Cricket Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from crickets by learning techniques for identification and control.
IDENTIFY
Types of Crickets
What do crickets look like?
Most of these pests have large jumping hind legs with long thin antennae that are approximately half the length of the head and abdomen combined.
Treatment
How do I get rid of crickets?
What Orkin Does
Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage crickets and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique cricket treatment program for your situation. Orkin can provide the right solution to keep crickets in their place and out of your home or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Crickets
Appearance
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Size: House crickets measure 16 to 22 mm in length. Field crickets can grow to measure more than 2.5 cm in length. Ground crickets are much smaller than other common crickets.
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Color: House crickets are light yellowish-brown in color and exhibit three dark bands atop their heads. Field crickets are brown or black in color. Ground crickets are brown.
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Wings: Held flat against the body, their wings cover at least half of their abdomen, but some species are wingless. Young appear similar to adults, although their wings are underdeveloped.
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Characteristics: Females feature a long ovipositor in the rear, which is used to lay eggs within the soil, and both sexes have segmented, taillike appendages known as cerci.
Behavior
Crickets renew soil minerals by breaking down plant and animal-based materials. They also provide food for other animals, including:
Diet
These pests are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat:
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Crops
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Plant and animal-based materials
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Seedlings
Habitat
Most crickets prefer damp, moist conditions. Residents may notice these insects in different places including:
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Bathrooms
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Basements
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Crawl spaces
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Under logs and rocks
Life Cycle & Reproduction
Crickets complete a gradual metamorphosis from egg to nymph to adult. When attracting a mate, male crickets create sound by rubbing their forewings against each other. Their songs attract their species.
Cricket Chirp
Crickets have different chirping “songs” for:
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Attracting mates
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Fighting
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Sounding alarms