How to Get Rid of Crickets in Your House

📋 Steps

Identify your cricket: house cricket vs camel cricket

House crickets: tan/brown, winged, males chirp loudly at night. Attracted to lights and warmth. Camel crickets (cave crickets): humpbacked, no wings, no chirping, jump erratically. Found in dark, damp spaces. Both are nuisance pests — not dangerous.

Reduce moisture and humidity in affected areas

Both cricket types require moisture. Run a dehumidifier in basements to maintain below 50% RH. Fix all leaks. Improve ventilation in crawl spaces. Reducing moisture is the single most effective long-term cricket control method.

Switch exterior lights to yellow/amber LEDs

House crickets are strongly attracted to white lights. Switching porch lights, garage lights, and security lights to yellow LED bulbs (2700K or lower) dramatically reduces cricket attraction to your home's perimeter.

Apply bifenthrin perimeter treatment

Spray a 3-foot band around the foundation exterior and treat around doors, windows, and garage entrances. Crickets walk across the treated zone when entering. Reapply every 60 days during active season (summer through fall).

Place glue boards for monitoring and reduction

Sticky traps in corners, along basement walls, and behind appliances catch crickets passively. Check weekly. High catch numbers indicate an entry point nearby that needs sealing. Glue boards are especially effective for camel crickets in basements.

💡 Tips

A single male house cricket can produce 90+ decibels of chirping — louder than a vacuum cleaner. The chirping is the male's mating call and occurs only at night when temperatures are above 60°F
Camel crickets jumping toward you is a defensive behavior — they jump at perceived threats because they can't fly or bite. They're completely harmless
Crickets are a sign of a moisture problem. If you eliminate crickets but don't address the moisture, other moisture-dependent pests (silverfish, centipedes, cockroaches) will follow

⚖️ Educational use only. Disclaimer →

💰 Cost to Fix This Problem

Approach	Typical Cost	Best For
DIY materials only	$15–$40	Mild or early-stage infestations
Professional service (one-time)	$150–$300	Active infestations or when DIY has failed
Ongoing service contract	$300–$500/yr	Prevention and long-term management

Approach

Typical Cost

Best For

DIY materials only

$15–$40

Mild or early-stage infestations

Professional service (one-time)

$150–$300

Active infestations or when DIY has failed

Ongoing service contract

$300–$500/yr

Prevention and long-term management

Costs vary by region, property size, and severity. Get at least two quotes before hiring.

✅ How to Know It's Working

Pest control success is measured in weeks, not days. Here's what to look for:

Week 1–2: You may see increased activity as pests are flushed from hiding. This is normal.

Week 2–4: Activity should drop noticeably. Traps or monitors should show declining numbers.

Week 4–6: New activity near zero. Any resurgence means a source was missed or re-introduction occurred.

💡 Monitoring tip: Place sticky traps in corners and along walls before you start treatment. Counting catches weekly gives you objective data on whether the population is declining.

👷 When to Call a Professional

DIY is appropriate for small, contained problems caught early. Call a licensed professional when:

You've tried DIY twice with no lasting improvement

The problem involves a wall void, crawlspace, or area you can't safely access

There's a health risk involved (hantavirus, rabies, anaphylaxis risk)

The infestation covers more than one room or a large outdoor area

You have children, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals in the household

⚠️ Rule of thumb: If you've spent more on DIY materials than a professional visit would cost, it's time to call.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Are crickets harmful?

Crickets are not dangerous to humans — they don't bite or carry diseases. However, house crickets can damage fabric, paper, and wallpaper by feeding on starch and cellulose. Camel crickets can damage stored items in damp basements. The primary complaint is the noise.

Why are crickets in my basement?

Basements provide the moisture, darkness, and cool temperatures that camel crickets prefer. They enter through foundation cracks, window wells, and utility penetrations. Dehumidifying the basement is the most effective control method.

Do crickets bite?

House crickets can technically bite but almost never do — their mandibles are too weak to break human skin. Camel crickets do not bite. Neither species is a health hazard.

How do I stop cricket chirping at night?

Only male house crickets chirp, and only at night. Lower indoor temperature below 60°F to stop chirping temporarily. For permanent silence, eliminate the cricket population using the perimeter treatment and moisture reduction steps above.