Are The Crickets In Nassau County Dangerous?
July 15, 2021 - Crickets
Crickets are commonly perceived as harmless and perhaps even friendly, with their iconic chirping and depiction as a conscience guide in popular culture. But don’t be fooled. Crickets are a nuisance and can live in your Nassau County home rent-free forever if you don’t address an infestation thoroughly. House crickets are the most common species of cricket in the United States, but luckily, they are easily recognizable to homeowners with their antennae, six legs, three band stripes on their head, and the aforementioned chirping, which is actually the male’s mating call.
Sometimes crickets live outside, and sometimes they live inside. When crickets live outside, they can be found in cool, damp areas of the yard under places like leaf piles, stone piles, rotting logs, and debris. But when they move inside, they seek spots like basements, crawl spaces, garages, and utility rooms. They look for any vulnerable openings in your home’s foundation and take the opportunity to make themselves comfortable. Crickets move inside the home when it becomes hot and dry outside, so Nassau County homeowners should be on high alert during the spring and summer months.
Problems That Crickets Cause
Don’t be fooled by a cricket’s friendly demeanor and seemingly peaceful chirping. They will wreak havoc on your house and home and cause irreparable damage to household items if you let them. Here are a few problems that crickets cause:
- House crickets enter the home for warmth and food so they are most commonly found chewing on fabrics like wool, cotton, silk, and synthetics. If left to their own devices, they can destroy them entirely. Of course, homeowners can replace any of these items but that can be costly and will not account for anything if the item is sentimental.
- Their chirping is incessant and distracting because it is a mating call and crickets are often looking to mate and multiply, especially once they’ve made a comfortable habitat in various spots in your home.
- Crickets can cause the spread of E. coli and salmonella both by their bodies and in their fecal matter. Homeowners will want to avoid this spread at all costs, so clean up after anything that looks suspiciously like cricket feces thoroughly and swiftly.
Preventing A Cricket Population
- As previously mentioned, once crickets enter the home, they have little reason to leave as everything they need is readily available to them. In order to prevent a cricket problem on your property, consider the following:
- Keeping your landscape well-groomed by weeding plant beds, mowing the lawn regularly, eliminating standing water, and moving any woodpiles at least 20 feet from the home.
- Inspecting your home’s exterior regularly for vulnerable entry points and sealing any openings thoroughly as you notice them.
- Try applying over-the-counter insecticides to your foundation and lawn area.
Ridding Your Home Of Crickets
- The most effective way to rid your home of crickets is to reduce areas of moisture, which can be difficult, especially in Nassau County, where humidity can run high. Use dehumidified wherever possible and make sure that crawl spaces and attics are well-ventilated.
- Treat baseboards around windows and doors, crawl spaces, basements, and garages with over-the-counter insecticides.
The best way to keep crickets out of your home is with an ongoing relationship with the professionals at EM Pest Control. Call today to discuss your options!