I Have Camel Crickets in My Crawl Space!

Crawl spaces are notoriously dark and damp, and no bug likes dark and damp places more than camel crickets. If you have a crawl space, then there’s a good chance you’ve seen these little pests hopping around when you turn on a light.

Camel crickets go by a variety of names, including cave crickets and spider crickets. Camel crickets get their name from their humpbacked appearance, which is like that of a camel. The have a lifespan of up to two years, and, unlike other cricket species, do not chirp and do not have wings. Using their long limbs, camel crickets leap when they are frightened to scare off predators.

You might think that camel crickets are harmless nuisance pests, which they are – until they enter your home in the fall, lay thousands of undetectable eggs at a rapid pace, and cause a cricket infestation come spring.

Even worse, camel crickets are omnivores, and they will eat any type of clothing, including the clothes hanging in your closet and the fabric on your sofa. They will also feast on cardboard, wood, fungi, and their fellow crickets.

7 Ways to Protect Your Crawl Space from Camel Crickets

1. Dehumidify the Area: Camel crickets crave damp space. So, use a dehumidifier in your crawl space to reduce the moisture level. If your crawl space is dry, camel crickets will seek another place to shelter and reproduce.
2. Seal the Area: Use weather stripping and caulking to seal off the area and eliminate any easy access to not only your crawl space, but also your home.
3. De-Clutter: Remove clutter from your crawl space, such as cardboard boxes full of junk. This will eliminate hiding spots and food sources. If you need to store stuff in your crawl space, then use airtight plastic containers to keep camel crickets out of your storage area.
4. Break Out the Shop Vac: A shop vac is a good strategy to begin the camel cricket eradication process. Vacuum up as many crickets as you can. More than likely, you will not get all of them, as they are exceptionally good at hiding. Promptly empty the vacuum cleaner.
5. Traps: Sticky traps designed to trap all types of household pests placed anywhere walls and the ground intersect in the crawl space. Adding bait, such as moldy bread will increase your chances of catching them.
6. Soapy Water: Place shallow bowls of soapy water where you have seen camel crickets. They will be attracted to the water and drown when they try to drink.
7. Call a Professional: If all the above tactics fail to rid your crawl space of camel crickets, then call us. We have the experience and know how to solve your camel cricket problem.

Camel Cricket Facts

• Camel crickets have six legs.
• Thanks to their long hind legs and quick reflexes, a camel cricket can jump as high as three feet. This amazing feat of acrobatics can help a camel cricket escape most small predators.
• For larger predators, including humans, camel crickets will often leap toward the source of danger to startle or scare away the predator.
• Baby camel crickets have translucent bodies.
• The bodies of adult camel crickets are roughly two inches. However, when they are measured with the hind legs, they seem to almost double in length.

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