Sitting outside on the balcony or terrace in summer and listening to the crickets sing is romantic. However, as soon as the loud chirping comes from your own apartment, it can become uncomfortable. Because the crickets multiply quickly and a large infestation is not uncommon in such a case. Since the insects can destroy paper, furniture, walls, and clothing, action should be taken as explained in the following article.
Table of Contents
Look
The appearance of the crickets is not easy to determine. Because the house barbecues look very similar to those outdoors. If an insect is discovered in the apartment, a cricket can be easily recognized by the following appearance:
- up to three inches long
- Body colored brown
- Hind legs longer than front legs
- long antennae pointing forward
- female specimens have laying tubes
- becomes up to 15 millimeters long
1. Recognize infestation
If you are not sure whether crickets have infested your own apartment, you should look for clues. The house crickets, also known as house crickets, are very heat-loving insects. You will feel very comfortable in dry and warm places in the house. They like to stay in closed rooms, especially near the heater or in sunny windows. An infestation in your own home can be determined as follows:
- loud nocturnal chirping
- Traces of feces near the loopholes
- these could be cracks in the walls
- under the baseboards
- in the grooves under the window sills
2. Insect spray
Insect sprays are very effective in eliminating crickets. But you should always pay attention to your own health, because the sprays are poisonous and should not be inhaled. Therefore, when using insect spray, especially in closed rooms, the following should be observed:
- spray wherever infestation is suspected
- in corners
- on window sills
- an Türritzen
- leave room after spraying
- Close the door
- Let it work for between half an hour and an hour
- pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions
- then ventilate the room well
- repeat if necessary
For your own health, a mask should always be worn before the insecticide is sprayed. For example, dust masks from painters’ supplies can be used for this purpose. Immediately after spraying, the room should also be left and only re-entered after a long period of ventilation.
3. Set up traps
Cricket traps are available in hardware stores and other specialist stores as well as online on the Internet. These are sticky traps that are not toxic. Therefore, these glue traps are well suited for indoor use. The following should be taken into account:
- Place traps in problem areas
- directly on windows, doors or walls
- the insects attract faster here
4. Make cricket bait
You can also make the bait to fight the crickets yourself. Because the pests like it sweet and are very attracted to things containing sugar. If it is therefore already known in which corner the animals have their breeding place and in which room they are, then the bait can be set up here. These are self-made as follows:
- Use a bowl or shallow bowl
- Pour in molasses
- this is pure sugar syrup
- a couple of spoons are enough
- fill up with water
- Crickets jump in bowl
- stick and drown
- Empty and refill the bowl again and again
5. Remove eggs
Crickets can lay eggs anywhere in the house. Female animals do not chirp, this is only about the male representatives. Therefore, if a chirping is perceived indoors, then it is the males. Nevertheless, there will also be female pests in the apartment. Therefore, when removing any eggs, you should proceed as follows:
- Suck extensively at the hatchery
- Vacuum cleaner should have a particle filter
- these are high-performance machines
- can be rented from specialist retailers
- Vacuum entire area
- not only the floor, but also the sofa and armchair
- it can also be vacuumed on a shelf
- Don’t forget the baseboards
- Then put the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag
- close well
prevention
As always, prevention is better than fighting an infestation. Therefore, the crickets should not be given the opportunity to spread around the house in the first place. So it is important that this is well sealed. Because the insects get into the apartment through the smallest cracks and slips in walls, windows and doors. Ventilation should also be provided with tight grids. In addition, the following can also be used to prevent the house crickets from being able to create a breeding ground in their own home:
- Keep trash cans locked
- smelling garbage attracts crickets
- Keep the lawn short
- this is where crickets make their nests
- can easily get into the house
- Put compost far from home
- Remove plant residues from rain gutters and drains
- otherwise popular nesting place for crickets
- no bright lights at night
Those who make their garden as natural as possible can expect predators for crickets to settle here. But this also includes birds and cats. Therefore, if you keep a cat in your apartment, you are actually safe from the house crickets settling in your own four walls.
Conclusion
It is always better to prevent than fight an infestation. Of course, this also applies to house crickets. Therefore, if you live in an area where there are many crickets in nature, you should also protect your living space and close all loopholes. Points of attraction for the house crickets should also be avoided. If, despite all the precautionary measures, pests have found their way into the house, suitable measures must be taken to prevent them from spreading further through reproduction.
