Landscape Pests
California Camel Cricket
Field Cricket
House Cricket
Call Corky's Today
1-800-901-1102
Crickets
House Cricket
- Adults are between 3/4-7/8" long
- 3 dark crossbands on its head differentiate it from the field cricket
- Usually tries to move indoors in cooler months, especially in the evenings
- Inside, they often feed on clothing or carpet
- Hide during the day, most active at night
- Males make a frail chirping noise
- Most numerous cricket in Southern California
Field Cricket
- Adults are between ½ to 1 1/4" long
- Black, brown or reddish in color
- Feed on just about any organic matter, can become an agricultural pest
- Prominent in late spring and early summer
- Males make a loud chirping noise
Jerusalem Cricket
- Very large-up to 2 inches long
- Amber colored
- Can bite with strong force
- Require high humidity, most prominent in spring
- Live in burrows in the ground
- Feeds on roots, dead animal matter, and are sometimes cannibalistic
California Camel Cricket
- Brown or gray in color
- Adults are ½ to ¾ inch in length
- Very secretive and hard to spot
- Feeds on living and dead insects
General
Crickets are attracted to light, and also seek to enter buildings when the weather turns cold. Excessive rainfall may also drive crickets to seek indoor shelter. Males produce the familiar cricket sound. They have a file and scraper system on the wings that creates a vibration-a chirping or ticking sound. Females are unable to produce this sound, and are attracted to this "music" from the males. Crickets can eat and damage many fabrics, leather, nylon, rubber, paper, fur, and even some plastics.
There are several prominent crickets that can be a nuisance. The California Camel Cricket is brown or gray in color. Adults are 1/2 to 3/4 inches in length, and are very secretive and hard to spot. They feed on living and dead insects.
Field Cricket adults are between 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches long, and are black, brown or reddish in color. They will feed on just about any organic matter, and can become an agricultural pest. They are most prominent in late spring and early summer. Males make a loud chirping noise. House Cricket adults are between 3/4-7/8 inches long, and have 3 dark cross bands on its head that differentiate it from the field cricket. It usually tries to move indoors in cooler months, especially in the evenings. Once inside, they often feed on clothing or carpet, hiding during the day, and being most active at night. The males make a frail chirping noise, and it is the most numerous cricket in Southern California.
The Jerusalem Cricket is very large-up to 2 inches long and amber colored. It can actually bite with strong force. It requires high humidity, and is most prominent in spring. The Jerusalem Cricket lives in burrows in the ground, and feeds on roots, dead animal matter, and can sometimes be cannibalistic.
Life Cycle:
Between 150-700 eggs are laid, many eggs overwintering to hatch in the spring. There are 7-9 larval instars, and nymphs develop in 50-90 days on the average. Some nymphs may also overwinter. There can be from 1-3 generations per year.
