# The Nightly Cricket Invasion **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110 "2005-07-25T20:39:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/1 "2005-07-25T20:39:36Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![ILovCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@ILovCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILovCoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/2 "2005-07-25T23:17:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/3 "2005-07-25T23:42:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/4 "2005-07-25T23:45:02Z")
Cue mental image of rampaging men in wooly jumpers waving heavy bits of wood. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/5 "2005-07-26T00:33:52Z")
Well, if I can’t locate any pennyroyal, I’ll just hone my predatory skills. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/6 "2005-07-26T00:53:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/7 "2005-07-26T12:07:22Z")
I came in here hoping to gloat about the first ashes test. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/8 "2005-07-26T12:10:23Z")
oi oi oi ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nightly-cricket-invasion/314110/9 "2005-07-26T17:36:33Z")
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.