July IQU5 E-371, Revised Unitpd States Department of Apiculture Agricultural Research Administration Bureaii of iSntonolo^ r^nd Plant Quarantine CRICKETS IN THE HOME Prer)ared 'b'^' the Division of Insects Affecting Man and A-nimals Crickpts are not nornally hou-^ehold pests. They do, however, enter houses in varying numbers, sonetines in tremendous hordes. In some localities crickets are annual p°sts, "being particularly annoying during July, August, and September, They can ruin clothing of vrool, cotton, linen, rayon, and silk, and even leather goods siich as shoes, by eating irregular holes in them. Often their chirping ;^nd wide distribution around the houses are verv exasperating to the housewife. Two species are most frenuently found — the field cricket ( Acheta assimilis F. ) and its variRti-^s, and the house cricket (A. domestica (L.)). Field Crickets Field crickets are 3/!5 to 1 inch in length when fully grovn. They multiply out of doors, where thev f^ed ur)on all sorts of vegetation, being at times very destructive to such crops as strawberries and tomatoes. As summer advances and vegetation becomes less succulent or abundant, the crickets seek new quarters. In doing this they may enter houses, especially loosely constructed cottages near woods or along the seashore, or other dwellings near weed- grown city lots,- or in cultivated fields or fields from which the harvest has been removed. Throughout the Northern States field crickets may be in the adult stage from July until heavy frosts kill them. Shortly before death the females lav their e^gs sinfrly in the soil. One female has been known to la^ as many as 80g e?fi:s, but the n\imber usually ranges from about ISO to ^00. These ep'gs hatch during May and June. In the warmer climate of the Gulf coast eggs laid in Mav hatch in about ?1 days at 70* F. , and in July in Q days at 81®, In the South the yolfiing crickets require 8 weeks for development as compared wi%h 9 to lU weeks farther north. - 2 - House Crickets The lif^ht "brown or tan house crickets are 3/^ to 1 inch in length v;hen mature. They are comTnon house -pests in Europe, "but in this country they also thrive out of doors. They are most trou"blesome in houses located near city dumps or other areas being filled in with refuse. In the hollow spaces within such d\im"DS the crickets find naav places to hide and multiply, and the refuse itself furnishes sufficient food for their development. The house crickets swarm from dumps at about dusk, and fly or crawl to houses. They may crawl to houses in multitudes and gain access to the interior through small openings in walls and roofs or through windows and doors not perfectly screened. Sometimes they can be swept UP by the pailful. This migr^ttion from dumps to houses usually occurs d.uring July to Septem.ber. In large modern housing projects, in a mild climate, the house cricket may become a year-around nuisance except in midwinter, and may overvrinter in all stages of growth. Generally crickets make their ar)-^parance in such buildinss during April and Mav, They seek a good hn.rborage beneath the buildings in the unexcavated areas through which the heating pipes pass, and migrate thence to apartments along the plvimbing or conduits for various installations. Control Whatever species of cricket becomes annoying in a house or neighborhood, the control is the same. In the house . — Naturally the closing of all openings and the tightening of screens, windovrs, doors, etc., is an aid in preventing- entn' of crickets. Once within the house, a few crickets can be killed with fly swatters, . But since they hide in inaccessible places and come out to crawl about vrhen it is dark,, the use of dusts or iDoisoned baits will prove valuable. Any good commercial fly spray with an oil base will kill crickets that are hit by the spray, but will have no effect u-non others that may arrive lat^r. Spravs having a residual effect may become ft,vailable soon, b\it not during iqli^. - 3 - Liberal dnsting of floors alone: the 'base'boards vith fresh TD.vrethruin -nowder, sodiun fluosilicnte, or sodiun fluoride, or blowing these powders with a hand bellows into cracks and other hidins: -olaces will kill crickets. Pyrethruin powder is not now (iP^^^) available, but sodivin fluo silicate and soditim fluoride can be obtained. They are -noisons and must be used with caution. When houses are overrun with crickets, a poisoned bait has Tjroved an effective control. A ^ood bait can be made by mixing 2 \j?. pounds of bran, 10 teasnoonfuls of sodium fluoride or sodium fluosilicate, U/5 cup of molasses, and 1 quart of vrater. Small lots of this bait should be scattered in various parts of the house, including; the base- ment, where crickets are known to crawl. Being poisonous, the bait should not be exposed where children or -nets can eat it. Out of doors . — '^fhen crickets are numerous about the house and are constantly gaining entrance, killing th'^m out of doors is the best method of attack. The poisoned b^^it can be used su'^cessfully about yards and house foundations, and over dumps. If the crickets are coming from a dum.p, the town or city authorities should be held responsible for treating the dump heavily with the bait several tim.es a week until the cricket migrations end. The -ooison bait should be aTDTolied to the dumps late in the day as the crickets are about to emerge from their hiding places for their evening activities. A practical formula for making such a bait for outdoor use is as follows: 2|3 pounds of bran, 1 pbund of sodium fluoride or sodium, fluosilicate, ?. auarts of molasses, and 2 l/p gallons of water. Covering dumr)S to a depth of 6 inches with clean earth or ashes will destroy cricket infestations. Fumigating dumps with calci'um cyanide aT)pliod by a professional fumigator has proved effective in cricket control in some instances and is useful also in killing rats. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA nil 3 1262 09223 0183 llillil