Crickets in Valley homes
Field crickets are the loud chirping you hear on a warm Valley night, and Jerusalem crickets are the large, startling, wingless bug with the almost human looking face that turns up digging in damp soil. Neither is dangerous, but both can show up in heavy numbers around exterior lighting and damp mulch beds.
CricketsHow to tell it's this one
- Field crickets are dark brown to black and produce the loud chirping heard on warm nights
- Jerusalem crickets are large, wingless, with a striped abdomen and an almost human looking face, they don't chirp and mostly stay underground
- Chirping loudest right at dusk and through the evening in late summer and fall
- Crickets drawn in heavy numbers to porch lights and lit windows at night
- Chewed fabric or paper where crickets have gotten indoors and settled into a dark corner
Where it hides in Valley homes
- Mulch beds and under stones
- Damp soil, mainly for Jerusalem crickets
- Around exterior lighting fixtures
- Window wells and other low, sheltered spots
When it shows up
From our own route records, month by month.
What to do right now
- 1Switch outdoor lighting to yellow or warm LED bulbs, they draw far fewer insects than bright white light
- 2Keep mulch pulled back a few inches from the foundation
- 3Seal gaps under doors, crickets walk right through a gap under an exterior door
- 4Don't handle a Jerusalem cricket bare handed, they can pinch
How Facility handles crickets
We treat the perimeter to label to cut down crickets working their way toward the house and can recommend simple lighting changes, warm or yellow bulbs draw far fewer insects than bright white ones, that make a real difference on their own. This is handled as part of general pest service rather than a separate visit.
Crickets questions
What's making that loud chirping noise at night?
That's almost always field crickets, the chirping is males rubbing their wings together to attract females, and it gets loudest right at dusk through the evening in late summer and fall. A single cricket in a wall void can sound surprisingly loud from inside a quiet room at night.
What is that big bug with the human looking face in my yard?
That's a Jerusalem cricket, a large, wingless insect with a striped abdomen that spends most of its time underground and only turns up on the surface occasionally, usually after digging or watering disturbs it. It looks alarming but is not a dangerous pest, just a startling one to find under a pot or paver.
Do Jerusalem crickets bite?
They can pinch with strong mandibles if handled, and it can be uncomfortable, but they're not venomous and not considered dangerous to people. The safest approach is simply not picking one up bare handed, they're slow moving and easy to avoid without needing to touch them at all.
Why are crickets swarming my porch light?
Crickets and many other night flying insects are drawn to bright white light, and a porch light left on becomes a gathering point for the whole yard. Switching to a warm or yellow toned bulb draws noticeably fewer insects overall and is one of the easiest fixes available.
How do I stop crickets from getting inside?
Seal gaps under exterior doors, since crickets can walk straight through a gap that looks too small to matter, and keep mulch and debris pulled back a few inches from the foundation. Switching exterior lighting to warm toned bulbs also cuts down how many gather near entry points in the first place.
Ready when you are.
Call, text, or send a quote request and Katie or Sam calls you back during office hours. No visit fee, no contract.
