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Camel Crickets

Summary: Camel crickets do not chirp so you do not know they are present. They like to linger in dark, damp places. If they are in your home, your clothes and carpets may be at risk. You can learn more about products to help control camel crickets or purchase them here.

If you discover camel crickets inside your home, any of the common insecticides such as Suspend SC, can be used on baseboards or behind appliances. The most popular granular insecticide bait is Niban Granules, which can be used around the exterior perimeter of your home or placed in small feeding trays in the along interior walls in the basement. Chemical sprays are useful on the foundation, vents, and door thresholds. Handling pesticides is always an issue, so always read the label and follow the label instructions exactly.

Camel crickets derive their name from the humpback appearance of their bodies. They have long antennae and long, thin legs, similar to those of a daddy longlegs spider. They are usually light tan to dark brown in color.

Camel crickets, also called cave crickets or humpback crickets, are typically ½ inch to 1-½ inches long. The main difference in appearance between camel crickets and other types of crickets is that adult camel crickets do not have wings.

How can you tell if the crickets in or around your home are camel crickets? Well, camel crickets do not chirp. So, if you are hearing chirping from the crickets, you most likely have been paid a visit by field crickets. You are unlikely to know you have camel crickets until you uncover one while searching the depths of a seldom-visited basement room. Camel crickets enjoy spending their time in dark, damp places and do not chirp, so they can live in a house unnoticed for long periods.

Camel crickets inhabit moist areas outdoors in places like stacks of firewood, stones, logs, and caves. They will also hide under places that provide good coverage such as beneath porches, inside sheds, and in patches of ivy.

Camel crickets cannot reproduce indoors unless they are exposed to moisture for a significant period of time. Female camel crickets lay their eggs in the soil in early spring. These eggs hatch into nymphs.

Camel crickets feed on leaf debris, paper products, and even fabrics like linens and furs. They will typically eat any kind of decaying organic matter. They become pests to humans in times of extreme weather conditions such as excessive rainfall or long periods of hot, dry weather. Because they love moist and humid areas, you can expect to see them any place where moisture is available.

Camel crickets will not cause much damage to your home unless they are permitted to live inside for long periods. If you do not act quickly to get rid of them, they may feed on clothing or linen stored in boxes in garages or basements. Camel crickets cannot bite or sting, but it is always best to deal with the infestation problem sooner rather than later.

Here are some tips for keeping camel crickets out of your home:

Damage to fabric

Seal any gaps or cracks in windows, doors and the foundation of your home.

Tightly apply weather-stripping to the bottom of garage doors and entryways.

Keep boxes off of the ground and away from corners to make inspections easier.

Eliminate moisture inside as much as possible, especially in humid areas such as your garage, crawlspace, basement or other storage areas.

Make sure water flows away from the outside foundation of your home. Water accumulating against foundation walls may allow water to seep through foundations providing the necessary moisture and humidity required by these crickets. Installation of drainage may be required to achieve this.

Keep mulch at least one foot away from the foundation of your home.

Avoid putting shrubs or ground cover near the foundation of your home.

Avoid storing firewood against your house or underneath decks.

Place glue boards in corners and behind appliances to trap camel crickets.

For more cricket articles please click here .

Comments

Charey
27 Apr 2011, 23:28

This article is wondrful. The stories are even more entertaining I could sit hear all night and read them all. I definitely plan to follow all of the above suggestions. Its been raining all week in NC which is not helping at all. I'm renting an older home built inh the 70's good thing its all hardwood/laminate flooring and I'm responsible for getting rid of these creatures. Where is the cheapest place I can purchase the granules and suspend sc? I'm on a budget.

I really hope my 18 mth old daughter doesn't find one ane pick it up. She likes to put everything in her mouth.

Do they make whit duct tape that will blend in with the painted walls? I have a few baseboard cracks that those little critters can easily slip through.

Thanks for the help!

