Sometimes the things we think of as harmless can turn out to be the most dangerous. The same is true of many kinds of pests, like crickets. Most people think these hop-happy bugs pose no real threat, but you don’t want an infestation on your hands to prove that assumption wrong. Learning how to prevent crickets and other pests from invading your property is just plain smart.
House Cricket Facts
Thanks to films and old legends, crickets are often perceived as friendly conscience guides who are here to help. Perceived personality traits aside, people also tend to think of crickets as a creator of pleasant chirping sounds, adding to the rustic atmosphere of the night. But only people who have never had to deal with crickets around their property have these misconceptions. In reality, crickets are no more desirable or companionable than any other bug. Their sound is only charming for a little while, then it becomes just another thing keeping you awake at night. No, like all other pests, crickets earn their title of “pest” by being annoying, destructive, and even dangerous creatures.
Crickets Can Be Dangerous
Their constant chirping and ability to populate quickly on a property aren’t even the most troublesome traits of crickets. Instead, the real problems they pose are:
- Damage: Crickets chew on fibrous materials that contain keratin, a nutritious part of their diet. This fiber is found in common animal products like leather, silk, and wool. Crickets around your property can result in damage.
- Disease: Crickets are also known to carry and transmit diseases to people and our pets. Just some of the diseases they can spread include salmonella and E. coli.
- Other Pests: Once one pest population gets a foothold onto your property, they almost invariably attract other pests. This domino effect of a single pest population leading to more is just one more reason why you shouldn’t wait to act if you notice signs of an infestation.
What Attracts Crickets To Your Home?
Now that you realize how misunderstood crickets are, you can get to work on reducing the common factors that attract them to your property in the first place. You’ll notice that many of these factors are the same things that attract all kinds of pests:
- Food: Aside from the keratin they derive from common household items, crickets also eat other bugs as well as decaying plant matter. They are typically yard pests for this reason, but food sources can certainly be found indoors, too, attracting them to find ways inside.
- Moisture: Crickets like moist areas, which means water buildup around your yard or areas with poor ventilation inside tend to be where you find them.
- Darkness: Dark and dank areas tend to be where these pests are attracted, including basements and crawl spaces.
Get Assistance From Anderson Pest Control
Instead of assuming a pest isn’t dangerous -- or waiting for a problem to grow out of hand before you do worry about it -- instead contact the experts right away. At Anderson Pest Control, we can inspect your property for signs of crickets or other invasive pests before they can prove how problematic they can be. Far too many people try to remove a pest population on their own, exposing themselves to dangerous diseases and, more than likely, not fully eliminating the population. From prompt inspections to fast-acting treatments, professional pest control is the best way to ensure that your property is truly protected. For help with overall pest control, including crickets, contact Anderson Pest Control today.