Spider crickets are actually camel or camelback crickets. The insect's back has the humpback look of a camel and the long legs of a spider. The camel cricket often is a nuisance indoors, but it is possible to eradicate them efficiently using chemical and non-chemical control. They do not chirp like other types of crickets or have wings as an adult. The insects enter buildings in extreme weather and inhabit cool, moist areas such as garages, basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms and other areas where (unwanted) moisture can be a problem.
Identify the crickets by their brown colour, humped back and spider-looking legs. They grow 1 or 2 inches in length. Some have spots. They have excellent jumping abilities and jump toward predators to scare them away.
Seal cracks, crevices and gaps around windows and doors with caulking or weatherstripping. This prevents entry into your home.
Stack stored items and boxes in areas off the floor. Spider crickets may damage stored goods over time, if the insects do not have an adequate food supply.
Invest in a dehumidifier, if necessary, in areas with moisture problems, such as basements or storage buildings.
Lay gravel or other type of inorganic material up near the foundation of your home, instead of mulch or ground cover. Do not grow plants or shrubs near the foundation.
Remove stacks of firewood, lumber or other clutter from around the house foundation or beneath decks.
Purchase sticky boards for areas in your home where you see the insects, fecal smears or damage to stored items. This is a non-chemical and effective way to get rid of the spider crickets, as well as mice and roaches.
Repair leaky pipes or other sources of moisture in your home to prevent an environment where the spider crickets thrive.
Spread a granular pesticide containing Bifenthrin as the active ingredient around the perimeter of your home. It prevents any more spider crickets from entering the building.
Sprinkle a granular insecticide with 5 per cent orthoboric acid as the active ingredient onto a paper plate. Set the paper plate in a high moisture area where you have spotted the spider crickets. Discard the plate once you no longer see spider crickets.
Spray a regular household insecticide behind appliances and along the baseboards of your home if you have a large problem with the insects.
Hire a licensed exterminator if you have a large infestation you cannot control with other methods. Make homemade sticky boards by wrapping duct tape with the sticky-side up around an index card. Discard them once they get dusty, as this reduces the stickiness.
Tips and warnings
- Hire a licensed exterminator if you have a large infestation you cannot control with other methods.
- Make homemade sticky boards by wrapping duct tape with the sticky-side up around an index card. Discard them once they get dusty, as this reduces the stickiness.