Ask the Exterminator
28 Apr 2011, 10:03

You cannot buy Suspend SC or Talstar granules in a store. You can buy them at http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/suspend-sc.html and http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/talstar-pl-granules.html.

Tipster
06 May 2011, 23:43

It's really funny how my Family and so many others are so Freaked out on these hearty little buggers (camel Crickets) When my Wife Son or daughter see one they are so freaked out by it.They scream Cry and get so upset every time one hops out at them.They actually Break out into tears.and they call me standing on the toilet as if were a brown recluse or Black widow.for the most part bugs don't bother me Flying bugs on the other hand annoy me more than anything else.good luck to all all on your fears of these harmless Crickets though.

Crys
02 Jun 2011, 02:00

So, once again, I find myself fighting camel crickets. Lived in a townhouse with a fire place, we plugged up some holes connecting the carpet and the base, and they left (at least we think that is why they left).

Now we are in another town house, same style, same complex, no fireplace this time. Come home, there is one on the wall. Next day, as I am typing, one hops across the floor right before my eyes. I didn't even see it, but luckily my dog did which alerted me. I have no clue where it came from. We have had the place sprayed. And we plugged up any holes near damp areas, and they are still here. Are these monsters coming through the walls? Possibly in through the holes in poorly laid carpet? It's like they appear out of NOWHERE.. Thoughts??

Ask the Exterminator
02 Jun 2011, 10:17

Fix the moisture problem and you'll be on the road to stopping the crickets. It's the mold and algae they seek for food and moisture is the source.

Adam
03 Jun 2011, 03:00

I got one in my hand now and it is tickling me

Adam
03 Jun 2011, 03:04

I just put him outside.

Jo
06 Jun 2011, 21:48

I live in Texas,just So of Dallas, in the country. We have a concrete slab, this time of year is horrible with those bugs. My weep-holes have are blocked, we have an exterminator, but they still get in the house. It's a new house, & we can't figure out how they are getting in. Are they living in the house, or, are they getting in at night somehow when they are most active? Please help!

Ask the Exterminator
07 Jun 2011, 10:30

I'd be checking the door thresholds to make sure no daylight can be seen. If you can see light coming from under the door, crickets will get inside. Same for the garage door. If moisture is collecting along the exterior foundation walls, fix it. If the basement is damp, fix it. Take away the conditions that the crickets are seeking.

Bailey
20 Jun 2011, 05:08

I live in my basement and I kill about 5-6 of these a night. My room is virtually empty and not humid or anything. I've gotten to the point where I would get my huge thick flip flops and stomp on them. Then I curse at them also. I've become skilled enough now that I have a cane I keep by my bed and I can hit these monstrosities with the end of the cane killing them. The grossest part for me is the ones in my room are so big when you squish them they make a pop noise. Yuck!!

Mike
19 Aug 2011, 15:54

I learned how to get rid of these by accident. I was putting a vapor barrier down im my crawlspace using duct tape. I had long strips of it with the sticky side up as i taped the vapor barrier together. At the end of the day, I left some of the duct tape strips, with the sticky side up, laying across the crawlspace. When I went down a few weeks later, a whole bunch of them were stuck and dead on the tape. They must walk around in the dark and step on the tape and get stuck. I always make sure I have duct tape facing up now in the crawlspace.

libby
02 Sep 2011, 14:17

These beasts invade my home in summer, and EVERY night between 10 -11 pm one appears wherever I am - crawls after me - yes I find them in my bed, yes ON MY FACE - what the H do they want??!!! Even after killing one, within a few nights another takes its place...what are they DOING ON ME???? I swear even when I leave aLOT of lights on they still invade after 10...am afraid to sleep - am goona try sticky traps around my bed and hope I remember not to step on them!

Levi
03 Sep 2011, 20:38

Anyone know for certain whether these things bite or not? They also appear to attract bigger badder bugs aka wolf spiders.

