Crickets & Spiders

What are crickets and spiders?

Home and business owners in New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware will take notice when a creepy pest comes crawling across their floor. Crickets and spiders are two different types of pests that commonly find their way inside of your home or business while foraging for food or escaping unsuitable weather conditions.

Crickets
Crickets are yellowish-brown, brown, or mottled in color and may or may not have banding. They have powerful hind legs that they use for jumping, and antennae that are as long as or longer than their bodies. Depending on the species, they may or may not chirp. Crickets are omnivores and feed on a variety of plant materials and other insects. They hide during the day and are active at night. Common species of crickets that invade homes in our area are the house cricket and field cricket.

Spiders
Spiders come in a wide range of colors and sizes, depending on their exact species. Spiders are arachnids, and therefore, are closely related to mites, ticks, and scorpions. All spiders can be identified by their two body regions: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. All spiders also have eight legs and chelicerae (fangs), but no wings or antennae. Spiders usually have eight eyes, but some species only have six.

Are crickets and spiders dangerous?

Crickets are nuisance pests and cause no major harm to people, but they do cause damage to fabric items by chewing holes through them. Curtains, upholstered furniture, clothing, wallpaper, and some indoor plants can be damaged by crickets. Additionally, crickets can be difficult to find and eliminate from your Lakewood home, and species that produce chirping sounds can become a huge annoyance for homeowners.

Most species of spiders that live throughout the United States are considered to simply be nuisance pests and pose no real threats to people. The venom of nuisance spiders is not strong enough to cause serious health threats under normal conditions. However, it is important to note that there are a few species of spiders living in the United States that are dangerous to people. They have venom that is powerful enough to cause serious health problems in people.

Why do I have a cricket and/or spider problem?

Crickets prefer to live outside, but do move inside to take advantage of a temperature-controlled, warm environment. Crickets move inside when the weather outside becomes too hot or dry for them to live comfortably. Spiders often find their way inside of homes and other buildings after following their food sources (insects) inside. It is also not uncommon for spiders to also want to move indoors if the weather outside becomes too hot, dry, or wet for them to live comfortably.

Crickets and spiders are attracted to properties that offer them safe places to live and plentiful sources of food, water, and nesting sites. Both crickets and spiders enter into homes through cracks in the foundation and exterior walls, through spaces around windows and doors, through open doors, and through spaces around utilities and vents.

Where will I find crickets and spiders?

Crickets hide out during the day underneath of stones, woodpiles, landscaping ties, fallen trees, and rotting logs. Spiders like to build their webs and hunt for food in areas of dense vegetation, woodpiles, rock piles, tall grass, and in gardens. When crickets and spiders find their way inside of homes, they tend to inhabit similar areas such as basements, bathrooms, crawlspaces, closets, and laundry rooms.

How do I get rid of crickets and spiders?

To eliminate current problems with crickets and spiders, as well as prevent future ones, it is best to partner with an experienced professional. At Bugaboo Pest Control, our professionals provide customers with the residential or commercial pest control services needed to solve your unique cricket and/or spider problem. To learn more about our full-service extermination services that are offered throughout New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware, contact Bugaboo Pest Control today!

How can I prevent crickets and spiders in the future?

Crickets and spiders are two very different pests in New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware that will make their way onto your property.

If you find yourself dealing with crickets or spiders on your property, the following tips can deter them:

• Limit sources of water; make sure that gutters are clear and leaky outdoor fixtures are repaired.
• Store items in plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, not in cardboard boxes.
• Caulk cracks and crevices in the foundation and exterior walls.
• Keep storage areas clutter-free and well maintained.
• Maintain your lawn and keep your grass cut short.
• Cut overgrown shrubs and bushes away from the exterior of your home.
• Place weather stripping around exterior windows and doors and make sure screens are intact.
• Remove excess piles of debris like woodpiles, rock piles, leaf piles, and grass piles from your property.