Cricket Control: a Cape Town guide

Know what you are dealing with

The African field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, is the black or dark brown cricket that sings loudly on warm evenings and wanders into houses, garages and outbuildings. The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is lighter and yellowish brown, and is often found near warm spots such as geysers, stoves and laundry rooms. Mole crickets (Gryllotalpa species) are thick-bodied, velvety brown insects with spade-like front legs that tunnel through lawns and flowerbeds, leaving raised ridges and dead patches. Crickets feed on plant material, organic debris and sometimes fabrics and paper, which is why they can cause minor damage indoors too.

Myths, mistakes and lesser-known facts

Crickets are not dangerous to children or pets, so there is no need to panic or use strong products indoors. A perimeter treatment keeps the products outside, away from living areas.

Crickets sometimes damage stored clothing, curtains and cardboard in damp outbuildings. If you use a garage or storeroom for storage, dry it out and box things in plastic.

Reducing crickets on a property can also reduce spiders and scorpions, which come in to hunt them. It is one of those cases where solving one small problem helps with another.

Warning signs

1. Loud chirping at night that stops as soon as you walk towards it.
2. Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.
3. Small chewed holes in clothing, curtains or paper stored in damp places.
4. Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
5. Patches of grass that brown and die, and lift easily because the roots have been cut.
6. Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
7. Birds and hadedas probing the lawn intensively, which is often a sign of mole crickets or other insects underneath.

Crickets do not bite people or spread disease in any meaningful way. Indoors, the main issues are lost sleep, droppings and small amounts of damage to fabrics, carpets and stored paper. Mole crickets are a bigger problem for property, because their tunnels cut grass roots and can damage lawns, sports fields and seedlings badly. Large numbers of crickets attracted to lights also draw in spiders and geckos, and sometimes scorpions.

Can you do it yourself?

One cricket behind the fridge is a job for a torch and a glass, not a pest control company. If crickets keep coming in night after night, or your lawn is lifting with tunnels, a professional perimeter or lawn treatment will save you a lot of frustration. Buying lawn insecticide and guessing the timing often wastes money.

Seasonal pattern

Field crickets are loudest and most noticeable in the warm months from late spring through summer. They often move indoors in autumn as the nights cool down and the first rains arrive. Mole cricket damage to lawns shows up most in spring and summer when they are active near the surface.

Prevention checklist

• Swap bright white outside lights for yellow or warm-coloured bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
• Fit brush strips under exterior doors and garage doors so crickets cannot walk straight in.
• Clear leaf litter, mulch, firewood and garden rubbish away from the walls of the house.
• Keep the garage and storeroom tidy and dry, since crickets love damp cardboard and clutter.
• Water the lawn deeply but less often, as constantly damp soil suits mole crickets.
• Seal cracks in walls and around window frames, and check that airbricks have intact mesh.

What affects the price

The cost depends on whether it is an indoor nuisance, a lawn problem or both, and on the size of the property and garden. A large lawn with widespread mole cricket damage takes more product and time than a perimeter treatment for a house. Follow-up treatments, if needed to catch a second generation, are included in a free quote upfront.

Frequently asked questions

Areas we cover for cricket control