Crickets are small insects that make chirping noises to attract females for mating. There are approximately 900 known species of crickets around the world. Prominent species of crickets include ground crickets, field crickets, and house crickets. Usually, crickets are found in temperate climates and are located inside houses, meadows, and gardens. They are considered to be pests inside homes and buildings because of their high-pitched chirping noises. Typically, they feed off organic materials, but will eat almost anything including wood, wallpaper, clothes, food, and wrappers.
Cricket control can be accomplished by cleaning cluttered areas such as garages and basements, sealing thin cracks around the house, and securely storing food. Aerosol insecticides, bait, and traps are effective options for getting rid of crickets inside and outside of the home. Because crickets are most active in the dark, it is beneficial to implement control methods at night.
Aerosol insecticides are effective in getting rid of a few wandering crickets around the house. However, to get rid of a larger number of them, cricket bait and traps are more successful than aerosol insecticides. Baits are useful because crickets will eat almost anything, including toxic baits, which will kill the them immediately. Cricket traps such as glue traps are useful for getting rid of crickets in hard to reach areas where they tend to nest. Placing glue traps behind furniture or in dark, moist areas will make them stick to the glue, prevent them from moving, and eventually will cause them to die. When getting rid of crickets becomes complicated and infestation occurs, contact a pest exterminator to eliminate them completely.
Even though some people consider crickets to be annoying pests, others consider them to be a delicacy. Insect candies like chocolate covered crickets are popular treats for old and young alike in places like Thailand, Australia, and China. However, slowly Americans are beginning to enjoy chocolate covered crickets as an appetizing treat. Typically, chocolate covered crickets can be purchased from a candy store or made at home. These delicious candies provide protein and are said to taste like chocolate covered popcorn. The next time killing crickets seems like an overwhelming task, consider making tasty chocolate covered crickets as an incentive for getting rid of them.