Can Camel Crickets Hurt You?
Can camel crickets hurt you? This group of crickets is classified as an occasional invader and a nuisance pest. They don’t pose any health threats to people. Camel crickets can overwinter in homes, normally as nymphs or young adults. Females lay their eggs in early spring and they hatch during April.
APPEARANCE
Similar to the animal they’re named after, camel crickets are light to dark brown with a hump-back appearance. They have six legs including hind legs that are often as long as the rest of their body. They also have very long antennae, often longer than their bodies. It is believed this is because they are nocturnal insects and rely heavily on their sense of touch.
Adults grow up 1.25” inches in body length. Camel crickets do not have sound-producing structures on their back legs, and adults do not have wings, unlike other cricket species. Their only form of defense is to leap when frightened.
HABITAT
Like many insect pests, camel crickets are attracted to cool, moist or humid areas in and around our homes. The crickets often invade storage buildings, crawlspaces, basements, garages and indoor areas where moisture may be a problem (bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.). They can damage stored items, such as garments and linens packed in boxes in a garage or basement.
CONTROL METHODS
- Caulk or seal gaps and openings around windows frames, doors, foundation and clothes dryer vents, crawlspace access doors, soffits, as well as where heating/AC and plumbing lines pass through the foundation.
- Install weather-stripping along the bottom of house and garage doors so that it fits tightly against the threshold.
- Reduce moisture indoors, as well as in other critical areas such as basements or crawlspaces.
- Keep ground cover and mulch at least 12 inches or more away from the foundation. When possible, use an inorganic cover such as gravel up near the foundation.
- Keep ground cover and shrubs away from the foundation and siding. Do not stack firewood against the house. Remove piles of lumber or other clutter under decks that might attract crickets and other pests.
- Place sticky boards, such as those used for cockroaches and mice, in corners and behind appliances to catch crickets that enter your home.
Can camel crickets hurt you? Got ‘em? We can help. Please contact us at ClearDefense Pest Control.
More info about camel crickets.
Tags: bugs, camel crickets, carpet beetles, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, clear defense, cleardefense, Columbia, Durham, exterminate, exterminator, German cockroaches, Greensboro, Greer, infestation, insects, Kansas City, Knoxville, Nashville, pest control, pests, Raleigh, Richmond, velvet ant, Winston Salem