Crickets are an interesting pest found in Hartford, Connecticut and people have a wide range of opinions and impressions about them. Most people associate crickets with their loud chirping noise, but there are other interpretations and cultural views on these insects, too. Whether it’s the friendly voice of good in Jiminy Cricket or a delicious delicacy covered in chocolate, crickets are well-known throughout many places in the world.
However, as far as being a pest problem, crickets are less familiar. You may have questions about how to deal with crickets on your property, or, be wondering if they cause any problems at all. In this guide, we’ll go over what crickets look like, the risks associated with crickets, and how to prevent them.
What Do Crickets Look Like?
There are many different species of crickets found throughout the world, but the main cricket you’ll find around Hartford is the house cricket. Unfortunately, these crickets do make a loud chirping noise by rubbing their front wings together. While an occasional cricket chirping might be pleasant, a growing population of them becomes obnoxious to have around.
You can also identify house crickets by their light yellow-brown color and the three dark stripes they have on their heads. They are around ¾ of an inch long with long, thread-like antennae.
Are Crickets Dangerous?
While some pests, such as rodents, are destructive and others, such as wasps, are dangerous, most people don’t worry too much about crickets. However, they can cause many problems for home or business owners.
Crickets will chew on all kinds of furniture as well as many other household items. While the damage isn’t often extensive at first, a large infestation can lead to property damage. Crickets will eat anything from wool and silk to people and pet food items.
Additionally, crickets can spread disease. Usually, these illnesses aren’t severe, but they can lead to painful sores. Crickets also contaminate food. Any items that they come into contact with should be thrown away.
Effective Cricket Prevention Steps
Overall, it’s much easier to prevent crickets than it is to remove them. To help keep these dangerous and invasive pests away from your Hartford home or business, you can follow a few prevention measures. These techniques have the added benefit of also helping to keep away other pests.
Here are five of the best cricket prevention tips:
- Seal up access points by fixing broken screens and filling holes and cracks in exterior walls and foundation.
- Make sure outdoor lighting points away from walls and entrances to your home or business and use LED or yellow lights that are less attractive to insects.
- Remove excess clutter both inside and outside.
- Reduce humidity by using dehumidifiers and fixing leaky plumbing.
- Clear out leaf piles, damaged wood, mulch, grass clippings, and other organic debris from your yard.
By removing the factors that attract crickets and other pests you can reduce the chances that they will see your property as the ideal place to settle down.
The Best Way To Control Crickets
While doing what you can on your own to keep crickets away is useful, the best and most effective cricket prevention tip is to get help from the experts at American Pest Solutions.
We have over 100 years of experience as a company, and we provide ongoing commercial and residential plans to keep crickets and other difficult pests away from your property for good. We can also swiftly remove any existing cricket problems.
To learn more or request a quote, contact us online or by phone today.