Do you know that camel crickets are incapable of chirping? This means no loud chirping at 2 in the morning, yay! Don’t worry though, what camel crickets lack in annoying high-pitched sounds they well make up for with the other problems they cause around homes. If you don’t know much about these invasive pests, but you know you don’t want them hopping around inside your Houston home, here are five helpful tips you should be using to keep them out.
Tip One: Know Your Enemy
Before you can do anything to prevent camel crickets in your home, you first must understand a bit about them and why they invade. To start, camel crickets are wingless and use their powerful legs to hop around. These pests are larger than other area crickets and can grow to be upwards of 1 1’2” in length. Also referred to as cave crickets, spider crickets, or sprickets, camel crickets are best identified by their light to dark brown coloration, hunched backs, and dark mottled bands than run across their bodies.
Camel crickets are mostly outdoor pests but will enter into homes during times of cold, hot, or overly wet weather. Outside these pests will hide under stones, mulch, railroad ties, debris, and woodpiles. Around homes, you might find camel crickets inside wells, drainage pipes, or beneath airconditioner units or sheds. If camel crickets invade, they will gravitate towards moist areas indoors such as utility rooms, crawl spaces, attics, basements, and garages.
Tip Two: Address Moisture Issues
The more humid and moist your home and property are, the more likely camel crickets will be to invade. To reduce your chances of a camel cricket infestation, address these issues inside your home and around your property.
- Look for and eliminate sources of standing water.
- Inspect your gutters and make sure they are clear and properly channeling water away from your home’s exterior.
- Make sure all of your outdoor water spouts are working properly and are free of leaks.
- Check your home’s pipes and make sure they are crack-free, properly connected, and not dripping water.
- Tighten loose fittings on fixtures such as faucets, showerheads, and toilets.
- Use a dehumidifier indoors where it is particularly humid.
Tip Three: Eliminate Harborage
The fewer opportunities camel crickets have to find shelter on your property, the better. To eliminate harborage and deter these pests from settling in nearby, start by removing clutter and debris. This includes toys, leaf piles, stacks of wood/lumber, and trimmed foliage. In addition to this, avoid using mulch or decorative stones near your home’s exterior.
Tip Four: Seal Your Home
To get inside, camel crickets need a gap, crack, or opening. To make sure these pests cannot get into your home this fall, use these simple exclusion tips.
- Use a caulking gun to fill in holes, cracks, and openings in your home’s exterior.
- Make sure all of your weatherstripping is in good working order.
- Repair or replace window/door screens that are damaged or fit improperly.
- Install door sweeps under all exterior doors if you haven’t already.
- Keep unscreened doors and windows closed as much as possible.
Tip Five: Invest In Quality Cricket Control
If you would like to forgo tips one through four, this tip is perfect for you. By investing in professional pest control services, preventing crickets becomes a breeze. For the best and most reliable pest control service around, trust Romney Pest Control. Our team is standing by and ready to put in place advanced solutions around your home designed to keep camel crickets and many other pests from coming inside.
Call our team today to discuss our services or to schedule an appointment for your Houston home.