Ask the Exterminator
06 Sep 2011, 12:41

They don't have teeth, per se, but they do have chewing mouthparts that can pinch.

LL
15 Sep 2011, 17:58

I found out from the water company that I had a possible water leak because the meter was running when I wasn't home, so the landlord's handyman checked under the house and found the water heater was leaking and had to replace it. Well, it's been a week or so, and I decided to check to see if the leak was taken care of because I can still smell a moldy, mildewy smell. So I go to the half of this 3-bedroom house that you can walk under (it's on a hill), I open the door, and BAMMMM! A bunch of these creatures hop at me! Oh! My! God!!!!! There is plastic laid down all over on the dirt floor, black spots on the wood beams between the insulation, and the smell of mold and mildew is nearly worse than then bazillions of these hoppy thingies!!! There are fans going because the house has radon, but they're tiny and aren't doing the trick as far as keeping the humidity out. Naturally, the landlord nor the handyman mentioned these bugs to me! I haven't seen one in the house yet, but it's only September... Is the landlord responsible to get rid of them? Are the black spots their waste or black mold? Is the smell I'm smelling them, or mold/mildew on the house? All I know is, I've lived here 6 months, and have been sick the entire time (had pneumonia in June for 6 weeks), and now that I know these bugs are there, I probably won't sleep well again until I get outta Dodge! Exterminator Man, do you know if they cause the musty, mildewy smell inside my house that's been here since day one? If they aren't inside now, will they stay out? My dog's been smelling the floor for no reason, I thought, now I know why!!!

Ask the Exterminator
15 Sep 2011, 19:00

The landlord is responsible for treating for insects. The mold is the cause of the smell, not the crickets. The crickets will stay close to the mold because that is their food source.

Cant sleep
24 Sep 2011, 02:54

saw a huge spider cricket and killed it with a broom. it was so big that i didnt want to clean it up i decided i would read a little and come back and get it later. When i came back, the body was gone and 3 new ones were in its place. DO these things eat eachother?????

Ask the Exterminator
26 Sep 2011, 16:40

They do, indeed.

Emily
05 Oct 2011, 10:42

Brooms work really well for getting spider crickets on the loose, effective and you can keep your distance!

Denise
07 Oct 2011, 03:35

I find them in my bathroom, and kitchen, usually dead, because I have 5 cats that like to mess with them. I never saw these kinds of crickets until a few years ago. Did they come here from another country? My kitten has one now, as I'm writing this.

Raine
25 Oct 2011, 22:14

I'm quite nervous, as I just a few moments ago discovered the first one I've ever seen. I was horrified at the size. I couldn't get a close look until it was curled up, dead. I assumed it was some sort of spider. After I posted a photo online, I was told that it was really a Camel Cricket. I'm very nervous that it will take over my home! I've only seen one so far; I've lived here for around 11 years. My bedroom is on the second floor...is it possible for them to reach my room?

Also, do you have any tips for keeping them from taking over my home?

Ask the Exterminator
27 Oct 2011, 09:54

Many articles about these crickets on this website. Click on "crickets" in category list on left side of any page.

Samantha
27 Oct 2011, 16:17

I'm trying to figure out where they are getting in too. Is it possible for them to come up the pipes in the bathroom sink or the bath tube drain?

Ask the Exterminator
28 Oct 2011, 16:12

They are coming from the outside along the foundation walls where moisture collects. Apply a granular pesticide such as Talstar Granules or Maxforce Complete granules. Try to fix the landscape so water runs away from foundation walls.

