Introduction: Understanding the Cricket Problem
A cricket exterminator finds out which crickets are getting into your home and how, then combines sealing, moisture and lighting changes, traps and targeted treatment so fewer crickets get in and those that do don’t settle. Crickets are mostly a nuisance: University of Minnesota Extension’s cricket page says they are not considered a serious pest in homes and do not cause major damage to property. The usual reasons to call for help are constant chirping, crickets in several rooms, or camel crickets that point to a damp basement.
Saela Pest Control is a residential and commercial pest control company, based in Orem, Utah, that provides the best cricket control for homes and businesses, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Crickets are common outdoors and may wander into homes, especially in late summer and fall, and male crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together. Indoors, some species can chew fabrics, so a large or long-lasting problem is worth addressing.
Crickets are most active at night and look for conditions that match the outdoors they came from: warmth for house crickets and darkness and moisture for camel crickets. Knowing which species you have tells you what to fix. Saela’s cricket control service starts with that identification.
Common Types of Crickets Found in Homes
House Crickets
House crickets are about 3/4 to 7/8 inch long and light yellowish-brown with three dark bands across the head. Cricket guidance from the University of Maryland describes them as especially fond of warmth but can be found anywhere in a home, and that they are attracted to light.
House crickets can chew fabrics, including wool, silk, nylon, rayon, cotton and linen, and fabrics soiled with body oils, perspiration or food are more likely to be damaged. Indoors, look for them in warm spots such as kitchens, near furnaces and behind baseboards.
Their chirping is what most people notice first, especially at night. Sealing gaps and reducing outdoor lighting are the first steps to keep more from coming in.
Field Crickets
Field crickets are dark brown to black and stockier than house crickets, and Minnesota Extension describes them as about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. They live outdoors but may enter homes in late summer and fall, and Maryland Extension notes they are usually found on lower floors and in basements once inside.
Like house crickets, field crickets are attracted to light and can chew fabrics indoors. They are usually a seasonal problem rather than one that persists year-round.
Bright outdoor lights near doors draw field crickets toward the house. Minnesota Extension recommends reducing outside lighting to avoid attracting field and house crickets.
Camel Crickets
Camel crickets (also called cave crickets) have a humpbacked shape, very long antennae and long hind legs, and they don’t chirp. Their preference for dark, moist conditions restricts them to damp basements and crawl spaces, according to Maryland Extension.
When camel crickets come indoors, Minnesota Extension notes, they look for conditions like their outdoor habitat, which often leads them to basements. They are mostly a nuisance, startling people when they jump.
Camel crickets are a useful sign of excess moisture. Maryland Extension’s advice is that solving high moisture problems in a basement will greatly reduce or eliminate camel crickets, so fixing leaks and dehumidifying come first.
Signs of a Cricket Infestation
The main signs of a cricket problem are chirping indoors, chewed fabrics and crickets seen in basements, garages and along baseboards. Here is what to look for:
Persistent Chirping
Chirping from walls, baseboards or the basement, especially at night, is usually the first sign of house or field crickets indoors. Male crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together, and the sound can carry, which makes the source hard to pin down.
Chirping from several places, or more chirping over time, suggests more than one cricket has come in. Walk the house quietly at night with a flashlight to narrow down where they are hiding.
No chirping does not always mean no crickets. Camel crickets don’t chirp, so look for them in basements and crawl spaces instead.
Visible Damage to Fabrics and Paper
Some crickets chew fabrics, so check clothing, curtains and stored textiles in basements and closets for chewed edges or irregular holes. According to Maryland Extension, wool, silk, nylon, rayon, cotton and linen can all be damaged, especially when soiled.
Items with food residue or body oils are most at risk, which is why laundry piles and stored, unwashed clothing deserve a look. Washing items before storing them reduces the risk.
Other pests, such as carpet beetles and clothes moths, also damage fabrics, so confirm what you are dealing with before choosing a treatment. A professional inspection can tell the difference.
Visual Sightings and Physical Evidence
Seeing the crickets themselves is the clearest evidence. Check basements, utility rooms, garages, behind appliances and along baseboards after dark with a flashlight, when crickets are most active.
Sticky traps placed along walls in basements and garages, which both Minnesota and Maryland Extension recommend, catch crickets and show where they are coming in. Note which traps catch the most.
Check the likely entry points as well: gaps under doors, around ground-level windows, foundation cracks and openings where utility lines enter. Those are the places to seal first.
