What Do Camel Crickets Look Like?

You’ve sent one of the kids into the basement to grab something for you, only to have them run back upstairs screaming. They’ve encountered a large, ugly bug. Camel crickets AKA Cave Crickets or Sprickets are odd looking insects with a cricket-like body and long legs like a spider. They physically look like big spiders with six very long legs, a curved hump back and large drumstick-shaped hind legs made for jumping. They are brown and an inch or two in size with no wings but are excellent jumpers. They look scary but will not bite as they don’t have fangs.

Damage of Camel Crickets

Camel crickets like warm, dark, damp environments and even though they may look intimidating, they’re almost totally harmless. Outside, they can be found in cluttered garages, leaky gutters, under decks, in caves or in the woods. They are omnivores that eat plant matter, fungus, insects and sometimes fabric, cloth or cardboard. Large numbers can cause damage to clothing from biting and fecal stains on the floors or walls. If you hear chirping from crickets, you’ll know that they aren’t camel crickets because camel crickets do no chirp.

Camel Cricket Prevention

Deterring camel crickets is as simple as taking care of any moisture issues you’re having. This includes taking care of leaky pipes and making sure you don’t have any drainage problems that can make your basement very inviting. Take steps to ventilate crawlspaces as this will prevent moisture buildup. If you discover where they are getting in, you will need to figure out where they might be coming from. They might be hiding out under leaf debris or piles of wood. You should keep slabs of stone, bricks and tarps several feet away from your home and if you find cracks in the foundation, they will need to be sealed with cement or grout. Use weather stripping under doors to eliminate any gaps. Use a dehumidifier to eliminate moisture. If they have already starting breeding inside your home, you will need to take steps to get rid of them. This is not an easy task however. You can use sticky traps in any areas where you see them. If you tend to have a dusty basement, you will need to check on the traps often as the dust can make them useless. Clean up any dust and dirt before setting the traps out and vacuuming regularly will also remove sources of food too. Large camel cricket infestations might need pesticides that can be applied around the perimeter to keep them out.

Camel Cricket Control

Camel crickets can be unnerving due to their jumping behavior. Their poor eyesight and dark living conditions will have them jumping erratically when disturbed. This might mean having one jump right at you! If prevention hasn’t been successful, you can call in the professionals. We will do an inspection to figure out how big the problem is and let you know what the cost of removal will be. If you think you have camel crickets jumping around your home, call Eagle Pest Services to eliminate them!