We’re all pretty familiar with common crickets found in most Tucson homes. They’re yellowish-brown with a variety of darker markings, and they range from about 1/3 to 2/3 of an inch in length. In terms of pest classification, they’re “nuisance pests” which means they’re not dangerous, but that doesn’t mean that they are harmless either. Crickets can bring not only limited damage to a home, but they also bring with them a variety of other pests as well that find them to be plentiful sources of food, which includes spiders, scorpions and vinegarroons. These pests you want no part of in the home, so eliminating crickets from your Tucson area home is a reliable preventative measure to eliminate unwanted pests that are harmful to adults, children and pets.
One known fact about crickets is that they have very high keratin-rich diets, meaning they can cause problems in your home by spreading pathogens, food contamination and cosmetic damage. These food sources they can find in our homes can include:
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- Furniture
- Fabrics and clothing
- Leather
- Fur clothing
- Wallpaper
- Books and paper
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- Carpeting
- Indoor plants
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grain-based foods
- Nuts and legumes
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Basic Tips
Usually the culprits are moisture or access to food and a combination of the two. Here are a few tips to help keep crickets of your home:
- Keep your yard cleared debris, wood, fallen leaves or weeds
- Trim back any low hanging branches, shrubs touching your home or trees that touch your eaves
- Eliminate thick underbrush around your home
- Most homes in Tucson have rock, but if you have irrigation or grass, check to ensure you don’t have excessive water retention after irrigating plants
- Check your door, window and entry seals for cracks or damage
- Identify loose sliding doors, exposed wood, or areas that are poorly sealed around the home
- Repair any damaged or leaking pipes around the home, including hoses and irrigation systems
- Check for any areas that are showing excess moisture on the exterior of your home
- Regularly sweeping, moping and clearing debris around the interior of the home, specifically in pantries and garages, provide much less available food
Crickets are not always deterred with DIY preventative measures and in some cases you only reduce your infestation. To truly eliminate crickets and other pests from your home, calling a professional is the only move that offer reliable long term results. You’ll be surprised with how affordable reliable pest control can be! Give us a call today to see how we can help you!