9 Brilliant Ways You Can Keep Crickets Away Indefinitely

Picture this: you’re enjoying a delightful summer night and getting ready for bed. Just when you’ve finally gotten settled down and are drifting asleep, you hear the irritatingly loud chirping crickets right outside your window. Many of us have faced this problem, and it often leaves us with the question “how the heck do I get rid of crickets in my yard?” 

There are a few highly recommended methods you can try to use to keep crickets away for good. Some of the most common include: 

• Keeping your lawn/yard short and tidy 
• Getting chickens as natural pest control 
• Using diatomaceous earth around house entrances 
• Using insect repellent sprays 
• Using ultrasonic insect repellers
• Using essential oils as a repellent 
• Setting out crickets traps 

Crickets can honestly be one of the most annoying pests to have. Keep reading if you are interested in learning more about why they are coming, and some things you can do to keep them away for good!

What Attracts Crickets To Your Yard In The First Place?

To answer the question of how you can get rid of crickets in your yard, we must first find out why they are attracted to it in the first place.

Unfortunately, many of the things that we keep in and around our homes are gold mines for crickets, and can easily attract them to the area. 

By knowing what may attract crickets to your yard, you can try to eliminate them and repel the crickets for good! 

Crickets Are Attracted To Soiled Fabrics 

Although it may sound odd, soiled fabrics are one of the main things that attract crickets into people’s houses.

To be more specific, crickets are attracted to natural fibers such as wool, cotton, bamboo, or silk. According to the University Of Nebraska, crickets (among other pests) are attracted to these fabrics because they can actively eat and survive off of the natural fibers and what is within them. 

Additionally, crickets specifically like fabrics that are soiled/have stains, because the leftover mess provides a different facet of nutrition for them.

Aside from giving your clothes a good wash when they are dirty, you could invest in a more secure laundry hamper, such as the YOUDENOVA Large Laundry Hamper With Lid.

Crickets Love Leftover Food

Leftover food is another common thing that acts as an attractant for crickets. This could be something as apparent to leftover food after a barbecue, to something as discreet as crumbs dropped off of a loaf of bread.

As you can probably guess, food attracts crickets because they need it to survive. Additionally, if enough food is available, they may even be inclined to stay and produce offspring.

Other than making sure you don’t leave any sizeable pieces of food/produce out, you can try to be vigilant about wiping up crumbs off the floor to prevent them from attracting crickets.

Spills Can Attract Crickets

Similar to leftover food, spills that aren’t properly cleaned up can also attract crickets. Depending on the type of spill, crickets may be attracted to it as a source of food or hydration. 

From small kitchen spills to large garage spills, crickets don’t care what it is. As long as it is on the ground, it is free game. Just like other small pests, crickets tend to be extra attracted to sweet-smelling or oily spills, as those provide special amino acids/nutrients that they can’t find elsewhere.

To help with this, you could use a quality cleaner such as Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate. Cleaners such as this are great because they allow you to choose the strength of your final cleaner.

Additionally, cleaners with neutral scents may work great, as they can fully eliminate the attractive scents of your spills. 

Pet Food And Waste Is A Cricket Attractant

Your pet’s food or waste may attract crickets. Ugh, if owning pets isn’t hard enough! Much like the other sources of attraction, crickets will flock to your pet’s poop or food because they can survive off of it. 

To help with this issue, try to bag and throw away all of your pet’s waste as soon as possible, and make sure you secure their food in an airtight container. 

Crickets Love To Live In Tall Grass And Plants 

Having tall grass and abundant plant life on your property can also be fairly attractive to crickets.

In most cases, grass and plants mean that there is ample food and protection around to support adult crickets and their offspring. Adult crickets usually flock to tall grass, making it a breeding ground during the spring and summer months. 

According to the College Of Agriculture, Forestry, And Life Sciences – certain crickets, such as the Mole Cricket, are so attracted to grass that they can become a large problem for homeowners and farmers alike.

Most cases of mole cricket infestation require some heavy-duty pest control from trained professionals. 

Other Crickets Can Attract More Crickets 

As touched upon, the presence of crickets can be enough to attract more to an area. According to the University Of Florida, certain crickets make specific songs that attract others for reproduction. 

When more crickets are in an area, the song becomes louder, making it even more attractive.

