crickets can become pests in Bartlesville, OK when large groups of them gather and find their way inside of your house. To prevent a swarm of crickets from becoming your next unwanted houseguests, give us a call to schedule the pest control services your property needs. We look forward to assisting you soon.