Tara
30 Oct 2011, 20:03

I find them in my tub a lot. I actually check my bathroom over completely before taking a shower, because I find one every single morning. I live in a basement, and I find them more frequently when the weather starts to get cold (I assumed that they were trying to get out of the cold). When they're in my tub, I kill them with whatever bathroom cleaner is closest (they REALLY don't like that), but I also have long sticks stationed all along the basement for the sole purpose of crushing them swiftly from a distance. We've called them "fuggers" since I was little (means effing buggers), and they still scare me to this day. My dad keeps blaming it on me, saying that the reason we have them is because I have food in the basement, but I don't. Being the strange person that I am, once I crush them, I leave their bodies as a warning to their comrades. However, the other day I discovered an unusually large fugger feasting on the body of one of his fallen friends. I've never been so disgusted in my life. So it would seem my strategy of warning is actually counter-productive. I think it's sad that at 17 years old, I already have relatively decent search-and-destroy skills from hunting fuggers all day and night. I've been lucky in that they don't make it into my room, but the day that I wake up to one sitting on my chest is the day that I'll start setting traps. For now, they're almost part of my routine. I haven't noticed any kind of damage to any fabrics; couch, clothes, or otherwise. They just really really really creep me out.

Daniel
08 Nov 2011, 16:17

I am the sixteen-year-old son of nearly all woman family, except for my mother's boyfriend. We just moved into a trailer recently, and we started seeing these little freaks everywhere. I broke out my handy can of Raid and sprayed some directly (my form of killing them). I also used it to seal off some access areas like our furnace room and back door, and they stopped popping up from back there. However, my mother has noticed that they are appearing mostly in her bathroom, and since we moved in, that's where they've been the most numerous. The bathroom smells moldy and my mother says that it looks like there's water damage. She thinks that they are slipping in from under the house, and I think that they might be in the walls. Are we both right?

Ask the Exterminator
09 Nov 2011, 00:45

Your mother wins! The crickets cannot originate from inside the walls. They are coming from the outside and are drawn to the moisture under the house.

Nastiest things alive
11 Nov 2011, 20:07

We have a crawlspace, at most 3 foot ceiling. The furnace and the filter are under there. The problem is that the south wall down there is a solid living mass of this hideous creatures. As I duckwalk through the dark with my flashlight and big stick, the rustle of bugs moving and hopping terrifies me as the occasional evil bug hops on me. The dirt down there is powder dry, and there is no light. I don'tget it. There are hundreds and hundreds down there.
Now we have ten or so in the house every day. At night I've awakened to an itch and realized one of these
beasts is on my face. I just tried to kill one with a shoe and I thought it got away. I walked into the kitchen, felt an itch on my neck, and realized the monster was on me. Of course I freaked, but he paid with his life!
I HATE THEM! (I'm also scared to death of them...)

Jersey Boy
24 Nov 2011, 00:41

I just want to say that I know for a fact that they do indeed make a very short chirp noise. It's not a chirp like regular crickets.

They don't do it all the time but on some rare occasions they do.They don't do it continuously. It's just one chirp every 5 or 10 minutes.

It sounds exactly like if you took 2 coins, one in each hand and hit them against each other really quick.

I've been hearing that noise on a few occasions in my house, not knowing what it was. Then I caught one in my room one night. I was too tired to deal with it so I just through a plastic container on it then it stated making that noise. I was shocked because I once looked them up to see what they we're because I had never seen them before and had no clue what they were. It I read on several places that they were the only crickets that don't make noise.

Origins:I've lived in this condominium for 10 years now and only started getting them 1 year ago. I was furious because we would encounter them every damn night. One day I had a realization. I remember there being maintenance done in the basement under us. Soon after that, we started getting these damn things. Needless to say, I will never enter that basement.

Ugly little quick bastards.

Chearyl
25 Jan 2012, 21:04

Just was wondering how they get in? We have found them in the shower, were there is a door on and is sealed tight, is there any way they can come up throw the drain, is there something we could pour down the drain? We live in a doublewide and it is enclosed under neither. Any ideas???
Thanks

Ask the Exterminator
26 Jan 2012, 10:45

The crickets are not coming up from the drain. They are getting in through various cracks and openings around the exterior foundation. Once inside they move towards water sources.

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Camel Crickets

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