While seemingly harmless, crickets are causing plenty of problems for residents in the Southwest, especially homeowners in Texas who are fed up with the situation. Hordes of the pests have taken over towns, while homes and businesses are swarmed with the hopping insects. Some areas have been experiencing problems with the huge numbers of crickets since this spring, and the warm winter followed by particularly hot weather this summer and fall has only made the problem worse. The crickets have been breeding more than usual, and it’s starting to bug people who have homes and offices that are covered in the pests.
Bugs invading towns
The pests are a huge nuisance for homeowners and businesses alike. They tend to gather outside homes and storefronts, and when doors open, the bugs find a way inside. Once they’re indoors, they can cause residents to panic, even though they don’t pose a health threat. When many find their way inside, some people are swarmed with so many that they’re forced to sweep them back outside with brooms. Some structures are so infested with the pests, people are using leaf blowers to get them off of doors, windows and siding.
It’s not just the sheer amount of crickets that’s getting to residents – it’s also what happens when they die. Although most are pleased when the insect population begins to diminish, this year it’s just another annoyance. Particularly rainy weather has made dealing with the dead crickets as bad as dealing with the ones that are alive.
During dry weather, the dead bugs simply blow away and don’t cause any trouble. But because of the increased amount of rain, many Texans are finding that the wet, decaying carcasses produce an unpleasant smell that’s tough to deal with. Some residents aren’t sure which is worse – live crickets covering their homes and trying to get indoors, or dead crickets laying around outside causing a discernable stench.
Keeping crickets away
Live crickets can cause plenty of irritation, especially if they’re covering a home and penetrating opened doors and windows. However, homeowners don’t have deal with crickets, there are several ways people can keep them off their properties. The Dallas Morning News reported crickets are attracted to bright lights at night, so simply turning them off can keep crickets away from a home. If the lights have to be left on, using yellow bug lights or sodium vapor lamps instead of regular bulbs may also discourage the pests from dropping by and covering a home.
Residents who have found unusually large numbers of crickets indoors may want to consider calling pest control experts to assess the situation. Even though the bugs aren’t dangerous, they can be a nuisance, frightening children or even distracting family pets. A professional exterminator can determine what can be done to get rid of the crickets inside a home, and how to prevent problems in the future.