It is not only criminals who can attack your house and rob you of your valuable artifacts; some tiny beings can be even more perilous. The less than inch long insects, called crickets (Gryllidae) can infest your house and life with their devilish nature. Once they master the art of entering your house, or if have unknowingly invited them, you are sure to be in deep mess. When they creep in small numbers, they are of not much trouble, but in no time they multiply themselves and pose a threat to your comfort and health. Crickets are small grasshopper like species well known for their irritating and constant chirping, and are classified mainly under four categories:
- House crickets
- Camel crickets
- Field crickets
- Mole crickets
They thrive in cool and dark places, which obviously helps them accomplish the mission of ruining your beautifully furnished house. Crickets believe in ingesting on almost everything, even other crickets! They will manifest a trellised architecture on the surface. They will guzzle down your favorite fabrics, woolens, papers, home decors, and even the walls. After all this, you must want to know some home remedies to kill crickets. So do not panic and re-establish your supremacy in the house with some of the easiest and best natural remedies to kill these nocturnal beasts and also to prevent further subsistence of crickets in house. So before you spend a fortune to kill crickets, try out these simple and potent home remedies for getting rid of crickets.
Causes
Some of the reasons why crickets have settled in your house:
- Very bright lights
- Presence of cold and dark areas
- Damp house
- Nearby garbage dumps
- Presence of wild bushes
- Un-clean and dirty house
Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Crickets
1. Pets can save you from crickets
If you have a pet, say a cat or dog, or eager to get one, go get it today, as these pets are ideal to kill crickets, following their natural instincts. This is an absolute natural way to call the pests off your house.
2. Create traps in corners and along walls
In the areas infested by the crickets, such as in the corners, below furniture, along the walls, you can go ahead and set some traps. Glue boards for rodents are more beneficial and help you avoid crickets in-house. Provide the glue boards with surplus cornmeal to act as bait and once the crickets are foolish enough to feed on them, your trap will soon be overflowing with corpses of crickets. This is one of the best home remedies for getting rid of cricket infestation.
3. A ‘sweet’ trap
You have suffered enough and now it is time for you to send the crickets right up to their graveyard. Take a shallow bowl and add a few spoons of molasses with water in the ratio 1:10. You can place a few of these sweet traps in and around home. The crickets will be attracted by the sweet smell and soon you will find them inundating the bowl. This is indeed a sweet way to kill crickets and bid them farewell.
4. Plant some trees to your benefit
How about a naturally beautiful way of warding off crickets? You can plant some species that crickets just hate. These plants act as barriers, not allowing the crickets to thrive. Certain plants that you can trust to mitigate cricket manifestation around home are- garlic, cilantro, nitrogen-fixing plants like cloves, sweet peas etc.
5. Confiscate the eggs
If the crickets have chosen your property to lay eggs, well you are in danger! But before things get out of your hands, remove the eggs to avoid severe exhibition of cricket attack. Take help of a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. Clean the corners, walls, dark areas of your house with these high efficiency machines. Your job gets done only when you have successfully disposed the vacuumed contents in a sealed plastic bag.
6. Soap
Soaps have served you enough with cleaning and washing. Now, it is time for the soaps to clean the crickets away as well. In a spray bottle, mix water and a handful of soap to create an organic pesticide. Spray this on the crickets that come to your vicinity. The blubber in the soap will itself go deep inside the cricket’s shells and cause cell damage. This will work only when the bubble comes in contact with the cricket, while it’s wet.
7. Pepper
Pepper sprays not only help you keep safe from bad people, but also crickets. Pepper is lethal to crickets, so even a mild spray will do the trick.
8. Bug sprays
Bug sprays are easily available in drug stores, and they can be used to kill crickets. Spray these in areas that are being utilized by the cricket family. Avoid coming in contact with the content of the spray yourself as these can be toxic. Be careful while spraying, and enjoy a cricket free home.
9. ‘Hot and Spicy’ spray
If you have been thinking that kitchen is the place where you can only cook savory delicacies, well you are mistaken. Take all the hot chilli items off your kitchen, like red chilli powder, red chilli sauce and red chilli. Mix them in a cup of water and let them settle for a night. Filtrate it and make use of the liquid. Adulterate the liquid with a glass full of water. Add to this a few drops of dish washer, which acts as a sticky agent. Spray this self-made spray on the plants in your garden to get rid of crickets. Since these are organic, they will not impede the plants but only the insects under attack. If required, test the spray on a few leaves and if you find they get burnt, pour in some more water to the mixture and you are all set to attack.
10. Let the predators live
If you are too lazy to fight the crickets but still want the beasts to say goodbye, allow the willing-predators to get the job done efficiently. Allow the lizards, spiders etc to kill the crickets. In such cases, do not apply sprays inside and around home, for that can affect the predators too.
11. Diatomaceous Earth
This is a powder derived from the skeletons of primordial microscopic algae rich in silicon. This powder causes the crickets to dehydrate and die eventually. Sprinkle generous amounts of diatomaceous earth on the floor, in affected areas. You can dust around home with this powder as well. Make sure the areas where this powder is dredged with, do not get wet. Otherwise, the powder will cease to kill crickets. Make sure you purchase it from food store and do not end up buying the one meant for treating the pools. This earth is of no harm to animals and humans.
12. Void scintillating lights
The night-loving crickets are very much attracted towards bright lights. Replace those dazzling lights in your garden area with sodium vapor lamps, LED lights etc which will not invite the crickets in. You can also keep your entrance area dark during night and pull the shutters down to prevent light from enticing the insects.
13. Trim your garden
If you allow the crickets to build their nests and thrive suitably in the overgrown shrubs in your garden, you need to act quickly. Trim the vegetation and grasses regularly, thus preventing growth of crickets.
14. Keep the garbage bin sealed
The smell of the garbage bin lure crickets. Avoid this smell from reaching out by keeping the bin covered.
15. Protect your home
One of the suitable home remedies for getting rid of crickets is preventing the crickets from entering your home through doors and windows. Seal the window panels and doors. Get rid of the tiniest cracks that might invite the pests. You must want to use screens for your vents.
16. Vapor barrier
Install a vapor barrier to prevent un-wanted moisture as moisture can provide ideal conditions for the growth of crickets. Reduce the moisture in areas such as basement, dark areas of your house where crickets breed.
17. Have clean environment
Do not let leaf litters, garbage dumps, woods, construction items pile up in the perimeter of your property. They serve great residence for crickets. Keep your area free from objects that entice crickets.
Prevention is better than cure:
- Keep your house tidy
- Prevent dampness
- Pet animals
- Mow your garden
- Good plumbing
- Clean drains
- Good condition screens
Natural remedies are the best ways to free you household from the nagging chirps of crickets. Call them off by these home remedies for crickets easily and effectively. Some of these may be time consuming and expensive but they are worth each penny. You will be soon enjoying your chirp free property. So go and apply these home remedies to get rid of crickets soon.
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