Camel crickets, also known as cave crickets or spotted spider crickets live in dark and damp places where they reproduce. They’re also sometimes called sprickets. They are a nuisance once they get in houses. They mainly stay in the basement area. It becomes very hard to notice them until they reproduce and are in larger numbers that are harder to miss.
Getting rid of this pest depends on the degree of infestation and the resources you have ready to fight them. However, it is generally easy to get rid of them without any help. They’re easier to get rid of than bed bugs.
Summary
Camel cricks, also called cave crickets, pose no immediate danger to you, although they may chew at your clothing. The best way to get rid of camel crickets is with the MaxGuard trap and by calling professionals to deal with them.
In addition, we’ll also talk about the following:
- Can camel crickets hurt you? Are they dangerous to humans?
- How do I get rid of camel crickets?
- Best poison & traps
- Size
- Why do they jump at you?
- What attracts them?
- Do they bite?
Can camel crickets hurt you? Are they dangerous to humans?
Camel crickets will rarely hurt humans. While at home, they chew indoor plants. They also love fabric or cardboard on their way. They may bite your hand while they gnaw, thinking it is something to feed on. The only time they may seem serious enough ready to attack you is when you are approaching them. They hop towards you as they try to flee, which is thought to be their defense mechanism. Humans may not like they and may call pest control to solve your problem, but they’re no imminent danger to your health.
However, they will chew away at clothing, carpet, and curtains, creating holes in them.
How do I get rid of camel crickets?
While they rarely harm people, they can damage your property and accessories like extension cords. They can also mess up your neatly done garage epoxy floor. It is why you should strive to exterminate them. The method of getting rid of crickets will depend on the degree of infestation and your resources, too. It means you could consult specialist fumigators or deal with them yourself. You can deal with them yourself if you have enough time and resources. Whichever method you decide to use, you can almost be sure that you will get positive results.
The methods of dealing with these pests include the ones we’ve listed. Make sure to check out the DIY trap that will get rid of a lot of them, no matter which type you’re dealing with.
Here are some of the things to consider:
- Using a dehumidifier
- Sealing cracks
- Traps
- Professional help
1.) Use a dehumidifier
Cave crickets best survive in dumpy and humid areas explaining why they are mostly found in basements during dry seasons. It’s why you need a dehumidifier. The cool and dumpy conditions are not only good for their survival but also for reproduction. It gives rise to thousands of crickets. After getting client feedback, you can use our recommended dehumidifier. We have found this to be highly effective.
Dehumidifiers dry up the house leaving very little moisture in conditions surrounding the area. It generally leads to voluntary exit by the cave crickets from their hiding location. If you regularly dehumidify, your house will be cricket-free with time. Also, there would be a few deaths due to unfavorable conditions.
Here’s a dehumidifier we’d encourage you to look into.
| Name | Amazon Basics Dehumidifier |
| Area covered | Up to 2,500 square feet |
| Item Weight | 39.2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 15.43 x 24.25 x 11.1 inches |
| Size | 35-pint |
Pros
- It has thousands of positive reviews.
- It’s impressive at getting moisture out of the air.
- It has a clean look.
- It’s easy to use.
Cons
- You may not need such a big option.
- The packing could be better.
[amazon box=”B07XKGLMR8″ title=”Amazon Basics Dehumidifier” description=”It’s a great dehumidifier.”]
2.) Seal the area
Openings at places that are low enough to gain access are recommended to be closed. Easy entry points include basement windows, doors, and weather openings. You can seal the openings to ensure that the easy entry points are sealed. Hardly any will manage to enter your house.
3.) Declutter
If you have any piles of either cardboard or clothes, they will act as hiding spots for the crickets and as their breeding points. Get rid of unused stuff in your house as well. They thrive best in darkness when unseen because they can easily multiply unnoticed.
You can organize the things in your basement in an orderly manner and keep them away from the walls. This way, the camel crickets can easily be noticed when they enter.