Health Risks and Property Damage Associated with Crickets
Crickets are a nuisance rather than a health threat: they are not considered a serious pest in homes and do not cause major property damage, though some species chew fabrics. The real costs are lost sleep, damaged textiles and, with camel crickets, a moisture problem that needs fixing.
Health and Comfort Concerns
Crickets are not known as a disease risk, and the extension sources consulted for this guide describe them as nuisance pests. The main effect on a household is lost sleep from chirping and the discomfort of finding insects indoors.
Keep food sealed and clean up crumbs anyway, since any insect wandering through a kitchen is unwelcome. If anyone in the home has allergies or asthma, a general reduction in indoor insects is a reasonable goal.
Camel crickets matter mainly as a sign of dampness. A damp basement can lead to other problems, so treat their presence as a reason to check for leaks and humidity.
Damage to Belongings
The property damage crickets cause is limited mostly to fabrics and paper. House and field crickets can chew fabrics such as wool, silk, cotton and linen, especially when they are soiled.
Store textiles clean and in sealed containers, particularly in basements and garages where crickets gather. Keep paper goods and boxes off basement floors.
The bigger issue is usually the conditions that attract crickets. Moisture that draws camel crickets can also contribute to mold and wood rot, so fixing it protects the house as well as reducing crickets.
DIY Cricket Control Methods vs. Professional Exterminators
Many cricket problems can be handled with sealing, moisture control and traps, while recurring or widespread problems benefit from a professional inspection and treatment. The right choice depends on how many crickets you see and whether simple fixes work.
DIY Cricket Control Techniques
For small cricket problems, these steps help:
- Dry out damp areas: Fix leaks and run a fan or dehumidifier in damp basements and crawl spaces, as Minnesota Extension recommends. This is the most effective step against camel crickets.
- Seal entry points: Caulk or repair cracks and gaps in the foundation and around doors and ground-level windows. Add weatherstripping and door sweeps where gaps remain.
- Reduce exterior lighting: Turn off unneeded outdoor lights, which attract field and house crickets. Maryland Extension suggests yellow bug lights if outdoor lighting is necessary.
- Trap and vacuum: Use sticky traps along basement and garage walls and vacuum up crickets you find. Maryland Extension also suggests trimming vegetation back about 18 inches from the house.
Minnesota Extension considers pesticides generally not effective or necessary indoors for crickets, so these steps do most of the work. If crickets keep coming in after you have sealed, dried and trapped, a professional can look for entry points and outdoor sources you missed.
Benefits of Professional Cricket Extermination
Professional service adds an inspection and a plan that covers both the inside and the outside of the home:
- Thorough inspection: A technician identifies the species, finds entry points and looks for moisture and lighting conditions that attract crickets. Every Saela plan includes a 50+ point property inspection covering entry points and basements.
- Targeted treatment: Where treatment is needed, it is focused on the outside of the home and the areas crickets use to get in, with registered products applied according to their labels.
- Exclusion and moisture advice: A professional plan pairs treatment with sealing gaps and fixing the moisture that draws camel crickets. Saela’s IPM approach includes sealing entry points and reducing the food, water and shelter that support pests.
- Ongoing prevention: Scheduled visits keep the perimeter in check through the seasons when crickets move indoors. Saela offers no-charge return visits for covered pests between scheduled services.
Professional service costs more up front than DIY steps, but it makes sense when crickets keep returning. Saela quotes service based on pest type, location, property size, visit frequency and treatment products, so see how Saela prices its plans before you compare.
Environmentally Friendly Cricket Control Solutions
Cricket control can rely mostly on non-chemical steps, because sealing, drying and trapping solve most problems. Treatment is added only where those steps are not enough.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Approach
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach that combines prevention, monitoring and targeted treatment. Saela uses an integrated pest management cycle of identification, monitoring, targeted treatment and evaluation. For crickets, that includes:
Changing conditions so the home is less inviting: drying damp areas, reducing clutter in basements and garages, and storing items off the floor.
Exclusion to keep crickets out: sealing gaps around the foundation, windows, doors and utility lines, and keeping screens and door sweeps in good repair.
Monitoring with sticky traps to see where crickets are active and whether numbers are dropping, so follow-up work goes where it is needed.
Low-Impact Treatment Options
When treatment is needed, the goal is to use as little as necessary, where it will do the most good:
Treatment, when used, is focused on the outside of the home and the entry routes crickets use, rather than broadcast indoors, which matches Minnesota Extension’s point that indoor pesticides are generally not necessary for crickets.
