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But, have you ever seen cave crickets? If not, then consider yourself lucky.
These are a mixture of crickets and spiders. Their body is like a cricket, but they have six long legs and can jump high. Most of the cave crickets stay outdoors, but due to excessive heat, they invade our house. Once they are inside the house, they find a damp, humid spot and start breeding. Thus, there will be hundreds of cave crickets roaming your house, and removing them will become more complex. The best thing you can do is take the help of professional pest controllers.
Few basic things about cave crickets
To deal with cave crickets, you need to know them better. Here are some of the basic facts:
The species
Cave crickets are also called spider crickets because of their spider-like appearance. But, they are not spiders. They are from the Orthoptera species, which relates them to grasshoppers and other crickets. They have six legs, which makes them look like spiders.
On the other hand, they are not general crickets. They also have long legs, which helps them to jump almost three feet high. We also call them camel crickets because of the humped backs. Another thing that makes cave crickets different from normal crickets is that they cannot chirp at all.
Their habitat
Usually, you can find cave crickets in damp and cold areas. They are basically outdoor insects. They thrive under stones, mulch, woodpiles, railroad ties, and debris. In the case of buildings, a moist environment attracts them like drainage pipes, wells, air conditioners, shades, and damp corners.
Indoor crickets can also be found in basements, attics, garages, crawl spaces, and utility rooms. Like all other insects, any dirty and unused room will be their best hiding place. When the weather becomes dry and hot, they invade our house structures.
Their habits
Cave crickets become active during the night and stay hidden the whole day. Being outdoor creatures, they stay in weeds, caves, holes in the ground, under rocks, and tall grass. When the weather becomes too dry outside, they enter our homes to find shelter. If they find any suitable damp area in your house, they start reproducing. They live in colonies, so if you find one cave cricket in your house, there will be hundreds more.
Such a large population can damage your house irreparably. Another thing about them is that cave crickets can grow in numbers very quickly. They call other crickets to share the home and breed. Thus, in no time, there will be thousands of crickets making your life miserable. If things go out of hand, then you must resolve pest related issues in your house by being in touch with professionals. They will carry out a thorough analysis and get the job done in no time.
Their diet
Crickets eat almost everything they find. Wood, cardboard, carpet, fungi, and other insects are some of their usual diets. Interestingly, cave crickets can survive without food for a long time. They usually spend the whole winter with little or no food at all. So, if you are planning to kill them by trapping them inside a room, that is not going to work.
Harms they cause to a house
Cave crickets do not chirp, they exist in the damp areas of your house and breed. But, you cannot take this lightly. One female cricket can lay 100 eggs at a time. So, before you know it, there will be thousands of crickets jumping all-around your house. If they outgrow in number, you can see them in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.
So, you cannot keep any food open, or else it will be contaminated. Moreover, they will munch on your furniture, make holes in your clothes, and damage the pipes. The worst thing is, cave crickets can increase the cracks in the structure of your house and make it weak. It also creates entry points for other insects.
Their Bite
Wondering if these deadly-looking crickets can bite, the answer is no. They cannot bite. They use their mouth only for chewing. So, they gnaw on anything they find. Though, if one lands on your skin, they will try to bite you, but cannot penetrate your skin. So, you may feel a slight sting, but that is not harmful at all.
Conclusion
These are some of the basic things that you must know about cave crickets. Making your house free of cave crickets will be difficult. So, call the professional pest removers and let them do the job. Once they remove all crickets, ensure that you use all preventive measures to stop any further infestation.
