Crickets are tough, adaptable insects that can show up in commercial tri-state properties in big numbers, especially when the weather starts to cool down. They don't bite or sting, but they can damage fabrics, stored goods, and packaging, make a lot of noise, and hint at moisture problems in your building. Find out more about their regional habits and behaviors.
Crickets are small, jumping insects related to grasshoppers and katydids. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is the species you're most likely to find in commercial buildings. They're light brown with three dark bands across their head, long antennae, and large, powerful back legs built for jumping. Adults are usually around three-quarters to one inch long, with fully developed wings—though they rarely fly. They eat almost anything and thrive in warm, humid conditions, which means their numbers can grow rapidly in facilities with excess moisture or organic debris.
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Cricket behavior and habits are very much influenced by their environment. Where they feed, how they move, and when they're most active all play a role in how and where an infestation takes hold in your facility.
Crickets like warm, dark, and damp spots—think basements, crawl spaces, loading docks, and areas near heating equipment. You'll often find them gathering near garbage, mulch, and moisture sources inside and outside your building.
Crickets aren't fussy eaters. Outside, they'll feed on plants and dead insects. Inside, they'll go after wool, silk, cotton, leather, stored grains, fruit, vegetables, and pet food sitting in pantries and storage rooms.
Crickets go through three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Eggs are laid in moist soil and hatch in spring. Nymphs molt up to ten times before they're fully grown. The whole cycle takes roughly two to three months from start to finish.
Crickets are night owls—they're most active after dark. Males chirp constantly to attract mates by rubbing their wings together, a process called stridulation. When it gets cold outside, large numbers will move indoors looking for warmth and somewhere to shelter.
Cricket activity peaks in late summer and early fall when outdoor populations are at their highest. As temperatures drop, they tend to head inside. Activity slows in winter, but in heated commercial buildings, crickets can stay active all year round.
The most effective approach combines targeted insecticide treatments with moisture reduction and sealing up entry points. A licensed professional will inspect your facility, find where crickets are hiding, treat active areas with residual products, and give practical advice on fixing the warm, damp conditions that keep drawing them back.
House crickets have fully developed wings and can technically fly, but they rarely do. Most of the time, they get around by walking or jumping. Flight is uncommon and usually occurs only in short bursts rather than over long distances.
Crickets love warmth, moisture, and light. They're drawn to exterior lighting at night, which often pulls them right toward entry points. Inside, they'll head for humid, dark corners and anything they can eat, including fabric, stored goods, and food debris left lying around.
When it gets cold, crickets either die off outside or move indoors. In heated commercial buildings, they can stay active all winter long—feeding, chirping, and reproducing in basements, utility rooms, and other warm spots throughout your facility.
Male crickets chirp by rubbing their forewings together—it's called stridulation. It's their way of calling out to females and warning off rival males. They chirp more when it's warmer and almost always wait until after dark to get started.
Crickets don't really bite people. Their mandibles are too weak to break human skin. That said, a large indoor infestation can still cause real damage—they'll chew through fabrics, paper, stored goods, and other organic materials if not controlled.