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RESOURCES: CRICKETS House Crickets  The house cricket is called such because it often enters houses, where it can survive indefinitely. This species is found throughout the United States, but is a pest primarily east of the Rockies. The length of the adults varies between 3/4" and 7/8". Their color is usually yellowish brown with three dark crossbands on the head; their antennae are threadlike, and their wings lay flat on their backs. Nymphs resemble adults on a smaller scale. House crickets typically surface feed on such materials as fabric, leaving the surface roughened from pulling or picking the fibers loose. Outdoors, the overwintering eggs hatch in late spring, and adults appear in late summer. When raised under ideal circumstances, females lay an average of over 700 eggs. Indoors, females deposit an average of 104 eggs, placed singly in crevices, such as behind baseboards and other dark places. These crickets are active at night, and usually hide in dark warm places during the day. Their presence is indicated by the male's chirping, which is done to attract females. Outside, they are often attracted to electric lights in large numbers, and feed on plants and dead or live insects. They often enter homes seeking moisture. When crickets enter homes, many kinds of clothing, and even carpet, can be damaged. Favorite fabrics include wool, cotton, silk, and synthetics (acetate, vicose, and triacetate). Clothes soiled with perspiration are especially attractive to crickets. They eat our large areas of fabrics as opposed to the small holes typical of clothes moths. Camel, Cave, Stone Crickets  Camel crickets get their common name because of their humpbacked appearance, the cave cricket group because of being commonly found in caves, and the stone cricket group probably because they are often found under stones. Their are widespread in the U.S. and in the world. Adults are usually 1/2" to 1 1/4" in length. Their color ranges from light to dark brown, often mottled with lighter or darker areas. They do not produce sound. Depending on the species, they may overwinter as young nymphs or adults. The females lay their eggs in the early spring, and these hatch during April. In greenhouses, they breed year round. In the outdoors, they are typically found in cool, moist areas, such as under mulch, stones, railroad ties, woodpiles, and debris. They are active at night and hide during the day. Other favorite places include wells, drainage culverts and pipes, under air conditioning units, and sheds. Indoors, they can become problems in damp basements, utility rooms, crawl spaces, garages, and occasionally in attics. They often invade structures when it becomes hot and dry outside. Indoors, they may eat holes in lace curtains. Outdoors, some species may feed on clothes hung outside to dry. Field Crickets  Field crickets can severely damage or destroy field crops and vegetable crops. There are about 25 species widely distributed throughout the United States. Adults vary between 1/2" and 1 1/8" in length, and are typically black, but can also be brownish yellow or straw yellow. Their wings lay flat on their back. Field crickets usually overwinter in the eggs state, but depending on the species, may also overwinter as nymphs. The females usually lay 150 to 400 eggs, singly, in firm but moist soil. Outdoors around buildings, they are typically found in moist areas, such as mulch, unweeded plant beds, in and around woodpiles, stones, and debris. The males chirp in the evening and nighttime. They are often attracted to electric lights. Field crickets can destroy field crops, including alfalfa, wheat, oats, rye, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans. Huge outbreaks occasionally occur in the midwest and south. They also feed on other insects, including their own kind. They do not survive indoors for long periods of time, and usually die by winter. While inside, they can cause damage to fabrics, such as cotton, wool, linen, silk, synthetics, leather, and fur. They are especially attracted to fabrics that are soiled with perspiration or food. Termites | Fleas | Ticks | Yellowjackets, Wasps | Rodents Return to Bug Library We
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