Okay, I’ve had crickets show up in the house many times, but lately it’s gotten ridiculous. As many as half a dozen turn up every night now, over the past couple of weeks. I assume it has something to do with the extreme heat here, though I don’t know for sure. They’re usually in the kitchen, but have started getting into other rooms as well.
Anybody have suggestions on ways I can discourage them from coming in here?
Get a pet like a cat or dog–either will chase, play with and consume the invaders. Then you can enjoy the pet.
I have found that pennyroyal, a plant with medicinal properties, can be effective in ridding an area of bugs. I found chopping it up and placing the leaves and juices in rubbing alcohol then spraying it around doorframes at the house entrance(s) with a sprayer worked well.
Or pay for an exterminator.
Same here, maybe even worse, in hot hot Palm Springs. I have a cathedral ceiling with wood beams in the living room and the crickets love to get up to the highest point and have a chirping party at night. Mr. beckwall is tall but not that tall. Between the ants and crickets and the large lizard out front, we have turned into wild kingdom.
Cue mental image of rampaging men in wooly jumpers waving heavy bits of wood.
Well, if I can’t locate any pennyroyal, I’ll just hone my predatory skills.
I feel your pain.
Back in the late 80’s, I had a cricket invade my apartment. I couldn’t locate it and it decided that 2am was the perfect time to chirp it’s freaking legs off. Whenever I would get up to try and locate it, it would stop. After a couple of hours, I was about to lose my mind. I couldn’t block the sound no matter where I went in the apartment. At about 4:30am, I get up, half-crazed and head toward the bathroom when I happened to catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I looked down just in time to see the cricket zip back into a small crack in the moulding!
I grabbed a half-full can of Raid and unloaded it into the crack.
No more cricket.
I came in here hoping to gloat about the first ashes test.
Oh well.
oi oi oi
These don’t even chirp; they just jump everywhere. After doing some research, I decided to try some Borax. Hope it keeps them at bay; I’ll find out tonight.