Products are applied according to their labels, and preparation and re-entry instructions come from the label and your licensed provider.
Non-chemical steps continue alongside any treatment, so fewer crickets reach the house in the first place.
Saela is listed in QualityPro’s directory of accredited pest management companies, and its listed entries show GreenPro service certification.
Seasonal Cricket Control: Prevention Throughout the Year
Cricket prevention follows the seasons, with the most important work done before late summer and fall, when crickets are most likely to come indoors.
Spring Preparation
Spring is the time to fix the conditions that will invite crickets later in the year:
Clean out basements, garages and storage areas, removing clutter, cardboard and debris where crickets can hide.
Inspect the outside of the home for foundation cracks, damaged door sweeps, torn screens and other gaps, and repair them.
Check for leaks and damp areas, and set up a dehumidifier in basements that stay humid.
Summer Vigilance
In summer, crickets are active outdoors, so focus on keeping them away from the house:
Turn off unneeded outdoor lights or switch to yellow bug lights near doors and windows.
Keep grass trimmed, pull thick mulch and vegetation back from the foundation and keep the area next to the house dry.
If you had crickets indoors last year, schedule an inspection before late summer so entry points are sealed in time; our list of tips from cricket control services has more ideas.
Fall Prevention
Late summer and fall are when crickets are most likely to come inside:
Finish sealing gaps around doors, windows, utility lines and the foundation before crickets start moving indoors.
Keep porch lights off when not needed, store firewood away from the house and clear leaf litter and yard debris near the foundation.
Place sticky traps in basements and garages to catch early arrivals and show where they are getting in.
Timing these steps to the season keeps cricket problems small and reduces the need for treatment. For a related nuisance pest that favors the same damp basements, see our guide to centipede pest control.
Choosing the Right Cricket Exterminator Service
Choose a cricket exterminator by comparing how they inspect, whether they focus on exclusion and moisture, and what their follow-up terms are. The EPA’s tips for selecting a pest control service suggest getting several estimates and not choosing on cost alone.
Qualifications and Expertise
Look for a company that can identify the cricket species and explain how it will address the conditions behind the problem.
Confirm that anyone applying pesticides is licensed: EPA suggests asking whether the person doing the work is a certified, licensed pesticide applicator or a licensed technician.
Ask how technicians are trained. At Saela, protocols are developed by Dennis Weiss, Saela’s board-certified entomologist, who also trains technicians and audits service quality.
Service Offerings and Guarantees
A good inspection covers the inside and outside of the home, identifies the species, finds entry points and looks for moisture and lighting problems.
A good plan uses more than treatment alone, combining exclusion, moisture control, monitoring and targeted treatment where needed.
Ask what happens if crickets return between visits and get the answer in writing; the Saela guarantee page shows how Saela lays out its return-visit terms. EPA also suggests asking what any guarantee covers.
Customer Satisfaction and Reviews
Check reviews and the company’s Better Business Bureau profile. Saela’s Orem, Utah headquarters showed an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau as of October 2026.
Ask for references from long-term customers. In an October 2019 Google review, roc chervanik wrote, “Great job never a problem tech showed up on time,” and said they “will continue to use this company.”
Notice how clearly the company explains its approach during the first conversation, including what you need to do and what it will do.
Comparing companies on these points, rather than on price alone, gives you a service that fits your home and your budget.
Conclusion: Achieving Long-Term Cricket Control
Long-term cricket control comes from keeping crickets out and making the home less inviting, not from repeated indoor spraying. Seal gaps, dry damp areas and reduce outdoor lighting, and most cricket problems shrink quickly.
Crickets look for warmth, moisture, shelter and light. Address those, use sticky traps to monitor, and you will see far fewer crickets indoors.
For recurring problems, a professional plan adds an inspection, targeted exterior treatment and follow-up visits. Saela’s Kansas City, Missouri location is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 2,795 reviews on Google as of October 2026.
Acting early, before late summer, keeps a few chirping crickets from becoming a basement full of them.
If crickets keep finding their way inside after you have sealed and dried out your home, book a call with Saela to schedule an inspection.
Who wrote this article?
Devin Hutchings (Marketing Director at Saela Pest Control) wrote this article.
Devin leads Saela’s marketing and growth strategy. He brings more than 15 years of marketing experience across Uber, C.R. England, Lugg, and Neighbor. His background spans customer acquisition, retention, and developing marketing channels for service businesses and consumer marketplaces.
