How To Stop Cricket Noises

For some, the sound of chirping crickets is the song of summer, bringing back fond memories of late summer nights. You may sing a different tune, however, if a cricket gets into your house, or takes up residence right under your bedroom window where their chirping keeps you up all night. While you can't completely eliminate or control crickets, there are measures you can take to encourage silence. Changing the environment inside and outside your home may convince unwanted crickets to move along and sing for someone else. You can also lower the temperature of your home to make crickets lethargic and likely to leave. If you keep crickets intentionally to feed to other pets or use as fishing bait, you can trick them into being quiet.

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Crickets don't have to enter your home to annoy you. These talented pests are quite happy to sit just outside your bedroom window and serenade you all through the night. You're not likely to find the source of your problem if you go looking for them, so it's easier to encourage the crickets to leave on their own. Crickets dislike exposure, so remove cricket cover from your lawn. Trim tall grass and weeds away from your home's foundation. Move firewood, rock piles and other debris away from your home and set outdoor trash cans on pallets or wooden blocks. Light attracts crickets, so turn off outdoor lights or use yellow bulbs in them. While you're outside cleaning up and changing light bulbs, check your home's foundation and walls for any cracks or holes and seal any you find. You want to encourage your crickets to move, but you don't want them to move into your home with you.

Like all living creatures, crickets need water to live. They hang out in damp areas and will do the same if they get inside your home. If you hear crickets inside your house, try to determine where their chirping is coming from and examine the area. You're likely to find water and dampness nearby. Dry the area with a dehumidifier or fan, fix leaky pipes and drain tubs and sinks completely after use. Once you've tackled the moisture problem, look for a food source. Crickets are like the goats of the insect world and will eat almost anything, from paper to sawdust. It's common for crickets to reside where both food and water are readily available, so clean up any clutter while you eliminate moisture. This will encourage hungry crickets to look for food elsewhere.

Temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit are cricket nirvana. If you have an unwanted cricket in your home, crank up your central air and make him uncomfortable. Cold crickets are lethargic and unlikely to chirp. The cold may encourage the cricket to move on to warmer pastures. If he's too cold to move, at least your new roommate will stay quiet. If your problem cricket is only living in one room, consider placing a portable air conditioning unit in the room. That way, you're only paying to cool part of the house, which will save you money.

If you keep an aquarium full of crickets to feed pets like iguanas, you're likely subjecting yourself to a cacophony of chirping far louder than what one cricket can accomplish. To prevent cricket-induced bouts of insomnia, house your crickets as far away from your bedroom as possible. If this isn't enough protection, trick your crickets into silence. Crickets are nocturnal and so chirp at night and hide quietly during the day. Combat this by laying a blanket over the cricket aquarium during the day to make the crickets think it's nighttime. This way, they can chirp to their heart's content all day while you're at work or awake and less likely to notice them. At night, turn a light on over the aquarium, so the crickets think it's day. The crickets will hide quietly in their cage while you enjoy a peaceful slumber. It also helps to keep crickets in a cool room. A cold, lethargic cricket is a quiet cricket.