For the most part, the only time people think about crickets is when they hear the insect’s chirping sound through a screened window during the spring and summer season. This somewhat rhythmic chirping sound is considered pleasant to some people, but when the chirping originates from within a home, some residents begin to feel uneasy. Knowing a cricket is inside of your home can be annoying, as they always seem to stop chirping once you begin to follow the sound of their chirps. It is not uncommon for Massachusetts residents to find or hear numerous crickets within their home during the spring, summer and fall seasons, but luckily, cricket infestations are nothing more than a nuisance, as the insects do not bite, spread disease, or inflict structural damages.
The three cricket species that commonly infest homes in Massachusetts include Gryllus pennsylvanicus, Ceuthophilus maculatus and Acheta domesticus. These species are more commonly known as the field cricket, the spotted-camel cricket and the house cricket, respectively. Field crickets can be beneficial within gardens, as the insects feed on the eggs and pupae of insect species that damage cultivated plants. But field crickets are also known for chewing on agricultural and ornamental plants when they become abundant in gardens. Field crickets are also known for infesting homes in large numbers in order to seek refuge from the cold. The spotted-camel cricket is particularly abundant within the northeast states and up into Canada, and catching these insects within a home can be challenging due to their ability to jump to impressive heights and over long distances. These light brown crickets gravitate toward moist and dark areas of a home, most commonly basements and cellars during the summer, fall and winter seasons. The house cricket may be the most annoying cricket species to have within a home, as they are notorious for their loud and seemingly constant chirping that tends to keep an infested home’s occupants up at night.
Have you ever attempted to locate a cricket, or several within your home by following their chirping sounds?