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House Crickets Are One Of The Most Frequently Encountered Household Pests In Arizona

Tucson Cricket Exterminator  Tucson Pest Control

Arizona is home to many cricket species, some of which are commonly categorized as pests. Cricket pests are considered a nuisance within homes due to their persistent chirping, which can become quite loud in homes that see sizable infestations. Several cricket species are considered economically significant pests due to their habit of eating garden plants and flowers of all kinds, and a few cricket pest species will even inflict damage to homes. For example, the most commonly encountered cricket pest within Arizona homes, Indian house crickets, are likely to eat away at fabrics and drywall within heavily infested indoor environments.. Male Indian house crickets produce particularly loud chirping sounds by rubbing their wings together in order to attract mates, which can become annoying enough to keep residents within infested homes up at night. In fact, one suicide has been documented as being motivated by the constant and maddening chirping produced by Indian house crickets. Most people who have experienced an Indian house cricket infestation would probably agree that the insect’s habit of leaving significant amounts of excrement within homes is the worst aspect of an infestation.

Indian house crickets can be found in most areas in the southwest, and they are particularly abundant in southern Arizona, especially in Tucson. Before the late 1970s, Indian house crickets were rarely spotted in Tucson, and they were not documented as existing in other areas in the southwest. By 1980, Indian house cricket populations in Tucson skyrocketed, and they began to appear in Phoenix. Indian house crickets are nocturnal, and they will make their presence known during the nighttime hours when the insects search for human food sources within homes. During the day, these crickets hide in cracks, crevices and vegetation. Indian house crickets maintain an urban habitat where they are found frequently in and around houses. Residents can minimize the chances of infestations by sealing cracks in their home’s foundation, eliminating water and food sources, and by using alternative light bulbs in outdoor light fixtures, as these crickets are attracted to the light produced by typical artificial light sources. Heavy infestations usually require professional pest control treatments.

Have you ever found crickets within your home?

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