Are Camel Crickets As Dangerous As They Look?

camel cricket in basement

If you've gone down into your cellar, flicked on the light, and found a dozen camel crickets clinging to the wall, it would not be surprising for you to be asking this question. Is that what happened? Did you see a bunch of camel crickets somewhere? Is that what brought you to this article? If so, we understand. It is bad enough seeing one camel cricket. But, when dozens, or even hundreds, find their way into your home, it can be downright disturbing.

Why is it so disturbing when these insects come inside? One reason is that they look like spiders. This has led some to call them spider crickets or sprickets. While camel crickets only have six legs, not eight like a spider, those legs rise up above their bodies, giving them a spider-like appearance--and it's pretty freaky to see a bunch of spiders clinging to a wall in your basement, garage, or shed. But, apart from their startling appearance, camel crickets are mostly harmless to us.

What do we mean by "mostly" harmless?

While camel crickets don't bite and are not known to spread diseases or illnesses, they can harm us by hitting us where it hurts: right in the pocketbook. If enough camel crickets are getting into your home, you may find yourself dealing with property damage. Camel crickets chew on tapestries, rugs, upholstered furniture, canvas, boxes, draperies, linen, curtains, and even clothing. They eat clothing that is made out of natural fibers or synthetics. This damage looks like the kind of damage left by the common clothes moth.

Camel crickets can also be harmful in the way they lure mice and rats into a home. While crickets don't spread illness, rodents do. An infestation of camel crickets makes a home much more interesting to mice and rats.

What Is The Bottom Line?

Camel crickets aren't very dangerous. But they are certainly not an insect you want hanging around your house. Fortunately, you don't have to live with them. Take these steps to seal them out:

  • Address any areas of moisture around the perimeter of your home. Camel crickets are drawn to moisture. If you have compacted ground that holds rainwater after it rains, leaky spigots, leaky hoses, excessive shade, or a clogged gutter, all of these can create the conditions for moisture pests to thrive.

  • Overgrowth near your exterior walls will make your home more inviting to many pests, including camel crickets.

  • It is important that you do a detailed inspection of your exterior walls and seal any entry points you find. If you're not able to do repairs to patch things up, consider using a caulking gun to make a temporary patch.

  • Camel crickets will look for moist or humid locations within your home. Your goal should be to dry things out and make the environment inside your home uncomfortable. You can do this by adding a dehumidifier or a fan to strategic locations.

  • For complete exclusion, hire a pest control company. Professional pest control technicians have many tools and methods at their disposal to not only assess the level and size of your infestation but to properly arrest the problem. When you sign up to have ongoing pest control for your home, not only will you prevent future camel cricket infestation, you'll also be protecting your home, your belongings, and your family from all of the other "more dangerous" pests we deal with.

Camel crickets may not be as dangerous as they look, but ticks, mice, rats, cockroaches, spiders, and other pests are. Pests can eat your equity, damage your property, leave painful, itchy welts on your skin, and spread dangerous pathogens to all of the occupants of your home.

Many people think of pest control in one of two ways: it is either something they get when all DIY efforts fail, or it is a quality of life upgrade they can't afford. Neither of these is correct. Ongoing pest control service is the smartest and most cost-effective way to protect your home. It costs a whole lot less to keep bugs out than it does to get bugs out. And pest control isn't a nicety, it is vital protection that every family should have. Get your protection in place today.

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