Basement Crickets Bother Homeowner in Manchester Township, NJ

Crickets are one of the more creepier-looking insects. One of the more common cricket infestations we deal with are camel crickets (“sprickets”), spider—looking crickets that often infest garages, basements, and crawl spaces, especially those with moisture problems.  Another common cricket infestation that I recently dealt with were black crickets (field crickets), which are very common throughout the northeast. These pests are relatively defenseless and soft-bodied. These crickets are found in a great variety of habitats, and like the camel cricket, often infest damp basements and other enclosed areas like in this Manchester Township, NJ basement. Black crickets are up to one inch long, have six legs with powerful hind legs for powerful and rapid jumping, long antennae, and prominent appendages (cerci) at the end of their abdomens. They are mostly nocturnal, and stay out of sight during the day. Outdoors, you’ll find them hidden in cracks (like the ground cracks in soil that develop during dry weather), under bark, inside curling leaves, under stones or fallen logs, and in leaf litter. They feed on flowers, fruits, and leaves, so it’s common to find them under leaves since they have the benefit of hiding from potential predators as well as being near a food source.

Black crickets make the recognizable “chirping” sound when moving their forewings against each other. The males especially are known for their loud (and to me, annoying) chirping, also known as their calling song, to attract females and repel other males.  The courting song is used when a female crick is near, and the sounds encourage her to mate with the caller. The male “chirps” a 3-note song and the female responds with a 2-note song. The frequency of male chirps is directly related to the temperature. The warmer it is, the more they will chirp to encourage mating. Hunters and outdoorsmen can estimate the temperature using male field cricket chirps by counting the number of chirps in 13 seconds and then adding 40.

Cowleys protects against a crick infestation by applying a liquid application around the perimeter of a home or other structure, with a special focus on cracks and crevices where they hide. A good residual application can protect a home or building for four months. If field crickets do manage to get inside your home, you’ll want them out. Even though they don’t cause property damage, their incessant chirping can soon become a major annoyance. Hearing crickets in the woods around the campfire is enjoyable. But hearing these sounds inside your home while you’re trying to sleep is a whole other matter!