People don’t often consider crickets to be dangerous. Indeed, their chirping sound is often used as a short-hand for boredom or sleepiness. But the truth is that a cricket infestation is anything but boring and they can pose larger health risks and damage if they invade your property. Learning how you can prevent infestations and take action against crickets before the problem grows out of control is important for all Phoenix property owners.
House Crickets & How They Enter Homes
There are several different species of crickets that are native to Arizona, including tropical crickets, field crickets, and house crickets. We’re going to focus primarily on the latter variety, which is a term we use to describe crickets that frequently invade homes or other human structures. You should know, however, that all crickets can potentially get indoors, especially if they are attracted by the following factors:
- Food: Crickets eat a fibrous protein called keratin, which is found in animal products like wool, leather, and silk. As such, plenty of common household materials, from clothing to furniture, can be considered food to a cricket.
- Moisture: Crickets also like moist areas, so they are often attracted to the parts of the home where water naturally pools or hangs in the air. These include laundry rooms, basements, and bathrooms.
- Shelter: Crickets are attracted to clutter or yard debris, which they can use as makeshift nesting grounds.
The Problems Crickets Bring
Crickets aren’t just opportunistic scavengers, they are also incredibly annoying and potentially hazardous to your health and property. Here are some of the biggest issues crickets can bring to your property:
- Noise: Some people think that crickets make a pleasant sound, but try and sleep with a chorus of chirps right outside your window and you’ll quickly realize just how loud and obnoxious this trait can be.
- Damage: Crickets will chew through any keratin-rich materials they can eat. This leads to the destruction of precious heirlooms that may not be easily replaceable.
- Disease: Aside from those already serious problems, crickets can also carry and spread diseases like E. coli and salmonella.
Cricket Prevention Tips & Tricks
Hopefully, you now realize how serious of a threat crickets can be. The biggest thing to understand is that it’s better to take early action than to wait for these issues to become worse. The longer pests—or the factors that attract them—go unaddressed, the more they can lead to costly damage or even other pest problems. All of the following are important steps to take regularly around your property right away and consistently into the future to help avoid crickets on your property:
- Landscaping: Tallgrass or overgrown trees and bushes provide crickets with lots of covers to get close to your structures and find ways in. Yard debris left around your property can also act as a nesting ground for pests.
- Moisture control: Not only will cricket be attracted to moisture, but water damage in your walls and foundation can also open up access points that crickets or other pests can use to get inside.
- Inspections: The best way to make sure you're keeping up on all the things that keep pests away is with routine inspections by pest professionals. Contact Overson Pest Control to get started today.
Pest Protection From Overson Pest Control
The last thing you want to realize is that pests have been growing in number on your property without you even realizing it. The trouble is, this is precisely how most pest problems occur. All pests, even crickets that alert you to their presence at night, are good at hiding and resisting most treatment methods. That’s why the only sure way to get rid of a population is with help from experts. At Overson Pest Control, we can identify the source of an infestation rather than just spot the obvious signs of one. Only effective professional treatments can get rid of all the crickets and their eggs, which are what keep the pest population growing. Even if you don’t already have a pest problem, let our trained technicians inspect your property so you can have true peace of mind moving forward.
For expert cricket control or to learn more about our Phoenix pest control services, contact Overson Pest Control today!