FIeld Crickets

Do you hear chirping in your basement during the summer months? Field crickets may be paying you a visit.

Field crickets are occasional invaders of homes and are attracted to moist, dark places like basements and crawl spaces. They usually live outdoors in woodpiles, under stones and in yard debris, but may come inside if they are attracted to an indoor light or find a crack they can slip through.

How do you know if you’re looking at a field cricket? Here are a few of their identifiable factors:

• Black or brown in color
• Six legs, with large, powerful hind legs
• ½ to 1 ¼ inches long
• Long thread-like antennae

Field Cricket Facts

Although both males and female field crickets sing, the male sings loudest and most often during both days and nights during the mating season. Once a male attracts a female, he performs a courtship dance before mating.

The field cricket nymphs hatch after 15 to 25 days. They look like the adult field crickets but don’t have wings. The nymphs become adults in about 12 weeks.

Field crickets like to eat seeds, plants, including grass, ragweed and chicory, small fruits, living and dead insects and sometimes each other.

Adult field crickets won’t be able to survive the winter months in your home, so your problem will likely disappear at that time. Though that’s good news, it’s not much consolation if you’re dealing with large numbers of crickets at any other point of the year.

Field crickets have the ability to damage clothing, furniture, rugs, and rubber materials. They may also damage agricultural crops outside.

To keep field crickets out of your home:

• Inspect and seal up cracks with screens, caulking, insulating foam, etc.
• Move hiding places (like mulch and woodpiles) away from the home’s foundation.
• Use a dehumidifier to remove moisture from your basement.
• Replace white lights with yellow lights, which aren’t as attractive to bugs.
• Vacuum them up when you see them (don’t forget to empty the container).