Two Species, Two Situations

Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus)

Missouri's most common cricket — black or dark brown, 3/4 to 1 inch, the familiar chirping insect of summer evenings. Field crickets are primarily outdoor insects that invade structures in late summer and fall when temperatures begin to drop. They enter through door gaps, foundation cracks, and any opening in the building envelope. Males chirp constantly while indoors as they continue reproductive behavior, which is why a handful of field crickets in a garage or basement creates a disproportionate noise problem. Field crickets die in the low humidity of most heated structures within a few weeks — the problem is that more enter continually until cold weather ends the migration.

Camel Cricket (Diestrammena asynamora and native species)

Camel crickets — humpbacked, wingless, pale tan, with extremely long back legs — are the other species Missouri homeowners commonly encounter. Unlike field crickets, camel crickets are permanently basement and crawlspace residents that do not chirp and prefer the high-humidity, dark conditions of crawlspaces, basement corners, and attached garage interiors. They do not bite and cause no structural damage, but populations in crawlspaces can be large and their presence indicates the high moisture levels that other pest species also require. Camel cricket populations in crawlspaces are typically addressed as part of moisture management rather than direct cricket control.

D&D Pest Control treats fall cricket invasions in Franklin County and rural Missouri — visit ddpestcontrolmo.com.