That chirping you hear at night may provide some peaceful bedtime ambience. At the same time, it can be the sign of a cricket infestation in your house. Homeowners must figure out why crickets are a home pest before they can solve the problem. Keep reading to learn what attracts crickets to a home in Bartlesville, OK and what you can do about it.
Outdoor lighting
Crickets love outdoor lighting with high wattage that emits a strong, white color. Unfortunately, lights situated directly above entrances are why crickets become a home pest. Lights can attract every cricket in the neighborhood to your doorstep, where they’ll find cracks in your door frame. From there, crickets have easy access to your indoor space.
Deter crickets by switching to different light bulbs. Swap the white for a yellow shade because it gives off a wavelength that’s much less visible to crickets. Lowering the wattage will also make your outdoor lights harder for crickets to see from a distance. A great option would be to pick up sodium vapor bulbs from your hardware store in Bartlesville, OK.
Overgrown gardens
A cricket’s diet consists mainly of other insects and plants. That’s why unkempt garden beds are what attract crickets to a home. They love to feast on the weeds plaguing your flower beds and tall grass that somehow escapes the lawnmower. Overgrown plants increase the risk of a cricket infestation because they provide ample food and bring them closer to your house’s foundation.
Once you learn why crickets are a home pest, it’s much easier to prevent an infestation. Thankfully, overgrown plants have a quick fix. Monitor your gardens on a regular basis, removing weeds and cutting the grass whenever necessary. When you remove crickets’ food source, they have no reason to enter your home.
Warm and damp habitats
Crickets are happy to live outside during the summer, but not when it’s chilly. Warm shelter is what attracts crickets to a home, along with accumulated moisture. Since crickets are nocturnal, they hide in dark corners during the day and seek food once the sun goes down. That’s why you always hear chirping at night. But if chirps are coming from inside your house, a cricket infestation has already arrived in your home.
Homeowners in Bartlesville, OK can deter crickets by ventilating their houses. Crickets love spaces that are uninhabited by humans, so check your attic, basement, garage and crawl spaces. These spaces are most susceptible to a hidden infestation. During cold seasons, crickets won’t enter the house if you seal cracks around the windows, doors and foundation.
Despite your best efforts, crickets may still find ways to enter your home. Once these tiny critters make their way indoors, there’s not much you can do to fight off the infestation on your own. This is where the pros come in. The exterminators at Excellence Pest Control provide industry leading solutions to fight crickets and every type of pest. We also use preventative measures to make sure the critters stay out for good. Reach out to schedule a consultation!