Crickets in Phoenix

You may not think of crickets as pests. After all, they’re forever linked in many of our minds with pleasant summer evenings. But once you’ve seen a giant cricket leaping across your bathroom floor, you’ll understand why treatment can be needed. Although they provide a soundtrack for lazy nights, crickets pose a surprising number of threats to households in Phoenix, AZ.

Read on to find out why cricket control measures may be in order at your home or business, and what you can do to prevent crickets. Western Exterminator can provide treatment if lots of these critters are entering your property. Reach out to us today if your problem has become severe - we will be out to take care of it as soon as possible.

Crickets chirping in Phoenix, AZ

Crickets do play an important role in nature; they supply food to a variety of animals and insects. And did you know you can even gauge the temperature by taking the number of chirps from field crickets in 13 seconds and adding 40? This will tell you the approximate number of degrees in Fahrenheit.

Actually, cricket chirps often come from males that rub their wings against each other to attract the opposite sex. They can also chirp when they feel danger is near. Related to katydids and grasshoppers, crickets do not bite or sting like many bugs, and they do not transmit disease. But, controlling them can still be necessary.

Why you need cricket control

Harmless though it may be, the humble cricket can be a nuisance. Some enjoy its steady chirp, while others find it constant, shrill, and disruptive to a good night’s sleep. Worse still, the little chirpers can do some serious damage to your home. They enjoy munching on fabrics and materials of all kind, even dining on wallpaper glue. So, crickets are not as innocent as you may have thought.

Cricket control is also important because scorpions eat crickets. If many chirpers are present, this could bring on scorpion issues, and we know you want to avoid more pest problems.

Additionally, if you run a commercial property that handles food, such as a restaurant, you would not want crickets to end up in meals or packaging, so it is important to take measures that keep crickets out and get rid of them as soon as possible if they have infested the premises.

Common crickets in the Phoenix area include Indian house crickets, which are around ¾ inch in length and tan or yellow-brown, and field crickets - which are a little longer than one inch and typically dark brown to black. The Indian house cricket can be found in both urban and suburban Arizona.

Irrigation in the yards of local homes provide water for crickets, and the introduced Indian house crickets like the warm weather. Indian house crickets can be present at any time during the year, but summer is when they have the highest activity. They usually hide when it is daytime but emerge during the night to eat.

How to make your property less cricket-friendly

Crickets can definitely be annoying, but you can take actions to make your Phoenix-area premises less attractive to crickets. Cricket aggregations can be found near gaps in your foundation, in stacks of firewood and nestled among piles of rocks. For example, rock mulch offers good shelter for these critters. Keep firewood, vegetation, and other potential nesting or mating spots as far from your structure as possible.

Like other pests, the cricket is drawn inside looking for food, water, and more comfortable temperatures. They also enjoy dining on decaying plants. Get rid of weeds (both dead or live), as crickets can feed on them. Also, turn lights off when it is night.

Additionally, replace or repair damaged or ill-fitting screens, and caulk or otherwise seal gaps, cracks and entryways. Be sure to close the doors during night. Keep your home, especially the kitchen, free of messes that could attract these and other bugs.

Although crickets may not seem dangerous, they present hazards – even if indirectly – to your family and your home or business. Whether you simply find their incessant chirping annoying or you want to keep them from eating household goods and attracting harmful predators, cricket control is important to both your household and the structural integrity of your Phoenix, AZ property’s contents.

When your cricket problem gets to be too much to handle, Western Exterminator will address the issue to decrease the presence of these creatures. Our experts will implement cricket control with friendliness and professionalism, so get in touch right away if you believe you’re dealing with an infestation.