Crickets

Crickets (family: Gryllidae) live all over the world, with the exception of polar regions. As omnivores they will eat both plant and animal matter and will act as scavengers at times. Many people consider these hopping insects to be garden pests, but as individuals they can only cause minor damage. They are really only problematic when their population swells to infestation levels. At that point they can cause more extensive plant damage and leave large quantities of unsanitary excrement. Infestations will also draw potentially-damaging and unwelcome cricket-eating predators like snakes, mice, scorpions, raccoons and other insects to your area. Cricket eggs overwinter in the ground and begin hatching in spring. Several generations will develop throughout the spring and summer before succumbing to the colder weather that autumn brings.

To effectively control crickets before they can become a problem outdoors, it is important to get to the eggs in the soil before they can hatch. Once they have reached adulthood, traps, barriers like crop covers, and contact sprays are effective control methods. Control for indoors includes sprays, powders and traps.

If you are looking for crickets as feeder insects, browse our Delectibles line of feeder insects.

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