How to Get Rid of Crickets: Complete Guide for a Pest-Free Home

Peaceful indoor and outdoor spaces await with easy, eco-friendly pest control methods.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 25, 2025

Peaceful indoor and outdoor spaces await with easy, eco-friendly pest control methods.

How to Get Rid of Crickets: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide

Crickets are more than just a noisy nuisance. Given the right circumstances, these uninvited guests can damage fabrics, paper, and even your prized plants—disrupting the harmony of your indoor spaces and your garden. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about identifying, eliminating, and preventing cricket infestations with both conventional and natural methods. Whether you’re battling the incessant late-night chirping or concerned about your home’s integrity, these science-backed strategies will help you reclaim your space.

Understanding Cricket Infestations

Before embarking on a campaign to eradicate crickets, it’s helpful to understand why they invade homes. Most common house crickets and field crickets are drawn indoors by food sources, moisture, warmth, and shelter. Their chirping—caused by males rubbing their wings together—may seem harmless, but in large numbers, these insects can cause substantial damage and annoyance.

Identifying Cricket Species That Invade Homes

House Crickets (Acheta domesticus): Light yellow-brown, about 3/4 to 7/8 inch long, often found in warm, damp locations indoors.
Field Crickets (Gryllus species): Larger and darker, usually black, just as likely to enter homes in search of food and shelter.
Mole Crickets: Distinct for their spade-like forelimbs, notorious for lawn damage due to root-feeding behavior.

Prevention: How to Keep Crickets Out for Good

Preventing crickets from coming inside is always easier—and more effective—than getting rid of them once they’re established. These prevention strategies tackle entry points, environmental attractants, and conditions crickets find inviting.

Seal All Entry Points

Inspect the perimeter of your house for gaps, cracks, and holes around windows, doors, utility lines, and foundations.
Seal these openings with silicone caulk or weatherstripping to deny crickets an easy entry route.
Don’t forget less obvious entryways such as vents, pipes, and crawlspaces.

Modify Outdoor Lighting

Crickets are strongly attracted to bright, white outdoor lights. Use yellow ‘bug lights’ or motion-triggered lights outdoors to reduce their draw.
Limit unnecessary outdoor lighting during peak cricket activity (dusk and night).

Reduce Outdoor Attractants

Keep lawns well-trimmed and remove piles of grass clippings, leaves, and mulch.
Move compost bins and firewood stacks at least 20 feet away from your house.
Ensure trash bins are sealed and situated away from your main living areas.
Regularly clean gutters to prevent moisture buildup and remove potential shelter.

Address Moisture and Clutter

Crickets thrive in damp and cluttered environments. Fix leaky pipes, use dehumidifiers in basements, and ensure good airflow in crawlspaces.
Reduce clutter in garages, basements, and storage areas to eliminate hiding spots.

How to Get Rid of Crickets Indoors

If crickets have already invaded, prompt action can help you get the situation under control before the population explodes.

Manual Removal and Cleaning

Vacuuming: Use a vacuum cleaner to capture visible crickets along with their eggs. Be sure to empty the vacuum bag or canister outdoors to avoid reinfestation.
Frequent cleaning: Regular dusting and cleaning deny crickets food crumbs and help you spot early signs of activity.

Setting Effective Traps and Baits

Traps are a low-toxicity, targeted way to fight cricket populations indoors and out:

Sticky traps: Place glue traps along baseboards, under sinks, and in other suspected areas of activity. Monitor and replace frequently.
Bait stations: Use commercially available cricket baits according to the manufacturer’s directions, especially in inaccessible or high-activity spots.

Using Insecticides Safely

If manual methods aren’t enough, targeted insecticide sprays or powders can be used. Opt for pyrethroid-based products (such as permethrin or bifenthrin) for cracks, crevices, and baseboards.
For outdoor infestations, consider granular insecticides or broadcast lawn sprays applied during early summer.
Always follow label safety instructions and keep children and pets away during application.
Remember: While some insecticides act fast, crickets may take several hours or even days to die after exposure.

Natural Ways to Repel and Remove Crickets

If you prefer greener options, several natural remedies are both effective and safer for children and pets:

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around baseboards, crevices, and entry points where crickets have been seen.
DE works by dehydrating crickets but is non-toxic to people and animals when applied responsibly.

Essential Oil Repellents

Peppermint, cedarwood, and eucalyptus oils are known natural insect repellents.
Mix several drops of essential oil in water; spray around entryways, windowsills, and other cricket hotspots.

Homemade Molasses Traps

Fill a shallow bowl or jar with a mixture of water and 3–4 tablespoons of molasses.
The sweet aroma attracts crickets, who jump in and drown, making this an effective, chemical-free method.
Replace molasses solution regularly for maximum effectiveness.

Natural Detergent Solutions for Lawns

Mole crickets can devastate grass roots. Create a solution using 2 tablespoons of dish detergent to 1 gallon of water.
Pour over affected lawn patches (morning or evening). Wait; crickets will surface, allowing for manual removal.

Beneficial Nematodes (for Yards)

Apply live nematodes in early spring to prey on young crickets in the soil.
This targets lawn-destroying mole crickets before egg-laying can occur.

Encourage Natural Predators

Invite birds and reptiles into your garden by adding native plants, birdbaths, or birdhouses.
Healthy outdoor ecosystems naturally regulate cricket populations, reducing indoor invasions.

Cricket Prevention Checklist

Action	Benefit
Seal gaps and cracks	Blocks cricket entry
Switch to yellow bug lights	Reduces attraction
Declutter indoors	Removes cricket hiding spots
Trim lawn, move woodpiles away	Keeps outdoor populations down
Repair leaky faucets and use dehumidifiers	Minimizes indoor moisture
Apply diatomaceous earth	Deters and kills crickets safely
Encourage birds/lizards	Promotes natural pest control

When to Call a Professional

Sometimes, cricket infestations are too advanced or persistent for DIY and natural methods. Reach out to a licensed pest control professional if you:

Experience repeated or large-scale infestations despite following prevention strategies.
Find crickets in sensitive areas (such as kitchens or bedrooms) in large numbers.
Are concerned about pesticide application, especially around children, pets, or those with respiratory sensitivities.

Professionals can perform thorough inspections, apply more potent treatments safely, and offer long-term prevention plans.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do I suddenly have crickets in my house?

Crickets are attracted by food crumbs, moisture, and warm shelter, especially in late summer and fall. Even tiny cracks around windows and doors can let them inside.

Do crickets bite or pose health risks?

Crickets rarely bite and pose minimal direct health risks to humans. However, their presence may indicate excessive moisture or cleanliness issues—and they can damage fabric, paper, or tender plants.

What is the best homemade cricket trap?

The molasses trap (water and molasses in a shallow dish) is highly effective, luring crickets to jump in and drown.

Are chemical insecticides safe for pets?

Always follow product labels. Many modern pyrethroid-based insecticides are lower in toxicity but can still harm small pets if misused. Use diatomaceous earth or traps if you’re concerned about pet exposure.

How can I prevent crickets long-term?

Seal potential entry points.
Address moisture and clutter.
Maintain a tidy, dry yard and home perimeter.
Use natural repellents and traps as needed.
If problems persist, consult a pest management professional.

How to Get Rid of Crickets: Complete Guide for a Pest-Free Home

How to Get Rid of Crickets: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide

Understanding Cricket Infestations

Identifying Cricket Species That Invade Homes