There are two types of crickets in that some stay outside while others love to look for shelter. In this case, we are talking about indoor or house crickets. They are the ones that are always found in the house.
Crickets in the house are attracted by the warmth found around your fireplace or the kitchen. They invade the house in large numbers during the cold rainy seasons especially if you have heaters to keep the house constantly warm.
House crickets are less attracted to the house during the hot and warm seasons because they can find the warmth that they need under the rocks and tall thick bushes and shrubs.
8 Things that attract crickets in the house
Outdoor crickets can find themselves indoors. This happens especially if you are in an area that has lots of them outside. Finding what makes them hop into the house will help in eliminating them. Here are 8 things that will attract crickets into the house:
1. Food
House crickets are also attracted by leftovers especially if you have food that is always spilled while cooking or that which is spilled by your pets as they eat.
They tend to love vegetables and fruits. Trash bin with food leftovers will also attract them into the house.
This also explains why you will find them around your dumpsite. Having a pit dumping site in your compound will definitely attract crickets to your compound and home in general. They will hide around that area and scavenge for anything that has just been thrown as leftovers.
2. Heaters and fire place
During the cold seasons, crickets will tend to hop into the house because they cannot survive in cold areas. They are also become relatively active at night as compared to the day. Cold nights will, therefore, scare them to find warmth in the house fireplace area.
They will also tend to hide under the sink in the kitchen or near your cookers. The kitchen is always warm especially if you are a family that has to cook at home.
3. Predators
When there is a sudden increase in the number of animals that feed on crickets like the birds, crickets will be scared and run to hide in the house.
The shelter and security are some of the main essentials that will tract crickets into the house in this case because naturally, they have to hide for survival.
In some cultures, some people believe that crickets are a symbol of good luck and so as long as they are not in a large number or harmful to them, they will always let them go away on their own.
4. Light
Light will definitely attract crickets into your house because they are nocturnal. This means that crickets are in the group of pests that do not sleep at night.
In fact, they are more active at night and that is why they will be drawn towards light. If you are living in the middle of a farm, you will find that crickets will be attracted to your security lights at night.
You will, therefore, have to bear with their chirping sounds especially if you need the light on for some other reasons.
Naturally, nocturnal or animals that do not sleep at night are drawn towards light because they tend to think that it is still daytime where the light is. Most of them are not as intelligent as human beings so they will simply head towards any light at night.
5. Dirty house
Crickets are scavengers and are also classified as omnivorous. This means that they feed on both plants and decaying animals.
A dirty house and kitchen that is not well swept will definitely attract crickets into the house since they will find food.
A dirty house will also have dead ants or cockroaches. This will attract crickets because they love to feed on other dead decomposing insects. However, they are also a good source of protein for other animals and pets.
It is obvious that they are not harmful to you or your pets since your cats, dogs, and birds in many cases may end up eating them. Some people even keep crickets intentionally as food for their birds.
6. Carrots
Carrots peels will attract crickets in the house because this is one of their favorite meals. Once they detect that there are lots of carrots in your home either cooked or not, they will lock to find and eat them.
People who keep crickets to feed their birds have indicated that carrots will make them grow very fast and will keep than healthy.
It rehydrates them while providing the beta-carotene properties that they need to survive. Carrot farmers will always have a lot of crickets around especially during the harvest seasons.
Crickets are also attracted to decomposing carrot leaves and that will still make the perfect meals for them while they find shelter in your house at night.
7. Clean Water
Water attracts crickets and they can barely survive if there is no clean water. During the dry seasons, crickets will come into your house to look for water. They will also prefer to breed and have their young ones around water so that they do not die fast.
They also like moist environments and that will attract them indoors. While other bugs get hydrated from sucking blood from their hosts, crickets need physical hydration.
8. Abandoned rags and clothes
House crickets will tend to feed on old rags in your store. They chew on the fabric and also use that environment to breed.
Old fabric and clothing will definitely be warm and moist since they have been damped for long. This is another reason why crickets will be attracted to your garage if you have old cars that are never moving.
After they get water and other food, they will hide in the seats for shelter and even lay their eggs in the old car seats. Crickets will also eat old carpets and this has been noted to be one of their favorites.
This is another reason why they will hide in your store or garage since they will be attracted to any type of old carpets that is moist and dump.
Where do crickets hide
They can also hide along the fence since it is always warm and safe at the base. Crickets are very noisy little creatures and that is the last thing you want in your house especially if you are sensitive to noise while sleeping.