Imagine that your backyard is filled with hundreds of crickets that are chirping in the dead of night. Do you think that you’ll be able to get enough sleep? The repetitive noise that a single cricket makes is tolerable, and it can even be considered as quite enchanting since it is one of those nighttime sounds that call to mind quiet family picnics or barbeques. You might even prefer the sound over the clamor of city noises. But what if your backyard is filled with too many crickets that are all chirping at the same time? That can really be a huge nuisance. But getting irritated by the noise made by these insects is the least of your worries. If you love your garden or if you want to protect your home, you have to take measures to control the cricket population in your area.
Why Crickets are a Nuisance
- Crickets can be noisy.
As mentioned, a hundred or more crickets can create a raucous noise that could disturb your sleeping habits. A cricket problem can be a huge headache especially if you have a child or a baby at home who wakes up at the slightest sound.
- Crickets eat vegetation.
Crickets like to eat all sorts of ornamental plants. Your once lush landscape could die after the crickets have eaten most of your plants. You also need to prevent a cricket infestation if you have garden plants and fruit trees.
- Crickets can invade your home too.
Inside the home, crickets can also do a lot of damage because they also consume many types of textile and paper products. Crickets that have found their way inside your house can definitely cause damage to your furniture, clothes, as well as wallpaper and other fabrics.
How to Get Rid of Them
Before you consider a pest eradication method, you have to be aware that crickets are a vital part of the food cycle. These animals are an integral part of the ecosystem. Understanding their value to the environment will make you realize that you do not have to totally eradicate them. Instead, you can utilize pest control methods that will help in controlling their population. Below are a few suggestions.
1. Using insecticides
There are several forms of bug sprays that are readily available in the market. Most of these are easy to apply — just find your target and spray. But using a bug spray is best if you only see a cricket or two inside your home. When dealing with a serious infestation, ask for help from pest control experts. These people can apply stronger chemicals, such as cyfluthrin, propoxur and pyrethrins. Because these are more concentrated substances, exposure can also pose serious health risks.
2. Using traps and baits
You can create your own cricket bait with molasses, a bowl and some water. For more ideas about how to make a homemade cricket bait, do some research online. You can also use sticky traps to catch the bugs that have found their way into your home.
3. Preventing an infestation
As they say, prevention is better than cure. Cricket can be drawn to your property if your landscape or garden is not well-kept. These insects are attracted to moisture, mulch, dense vegetation, weeds and garbage. By eliminating the features that attract these bugs, you also reduce the possibility of a getting a bad infestation.
Citations:
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Claire Lassiter is a freelancer whose specialty is pest management. She usually discusses the health effects of having pests around, but you’ll find her talking about Bentonville cricket control at times too.