4.) Vacuum
If you suspect that your house has been infested, you can use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of them. The vacuum will suckle nearly everything as you clean, including the eggs. If using a vacuum cleaner, it is recommended you vacuum everything. You will also need a repeat vacuum for maximum pest clearance in 7 to 14 days.
5.) Soapy water
Placing bowls of soapy water in the areas where you are most likely to get the crickets also helps in reducing their numbers. They will get to the water thinking it’s drinking water that will drown them in the process. You can also spray soapy water in infested areas. The sprayed soapy water damages the cells, leading to irritation and death afterward.
6.) Professional help
Suppose the infestation is too large to control. It is advisable to contact professional fumigators to help you assess the situation and recommend the right remedy. Professionals can know to what extent your house has been infested and best to clean them up.
Suppose you are not sure whether your house has been infested or not. You can get professionals who will look into your house to check whether they are there and how best to eliminate the camel crickets.
Best poison & traps
Using traps can be relatively easy and cheap when dealing with an infestation since you will use readily available things from a store. These insects can get into anything, including your RV. They may hide in its cassette toilet as long as it gets a dark and humid environment.
You can use duct tape with its sticky side upward-facing and sprinkle some food around it to attract the insects. Once they step on it, they get stuck and can’t move anymore. The stuck ones will die and attract others who will feed on the former, getting the latter stuck as well.
Sticky mouse traps are ready-to-use options for those that find using duct tape hard or time-consuming. Sticky mouse traps are also easy to find in stores around our houses. You can also spread food around and in the trap with the mouse traps. It will make them step into the trap trying to get food, thus getting stuck.
Electronic mouse traps can be placed in places where they pass through. Once they step into the trap, they get electrocuted. The trap must be kept away from the reach of children to protect them from electrocution.
Honestly, we’d also recommend that you try out these glue traps. For a DIY solution, they’ve proved extremely effective. Our experiences were much like the CRAZY experiences of the people reviewing them. It’s wild JUST HOW MANY crickets some reviewers have caught with this product, so we tried it out!
| Name | MaxGuard Extra Large Traps |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces |
| Material | Glue |
| Number of Pieces | 8 |
| Package Dimensions | 11.8 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches |
Pros
- We’ve field tested them, and they’re great.
- They also work for other pests.
- They’re very reasonably priced.
Cons
- They could be packaged better.
- They’re very sticky if they get stuck to unintended surfaces.
- They don’t kill the bugs immediately.
[amazon box=”B08WPGQCJP” title=”MaxGuard” description=”These traps weren’t just designed to catch any type of pest. They are field designed for and field tested for exactly the ones discussed in this article.”]
Size
Fully grown adult camel crickets’ bodies grow to about 1.9’’ in size, excluding legs and antennae. It is approximately 5cm. It means even fully grown members are generally small and easy to maneuver through small spaces and cracks.
Why do they jump at you?
Just like other living organisms, they have a survival mechanism. A way to ensure they are not easy targets for prey. Whenever you are approaching one, it darts towards you as a way of scaring you away. It may do so knowingly or not. Many people get scared and scamper for their safety, unaware that the insect can’t harm them.
What attracts them?
Camel crickets are usually attracted to dark, humid areas with large crawl spaces for their movement. They usually move into our houses when it is dry with very little humidity in the environment, looking for dark and damp spaces. They are mostly active at night or in darkness and use their long antennae to ease movement.
If you put out a trap, you can bait them with some of their favorite foods. Any organic matter will work, even mold or other animals. They’ll also often stay around yard debris on your home’s perimeter. An outside inspection is important as they have plenty of hiding spaces.
Do they bite?
They rarely bite. It is so hard to find anyone bitten by them. They feed on fabrics in our houses or cardboard or wood. Wires and fungi are also high up on their list. Their mode of feeding mode is mainly chewing and gnawing. Whenever they find their way in, they feed on clothes.
You will rarely find a person harmed by them. Suppose they’re in the place you live in. The only harm you would be exposed to is if they accidentally chew your skin while you are asleep. It could leave you with a scar that is quite hard to notice.
