Crickets
Gryllidae
How do you get rid of crickets in a Southern California home?
Start outdoors, where most crickets come from. Switch exterior bulbs to yellow "bug lights" so you stop drawing them in at night, seal the gaps under doors and around windows with door sweeps and weather stripping, and keep a vegetation-free, low-moisture zone around the foundation. For an active or recurring indoor population, a licensed technician treats the damp foundation crevices where crickets hide by day to bring local numbers down.
What are Crickets?
Crickets are orthopteran insects. In Southern California, House Crickets and Field Crickets are most common. While they are famous for the "song" males produce by rubbing their wings together, they can be highly destructive when they migrate indoors in large numbers.
Key Takeaways
- Crickets are jumping insects with large hind legs and long antennae, usually black, brown, or yellowish-brown, and the males produce the familiar nighttime chirping by rubbing their wings together.
- In Southern California they are drawn indoors by bright outdoor lights at night and by the search for moisture during hot, dry days, slipping in through gaps under doors and around windows.
- They are a nuisance more than a hazard - crickets do not pose a meaningful bite, sting, or disease risk to people, but in numbers they can chew on linen, wool, and paper products inside the home.
- The clearest warning signs are persistent chirping after dark, crickets appearing in garages or near doorways, and small holes or surface damage on stored fabrics and paper.
- Lasting control is an outside-in job: reducing light and moisture attractants and treating the dark, damp foundation crevices where they shelter matters far more than chasing individual crickets indoors.
Identification & Signs
- Large hind legs for jumping
- Long antennae and two sets of wings
- Typically black, brown, or yellowish-brown
- Chirping sound produced by males at night
Why are they a problem?
Crickets are attracted to bright lights at night and seeking moisture during the hot SoCal days. They often enter through gaps under doors and around windows. Once inside, they feed on linen, wool, and paper products.
Prevention and Home Tips
Use yellow "bug lights" for outdoor lighting to reduce attraction
Maintain a 12-inch vegetation-free zone around the foundation
Ensure door sweeps and weather stripping are in good condition
Reduce moisture in crawl spaces and basements
How Xtermicon Treats for Crickets
We treat the exterior perimeter to stop crickets before they enter. By focusing on the dark, damp crevices around the foundation where they hide during the day, we effectively reduce the local population.
Frequently Asked Questions
What attracts crickets into my house in the first place?
Two things draw crickets to a Southern California home: light and moisture. Bright white outdoor lights pull them toward the house at night, and during hot, dry stretches they move in search of cooler, damp shelter. From there they enter through gaps under doors and around windows. Once inside, they settle into dark, humid spots and may feed on linen, wool, and paper, which is why managing exterior lighting and sealing entry points makes such a difference.
Are crickets harmful, or just a noisy nuisance?
Crickets are primarily a nuisance rather than a danger. They do not pose a meaningful bite, sting, or disease threat to people or pets, so the main complaints are the loud, high-pitched chirping males produce at night and the loss of sleep that comes with it. Their one real cost is property: in larger numbers indoors they can chew on fabrics like linen and wool and on paper products. Controlling the population protects both your quiet and your belongings.
Can I handle crickets myself, or should I call a professional?
Many cricket problems improve with do-it-yourself steps: swapping to yellow bug lights, installing tight door sweeps and weather stripping, keeping a vegetation-free band around the foundation, and reducing moisture in crawl spaces and basements. If chirping and sightings continue despite that, the source is usually the damp foundation crevices outside where crickets hide by day. A licensed technician treats those exterior harborages directly, and ongoing recurring service keeps the local population from rebuilding through the warm months.
Specialists you
can count on.
Xtermicon was founded in 2015 with one focus: protect Southern California homes and businesses from the pests that threaten them. The name says it all — eXterminate TERmites & pest CONtrol — and that's exactly what we do. We're a family-owned team specializing in termite control, pest control, and rodent exclusion. From West LA and East LA to the beach cities and Orange County, we're local neighbors who treat your property like our own.