If you camp, part of the enjoyment of sleeping under the stars, is listening to the sounds of crickets. Although the sounds of the night include chirping crickets, when you are tucked away in your cozy, warm bed indoors, you don't want to be bothered with crickets singing outside your bedroom window.
If crickets are keeping you from enjoying a good night of sleep, it is time to call the Anaheim pest control professionals at A-1 Bonded Termite. We know where to find these elusive insects and how to silence their singing so you can rest at night.
What Is A Cricket?
Crickets (Acheta domesticus) are insects with 0.2 to 2-inch round red, brown, black, or green bodies. They have a thin antennae, three-jointed tarsal (foot) segments, modified hind legs which enable them to jump, and sensory appendages. Crickets have four wings: the first pair is stiff, and the other pair is for flying a short distance.
Crickets prey on spiders, frogs, birds, insects, and reptiles, and they live in swamps, forests, grasslands, mountains, and areas, not in the extreme north or south. Crickets are solitary creatures that spend the daytime hidden in logs, bark, stones, and cracks but come out into the open during the night.
The cricket's life cycle consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. During the nymph stage, it will shed its skin (molt) six to twelve times as it becomes an adult. Upon reaching adulthood, a cricket will live only a few months.
How Do Crickets Make Noise?
Only the male cricket makes noise, and because it is a nocturnal insect, you hear cricket sounds at night. On one of the forewings, there is a row of 50 to 250 teeth, and on the opposite forewing, a scraper. The cricket rubs the scaper wing across the teeth and creates a chirping sound. The more teeth a cricket hits per second determines the frequency ranging from 1,500 cycles per second to almost 10,000 cycles per second.
There is a purpose for crickets chirping. For example, the calling song is to attract females, the mating song induces lovemaking, and the fighting chip repulses other males. Temperature affects how much crickets chirp, with warmer temperatures resulting in more chirping.
Will Crickets Mess Up My Furniture If They Get Inside?
Crickets in the house can be a problem because they damage furniture. The following cricket species are a problem for homeowners:
- House crickets: These brown or black crickets take refuge in homes when the temperature drops. In the house, they chew on clothing and fabric.
- Camel crickets: Although they generally don't infest houses, they will come into homes during dry weather. Camel crickets eat curtains and clothing.
- Field crickets: These are a cricket common to homes and, like other crickets, they will damage furniture in the house.
Aside from the chirping keeping you awake at night, crickets in the home cause damage to clothing and upholstered furniture.
How Can I Get Rid Of The Crickets If I Can't Find Them?
Crickets are attracted to areas of moisture around your Anaheim home. To help get rid of crickets, we suggest the following:
- Mow the yard
- Weed plant beds
- Remove woodpiles away from the house
- Ventilate crawlspaces and basements
- Ensure proper drainage of ditches
- Drain standing water from the property
- Seal windows and doors with screens
- Plug cracks leading into the house
Although these steps will help deter crickets from your property, you need the additional help of the pest control experts at A-1 Bonded Termite. We will find where the crickets hide and remove them using safe and effective treatments. We will stop the crickets from keeping you awake at night so you can enjoy a restful night's sleep.