7. Crickets

Varieties of Crickets

• House Cricket, Field Cricket, Camel Cricket, Tree Cricket, Ground Cricket, Jerusalem Cricket and Mole Cricket.
  
• The house cricket, the field cricket and the camel are the pest which occasionally invade the home. They may injure clothes and other materials.
  
• Crickets were introduced into the U.S. in the 18th century.

Physical Characteristics

• House and field crickets are 3/4 to 1 inch in length.
  
• Jerusalem crickets may exceed 3 inches in length.
  
• Crickets like warm climates and are usually found outdoors in moist areas. They do not survive long indoors.
  
• They are attracted to light.
  
• They make chirping sounds by rubbing front wings together to attract females.
  
• The final development of wings and wing covers furnishes the means whereby the male cricket can produce his familiar chirping sound.

Feeding Habits

• During the day they seek cracks and crevices and forage at night for food.
  
• They feed on vegetable or field crops, also on other insects, or other crickets.
  
• They can do damage to fabric, leather and fur and are especially destructive to silk and woolens.

Reproduction

• Crickets lay anywhere from 150 to 400 eggs at a time. Eggs take from 78 to 90 days to mature.
  
• They usually produce one generation per year but occasionally two.
  
• 95% over winter in the egg stage. These eggs hatch around May, although temperature is the main factor.
  
• Newly hatched crickets can walk, run, and jump immediately after hatching.

Prevention & Treatment
Most infestations of crickets can be controlled with the Ambush Pest Control's Residential Protection Plan