This addition after addition is known as a positive feedback loop. In nature, these feedback loops can be a big problem because there is no built-in stop; meaning that your yard could eventually become a cricket paradise! 

Unfortunately, there’s no great way to combat this issue aside from getting rid of crickets in the first place. 

9 Brilliant Ways To Keep Crickets Away For Good

Whew! Talking about what attracts crickets to your yard can be overwhelming, to say the least. I mean, it can often feel like there is nothing we can do to combat the problem. 

Luckily, there are a few brilliant ways you can keep crickets away indefinitely. As mentioned earlier, these are just some of the most common methods of cricket control, and some may not even work for you.

What is important, however, is that you can have a list to try out for yourself, so that you can find what method is the right fit for you! 

Keep Your Lawn Clean To Protect Against Crickets 

One of the top ways to prevent crickets from swarming your house is to keep your lawn clean and tidy. In other words, make sure any fescue grass is regularly mowed, and there aren’t any large piles of debris lying around (especially near your house). 

By keeping your grass cut and your yard clear, you are removing any possible habitats crickets could use to hide and reproduce.

Keeping your yard tidy can help to prevent most pests, so it is an excellent step to take even if you don’t have an active infestation. 

Chickens Will Get Rid Of Crickets

If you are in an area that allows chickens, or you even have chickens already, they are a great natural form of pest control.

No matter where you place them, chickens will spend their time picking around in the dirt looking for insects such as worms, spiders, and even crickets!

On top of this, when chickens are well-fed from their foraging, they can also produce eggs for you to eat… yummy!

It is important, though, that you protect your flock, as they are susceptible to bigger predators like coyotes and eagles.

Getting something like the LEISU Outdoor Large Chicken Run is a great idea, as it can protect your chickens while giving them a big area to do their thing!

Get Rid Of Crickets By Vacuuming

One way to get rid of crickets fully is to remove them manually through processes like vacuuming and hand-cleaning.

When you hand clean an area, you can be 100% sure that all eggs and live crickets are removed from the area. 

Tactics like this are especially good when you have pre-existing infestations.

Along with vacuuming inside carpets affected by crickets, you can apply this method to patio carpets and furniture as well.

That is probably a great idea, as many indoor cricket infestations occur from initial outside cricket infestations. 

Seal Off Doorways And Entrances From Crickets

Another way to make sure crickets don’t get in is to seal off all entrances to your home. This means that you should make sure windows are properly caulked, doors are properly sealed, and screens are used in open entrances.

Screens are a good idea in any situation because they can block other pests such as flies and mosquitoes.

You can check out this MAGZO Magnetic Screen Door as an easy, low-budget, and renter-friendly option.

Additionally, if you need to recaulk your windows, Gorilla Waterproof Caulk & Seal is a great option that protects against moisture and crickets alike!

Get Rid Of Crickets With Diatomaceous Earth

You may have heard of diatomaceous earth being used for cleaning spills, leeching up odor, or even removing contaminants from water, but did you know it can also work as a great pest eliminator? 

For most insects, diatomaceous earth works to interfere with their exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate and leave the area.

What’s great about it is that it is safe enough to be put into foods, so you should have no worries if you try this out as a remedy. 

To use diatomaceous earth, you simply sprinkle it around the areas you want to repel crickets from. Some of the best locations are doorways, windowsills, patio openings, etc.

When you use products such as the Earthborn Elements Diatomaceous Earth, you will be ensured that you are using something high-quality!

According to the University Of California, even though diatomaceous earth is a tried and reputable form of pest control, you should still use it with some caution, and always follow directions given on the packaging!

Use An Insect Repellent Spray Against Crickets

Insect repellent sprays are another great budget-friendly option to use against most pests.

Most insect repellent sprays work by using irritating scents and compounds that insects don’t like. However, it is important to note that some contain pesticides, so be careful when you are purchasing a product!

Products such as the Repel HG-402000 Insect Repellent Spray work extremely well while also being safe for people and pets! This means that you can both spray in on yourself and the areas you don’t want cockroaches to come into.

Crickets Hate Strong Scents And Essential Oils

Using certain powerful scents and essential oils can also be very effective as cricket control. Most pests, including crickets, particularly hate potent scents such as:

• Clove

• Pepper

• Lemon

• Peppermint

• Spearmint

• Rosemary 

• Lavender

While you can purchase pre-made sprays that use essential oil, you can also make your own, or just use the oil as is. Because they are so strong, simply putting a few drops around the house is enough to repel crickets from far away. MAJESTIC PURE Peppermint Essential Oil is a great example of an oil that you can use for a long period! 

