Since crickets can live and forage through any pipe, its important that you treat every drain so none of the population is missed.
These crickets normally live outside, but they're also found in moist, cool buildings, like greenhouses or sheds. They often live in drainage pipes or wells, and they can also make their home in air conditioning units.
You can get rid of any bugs that might be living in your drain by mixing a cup of white vinegar with a half cup of baking soda and salt. Pour the mixture down the drain, and let it sit for 24 hours. Once it has sat, pour boiling water down the drain to kill any bugs and clean the drain.
Crickets prefer a warm and sheltered place. If there are cracks or crevices in the walls or roof, these little insects will surely find a way to break in. You can find these pests hiding in the warm areas inside the homes. They live around the trash bins and upholstered furniture.
They could theoretically come into the house from anywhere, it would be impossible to tell you without guessing. They are attracted to water, so that's why you see them gathering in sinks and bathtubs usually. If they are in other areas, there could potentially be a leaking pipe/etc that is making them gather.
Peppermint oil: Peppermint oil is a natural insect repellent that can help to keep crickets away. You can add a few drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle filled with water and spray it around your home.
The good news is, crickets aren't dangerous. They won't bite you and they aren't known to transmit any diseases to humans. Furthermore, if you get camel crickets in your home, you won't even need to worry about their annoying sound.
Address Water Leaks: Crickets are attracted to moisture. Fix any leaky faucets or pipes promptly to eliminate moisture sources. Reducing excess moisture makes your home less attractive to crickets.
How Long Do Crickets Live? Most crickets can live for a year or more. They grow by molting. House crickets get their common name from the fact that they often enter houses where they can survive indefinitely.
The most effective way to get rid of crickets and prevent future infestations is to reduce areas of moisture in and around your home. Mow the lawn, weed plant beds and move woodpiles away from the structure. Provide adequate ventilation in crawl spaces, basements, etc.
Diatomaceous earth is a white powder made from algae skeletons that is an effective insecticide that's also safe to use around children and pets. When crickets, or other insects, come in contact with diatomaceous earth, they become dehydrated and die.
Crickets aim to guide rainwater to drains and downspouts so that it flows off and away from the roof. They also help prevent debris like leaves and sticks from building up.
Those tiny creepy crawlers you see coming out of the drainpipe and gathering around the sink and tub drains are drain flies. Other names are drainage moths, filter flies, and sewage flies. Drain flies look like tiny black bugs with wings and are inclined to crop up around drains in tubs and sinks.
The house cricket (A. domesticus) is a very abundant species in the US where it is found in all areas of the country. Unlike field crickets, house crickets are able to live indefinitely within homes where they lay eggs in cracks and crevices on flooring and walls located within dark, warm and moist areas.
Use a Mixture of White Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Salt
Pour the mixture down the drain, and let it sit for 24 hours. This mixture should do the trick but may be a temporary solution. If the bugs come back, you may have issues with your plumbing that need to be addressed by a professional plumber.
Use Glue Traps
Place sticky glue traps around areas where you've seen camel crickets. The trap on its own will capture crickets, but you can make it even more enticing by placing a piece of dry cat food on it. The crickets will try to eat the food, become trapped on the sticky surface, and die.
If you have crickets in your home, call Clegg's Pest Control at (888) MRCLEGG and schedule your FREE General Pest Control Inspection. We are experts in the identification and extermination of pests, including crickets.
Make a natural cricket repellent. For natural cricket repellent, make a spray of fresh hot chilis and/or hot chili powder mixed with 2 cups of water and a few drops of dish soap. Wearing protective gloves, glasses, and a mask, spray toward (but not directly on) plant leaves and soil.
Crickets leave small, dark, pellet-shaped droppings behind. Finding these droppings in your home can indicate a cricket infestation.
Around homes, they congregate near indoor heaters, kitchens, and fireplaces or in mulch and woodpiles; however, they may be found in other parts of a structure. Infestations occur when the pests come indoors for shelter or when crickets intended as pet food escape into the house.
Make A Molasses Trap
You may be familiar with setting apple cider vinegar traps to catch fruit flies. Similarly, molasses traps—made from a mixture of molasses and water—are highly effective at catching crickets. Simply mix 3 tablespoons of molasses with 2 cups of water and set the mixture out in a mason jar.
Proper storage of items and elimination of other harborages inside and out are important steps in cricket control. Caulk all doors and possible entrances such as foundation vents, clothes-dryer vents, basement window frames, plumbing, and electrical entrances.
If there are outdoor lights near the bathroom or windows, crickets might inadvertently find their way inside and end up in the bathroom or in other rooms. Crickets are small insects and can find their way either on purpose or by accident into homes through small gaps, cracks, or poorly sealed windows and doors.