Cricket Control in Melkbosstrand

Melkbos still feels like a seaside village, even with the newer estates spreading along the R27. Wind, sand and kelp on the beach set the tone for what bugs people here, along with the open veld that surrounds the town.

Crawling insects around Melkbosstrand

Crickets are loud in summer and come indoors, and Argentine ants trail through kitchens. Scorpions and sac spiders live in the dune scrub and come in under doors.

The old village has holiday cottages and family homes close to the beach, while the newer side is all security estates, golf estate houses and townhouse complexes. Holiday homes left closed for months tend to collect mice and fishmoths. Estates backing onto open strandveld get more field mice, crickets and spiders than the streets in the village.

Signs to look for

1. Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
2. Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
3. Patches of grass that brown and die, and lift easily because the roots have been cut.
4. Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.

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.

Worth knowing

A common myth is that crickets are a sign of a dirty home. They are mostly drawn in by light, warmth and damp, and a spotless house with a gap under the patio door can have just as many.

Mole crickets are often blamed on lawn grubs or dry patches, and people keep watering a lawn that is actually being cut from below. The soap water test is a cheap way to find out.

What happens when we come out

Indoors, we focus on finding where the crickets are coming in and hiding, then apply a residual treatment to entry points, door thresholds, garage edges and other hiding spots. Granular baits can be used around the perimeter of the house to reduce numbers before they reach the walls. For mole crickets, the lawn is treated with a targeted product and watered in so it reaches the tunnels, and timing matters because young mole crickets near the surface are easier to control. We use the least-toxic effective option and avoid spraying open living areas.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our cricket control service works.

Keeping them out afterwards

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

Pricing, honestly

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.

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.

Cricket Control questions from Melkbosstrand

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