Another reason essential oils are great is that you can alter their potency depending on wherever you use them!

Cricket Traps Can Work Wonders

If your cricket problem becomes more than you can handle with humane traps, you may have to opt for some actual cricket traps. Most commercial cricket traps are glue pads that stop the crickets in their tracks. 

After the crickets are stuck in the glue, they cannot move, and eventually are eliminated. 

One great example is the Catchmaster 72MAX Pest Trap. Many people choose to use traps such as this because they are small, scent-free, and they are ultimately disposable in the end. 

For most of these glue traps, you have to be mindful, as the glue strip can be exposed and stick to you!

Luckily, some brands have thought of this issue and have made the traps enclosed or folded so that none of the glue is directly exposed.

Cricket traps are also another great option if you have a huge cricket problem because they can dispatch many crickets at once cleanly.

When using traps, you can also be sure that whatever crickets you trap will be gone for good!

If All Else Fails, Contact A Pest Professional

In the end, if none of the methods above seem to help you with your troubles, you may have to contact a pest professional.

Utilizing experts in the field is a great step to take if you have a serious pest issue, as they have ample knowledge and experience to help you! 

For most areas, there are at least one or two well-trained pest professionals nearby who could help you. Utilizing the work of professionals also prevents any risks you may take when trying home remedies such as diatomaceous earth. 

In addition, if you don’t have the budget for a professional, or simply don’t want to hire one, you could still call them to ask for advice.

Regardless of if they are working for you, most pest professionals are more than happy to give you a tip or two on how you can manage your pest problems! 

If you are having issues finding an expert near you, try out our handy-dandy pest professional finding tool! 

Keeping Crickets Away After An Infestation

It is important to note that everyone’s cricket problems will be different because each unique case has its species of cricket, attractant involved, habitats, etc.

With this in mind, it may take longer or shorter for you to solve your problems.

This just all goes to say that for most pest problems, there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution.

Once you have gotten rid of most of your crickets, however, you should be focused on how to keep them away in the future.

If your yard or house was truly infested by crickets, there is a high chance they will come back in the future, as there may be pre-made nests, stores of food, or even eggs laid.

With all of this being said, using more repellent-oriented items, such as sprays, ultrasonic repellents, or other similar means, is a good idea. By using these products after you get rid of an infestation, you are lowering the chances of it happening again shortly!

Be Wary Of Crickets Attracting Other Pests

One last thing you should think about is the fact that crickets themselves may attract other pests. In most small insect infestations, a small “food chain” is created, attracting larger and larger pests as time passes.

If left unchecked, cricket (and other small insect infestations) can attract a bunch of other pests, such as spiders, rats, mice, frogs, bats, and even frogs.

In other words, it is best to deal with your pest problems early on before they spiral and cause other issues. This goes for crickets and other pests alike!

For these reasons, using an all-around/all-purpose pest repellent may be a great option for you, especially if you have had a multitude of pest issues in the past.

Using something like this Mighty Mint 16oz Insect And Pest Repellent Peppermint Oil Spray can help you stop all pests in their tracks!

Wrapping Up!

In the end, crickets can be a pretty tricky pest to deal with because they are small, can be loud, and reproduce fast! Due to their ability to reproduce fast, and their likelihood of attracting other pests, it is recommended to address their presence quickly. 

If all else fails, it is recommended to contact a pest professional near you, even if you aren’t planning on utilizing their surfaces. 

With all this in mind, good luck and happy cricket repelling!

Sources

Alexander, R. D. (1968). Life cycle origins, speciation, and related phenomena in crickets. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 43(1), 1-41.

Otte, D., & Alexander, R. D. (1983). The Australian crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). The Australian crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

Hudson, W. G. (1986). Mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) damage to Hemarthria altissima: resistance or nonpreference?. Journal of economic entomology, 79(4), 961-963.

Adjei, M. B., Crow, W. T., Smart Jr, G. C., Frank, J. H., & Leppla, N. C. (2001). Biological control of pasture mole crickets with nematodes. University of Florida EDIS Fact sheet ENT, 9.