If you've heard a cricket chirping somewhere behind the washing machine at 2 a.m., you're in good company. This time of year, a lot of the calls and texts we get from folks in McKinney, Allen, Frisco, and the towns around us are about crickets.
It happens every fall. Across North Texas, late summer and fall is when young crickets finish growing up and get busy feeding and breeding in big numbers. They're most active from dusk to dawn. If you've ever pulled into a brightly lit gas station on a September night and seen crickets piled up along the curb, you know what I mean.
The good news is that crickets are more of a nuisance than a danger, and a few simple habits make a real difference. Here's what I'd tell a neighbor over the fence.
Why Crickets End Up Inside
They follow the light
Crickets are drawn to bright lights at night. Porch lights, garage lights, and landscape lighting all work like a welcome sign. Once crickets are gathered near the house, it doesn't take much of a gap to get in.
They're looking for cover
Outside, crickets hide under mulch, leaves, fallen branches, and anything left sitting in the yard. Inside, they head for dark, out-of-the-way spots like the garage, the laundry room, and behind appliances. That's why the chirping always seems to come from somewhere you can't quite reach.
Our homes have more doors than we think
A worn garage door seal, a missing door sweep, or a small gap around a pipe or vent is plenty of room for a cricket.
Are Crickets Harmful?
For the most part, no. They're not the kind of pest that bites people or spreads disease. That said, crickets can chew on fabrics like clothing and upholstery. A big fall crop can also leave dead crickets piling up in the garage, which isn't pleasant and can draw ants and other scavengers.
And then there's the chirping. It's the males that chirp, by rubbing their wings together. Nobody sleeps well with one of them in the bedroom wall.
Five Ways to Keep Crickets Out This Fall
1. Rethink your outdoor lighting
Turn off porch and landscape lights when you don't need them, or put them on a timer or motion sensor.
Swap bright white bulbs near doors for warm-toned or yellow "bug light" bulbs, which tend to attract fewer insects.
Close blinds in the evening so indoor light isn't pulling bugs toward your windows.
2. Tighten up the garage
Most homes around here don't have basements, so the garage is often where crickets settle in first.
Check the rubber seal along the bottom of the garage door. If you can see daylight under it, crickets can get through. Replacing a worn seal is an inexpensive weekend fix.
Keep the garage door closed in the evening, when crickets are most active.
Get stored items off the floor where you can. Plastic bins with lids give crickets fewer hiding spots than stacks of cardboard boxes.
3. Close up the small gaps
Add door sweeps to exterior doors, including the door between the garage and the house.
Replace cracked or flattened weather-stripping around doors and windows.
Seal gaps around pipes, cables, and vents with caulk or foam.
One thing not to seal: weep holes. Those small openings along the bottom row of brick let moisture drain out of your walls, so leave them open. (Treating weep holes is part of what our techs do on a regular visit.)
4. Tidy up along the foundation
Rake leaves and debris away from the house.
Pull mulch back a few inches from the foundation, or leave a strip of rock between your flower beds and the slab.
Trim shrubs so they aren't touching the walls.
Move firewood, extra pavers, and yard clutter away from the house.
Check your sprinklers. Beds that stay soggy right up against the foundation are inviting to crickets and plenty of other pests, so fix leaks and adjust spray heads that hit the house.
5. Deal with the ones already inside
Vacuum up crickets you find, then empty the vacuum outside.
Put a few sticky traps along garage walls and behind the washer and dryer. They catch stragglers and show you where crickets are getting in.
Run a fan or dehumidifier in damp spots like the laundry room. Crickets like humid hideouts.
When It's Time to Call for Help
If you're sweeping up crickets every morning, or the chirping won't quit even after you've sealed things up, a professional treatment inside and outside the home can help.
Crickets are already included in our quarterly pest control plan, along with spiders, ants, American cockroaches, centipedes, silverfish, and a list of other common pests. We treat inside and out, including the garage, and if covered pests come back between visits, we'll come back out for a free retreatment.
We're a local, family-owned company here in the McKinney area, and we've been taking care of homes around Collin County since 2012. If you're in McKinney, Allen, Frisco, Plano, Prosper, Melissa, Anna, Princeton, or one of the other towns we serve, the easiest way to get started is to request a free estimate online. We'll get back to you and find a day that works. You can also call or text us at (469) 340-0200.
Here's to quieter nights this fall.
John Around the Block Pest Control (469) 340-0200 | aroundtheblockpest.com