# Noisy Cricket Control! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161 "2006-09-18T13:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/1 "2006-09-18T13:29:33Z")
Lately there have been many, many crickets outside and inside the dorms (I’m a college student). Not too big of a problem except at night. Loud chirping all night long kept me awake till 1:30! Is there anything I can do to remedy this? Any household items that would ward off the noisy pests? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/2 "2006-09-18T15:10:16Z")
We had a mild winter last year and so an abundance of spiders (esp black widows) this spring & summer. I heard my first cricket of the year just last week. So to solve your problem…maybe get some black widows? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/3 "2006-09-18T17:01:47Z")
Ear plugs? Seriously, the sound of crickets is such an innocuous, even soothing sound. Can they seriously be the most annoying sound in a college dorm? Go to your nearest pharmacy and look (or ask for) earplugs. There are nice soft foam ones that are really cheap. Look for a noise suppression factor of about 29 or 30 if you have a choice. Just don’t get the ones that are supposed to keep out water when you’re swimming. I use them to block the sound of my husband’s snoring, which can be heard throughout the entire neighborhood when he gets really going. Little cricket chirps should be a cinch. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/4 "2006-09-18T17:20:05Z")
[QUOTE=MLS] Ear plugs? Seriously, the sound of crickets is such an innocuous, even soothing sound. Can they seriously be the most annoying sound in a college dorm? [/QUOTE] There are several more annoying sounds here in the dorms, but people tend to turn off their stereos around 11 or 12. Crickets, on the other hand… Now, don’t get me wrong. I love camping and the outdoors, and i have no problem with the ambience of hundreds of crickets chirping. But one single cricket rubbing its wings together in the quiet corner of my room sounds like a referee’s whistle during a basketball game. This isn’t campfire-marshmallow roast- cricket chirping noises. This is more like 3 year old behind the closet with a whistle. Also, i’m not a fan of ear plugs. Not during Monster Truck shows or skeet shooting.. too invasive for me. Thanks though ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/5 "2006-09-18T17:29:38Z")
[QUOTE=feppytweed] …Any household items that would ward off the noisy pests?.. [/QUOTE] The bottom of your shoe. They should be fairly easy to locate with some patience and a tuned ear. Just go cricket hunting. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/6 "2006-09-18T17:36:43Z")
It’s the roar of the crowd when googlies are bowled…oh wait, wrong cricket ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/7 "2006-09-18T17:47:35Z")
[QUOTE=StinkyBurrito] They should be fairly easy to locate with some patience and a tuned ear. Just go cricket hunting. [/QUOTE] Oh I know where it is… Behind/under an air conditioner mounted in the wall and a 6 foot tall closet. If I could get to them, there would be no problem. ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/8 "2006-09-18T17:57:59Z")
[QUOTE=feppytweed] Oh I know where it is… Behind/under an air conditioner mounted in the wall and a 6 foot tall closet. If I could get to them, there would be no problem. [/QUOTE] My friend had to shoot a mouse with a BB gun that was in a similar predicament behind a radiator. Can you get a clear line of sight on it? Also, have you seen Caddy Shack? ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/9 "2006-09-18T18:17:41Z")
[QUOTE=StinkyBurrito] My friend had to shoot a mouse with a BB gun that was in a similar predicament behind a radiator. Can you get a clear line of sight on it? Also, have you seen Caddy Shack? [/QUOTE] Have not seen Caddyshack, although I’ve heard it’s great. Chevy Chase is a funny guy. The situation is, there is some kind of curvature of the AC unit where it meets the wall and floor, and it must provide an acoustic sound room where crickets can safely go to have their chirps amplified. I might have to invest in napalm or something… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/10 "2006-09-18T18:18:50Z")
A friend of mine went fishing, and he forgot to secure his cricket cage. By the time he backed his boat into the garage, there were three dozen crickets hopping around the boat. He corralled a few, but most escaped into the garage. In a few hours, his wife and son helped him to kill or capture most of them. It took weeks to track down the last six crickets. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/11 "2006-09-18T19:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=feppytweed] I might have to invest in napalm or something… [/QUOTE] Lighter+aerosol deodorant. Doesn’t leave burn marks and leaves anything thicker than paper completely intact. (Wallpaper is also safe.) I used this plenty of times in a controlled environment. However, usual caveats apply: use at your own risk, know what you’re doing, and let me know when you end up at the Darwin Awards. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/12 "2006-09-18T19:21:45Z")
(also; please refer to my username) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/13 "2006-09-18T23:12:09Z")
[QUOTE=feppytweed] Any household items that would ward off the noisy pests? [/QUOTE] A cricket bat. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/14 "2006-09-18T23:15:46Z")
Will Smith should read this thread. He was all _over_ the place. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noisy-cricket-control/373161/15 "2006-09-19T00:00:45Z")
Have you tried insecticide? I know you can’t reach where the cricket is, but if you can lay residual spray (the kind used for roaches) around its location it should have to crawl over it and poison itself at some point. There are poison baits for crickets, similar to Combat for roaches, if you can find them. There’s boric acid. And glue traps. And if all else fails, a bug bomb. Then again, you could talk to the dorm authorities about getting an exterminator. Crickets aren’t just noisy; they chew things, like clothes, paper, wood, and food. A sizable infestation is a good reason to call in a professional.