What's chirping in my house — and what's completely silent?

If you're hearing chirping, it's a house cricket or a field cricket, since males of both species rub their wings together to attract mates. Camel crickets, by contrast, are completely wingless and silent — so if you're seeing humpbacked, long-legged 'spider crickets' jumping around a basement but hearing nothing, that's almost certainly a camel cricket. Their silence, combined with their unusual appearance, is often what makes camel crickets seem more alarming than the noisy but harmless house or field crickets.

Can crickets survive winter inside my house?

It depends on the species. Camel crickets are well-suited to overwintering in damp basements and crawlspaces and can persist there as nymphs or adults through the coldest months. House crickets can also survive winter, and in some cases even breed, if they find reliable warmth. Field crickets are the exception — despite entering homes in fall, they typically die off by early winter regardless of indoor conditions and do not establish a lasting indoor population.

Do crickets breed indoors?

House crickets and camel crickets are both capable of reproducing indoors if conditions are favorable — warmth for house crickets, dampness for camel crickets. Field crickets are the exception: even though they commonly wander inside in fall, they do not lay eggs indoors and their indoor presence dies out on its own by early winter. Most cricket problems homeowners notice, though, are simply crickets that wandered in from outside rather than an established indoor breeding population.

Why do I have so many camel crickets in my basement?

Camel crickets are strongly drawn to moisture, and a basement or crawlspace with even mild dampness closely mimics the caves, leaf litter, and moist debris they favor outdoors. Seeing large numbers of them is less a pest problem on its own and more a signal of excess humidity that's worth investigating — a leaking pipe, poor drainage, or inadequate ventilation. Reducing moisture with a dehumidifier or by fixing the underlying leak typically brings camel-cricket numbers down significantly without any other treatment.

Can I really tell the temperature from cricket chirps?

Yes, within reason — this is known as Dolbear's Law. Count the number of chirps a cricket makes in 14 to 15 seconds, add 40, and the result is a reasonably close estimate of the outdoor temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. It works because crickets are cold-blooded and chirp faster as temperatures rise, but the method is most accurate in the roughly 55 to 100°F range typical of a New Hampshire summer evening, and becomes unreliable outside that window.

Do crickets damage anything in my house?

Mostly no — crickets indoors are primarily a nuisance rather than a destructive pest. In prolonged, heavy infestations, camel crickets have been known to chew on stored fabrics, cardboard, or paper, and house or field crickets can occasionally nibble textiles, but meaningful damage is uncommon. The bigger issue for most homeowners is simply the noise from chirping house or field crickets, or the unsettling appearance of camel crickets jumping unexpectedly in a basement or garage.

Why did crickets come inside during a dry spell instead of a cold snap?

Extreme conditions in either direction — a hot, dry stretch or a period of heavy rain — can push crickets toward the more stable environment inside a home, not just falling temperatures. During a dry spell, outdoor moisture and food sources become scarce, so crickets move through foundation gaps and door thresholds seeking better conditions. This is separate from, but works alongside, the more common late-summer and fall pattern driven by cooling nighttime temperatures.

Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

|Reviewed by Daniel Brady

When Do Crickets Come Inside? NH Cricket Timing Guide

Overwintering Invaders

Crickets come inside mostly in late summer and fall, when cooling nighttime temperatures push them to seek stable indoor conditions through foundation cracks, gaps around doors and windows, and crawlspace vents. Which cricket you're dealing with determines what happens next: silent, humpbacked camel crickets settle into damp basements and crawlspaces and can persist there all winter, chirping house crickets seek warmth throughout the home and can even survive and breed indoors, while field crickets enter in fall but normally die off by early winter without laying eggs inside. Heavy camel-cricket numbers usually point to an underlying moisture problem worth addressing.

At a glance

Entry window: Late summer–fallField crickets especially invade in fall as nighttime temperatures cool.
Camel crickets: Silent, humpbacked, moisture-lovingDon't chirp; overwinter in damp basements and crawlspaces.
Field crickets indoors: Die by early winterEnter in fall but don't lay eggs or overwinter successfully indoors.
House crickets: Chirp; can survive/breed near warmthRoughly 3/4 to 7/8 inch long; found anywhere warmth is available indoors.

Entry window
Late summer–fall
Field crickets especially invade in fall as nighttime temperatures cool.
Camel crickets
Silent, humpbacked, moisture-loving
Don't chirp; overwinter in damp basements and crawlspaces.
Field crickets indoors
Die by early winter
Enter in fall but don't lay eggs or overwinter successfully indoors.
House crickets
Chirp; can survive/breed near warmth
Roughly 3/4 to 7/8 inch long; found anywhere warmth is available indoors.

The timing answer

The short of it

The verdict · overwintering invaders

Move inside in late summer–fall

Crickets come inside mostly in late summer and fall as nights cool — camel crickets to damp basements, house crickets to warmth, field crickets that die off by winter.

NH activity calendar

When are they active — the whole year at a glance

Crickets in New Hampshire follow a clear seasonal split: peak outdoor chirping in midsummer, a hard entry window in late summer and fall, and a winter where only camel and house crickets remain indoors.

12-month activity · New Hampshire

Peak · Jul, Sep, OctYou are here · Aug

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PeakActiveBuildingDecliningDormantCurrent season · Summer

Best window to act · Late summer through September — seal foundation cracks and utility gaps, add door sweeps and weather-stripping, screen crawlspace vents, and reduce basement moisture with a dehumidifier or by fixing leaks, since dampness is the key camel-cricket draw.

What else peaks thenJul Sep Oct

Peak reflects the late-summer/fall indoor entry window, anchored to Manchester's first frost (~Oct 19, 50% probability — NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals).

Where they go in winter

Winter behavior

Whether crickets 'overwinter' in your house depends entirely on which of the three common species you're dealing with.

Overwintering strategy

Hides indoors

Camel crickets settle into damp, dark basements, crawlspaces, garages, and utility rooms — a moisture-driven choice — and overwinter there as nymphs or adults. House crickets seek warmth throughout the home and can survive, and even breed, indoors. Field crickets enter in fall but typically die off by early winter and do not overwinter or breed indoors.

Move in
Late summer through the first frost (~Oct 19), via foundation cracks, utility gaps, and unscreened doors or vents.
Hides indoors
Camel crickets settle into damp, dark basements, crawlspaces, garages, and utility rooms — a moisture-driven choice — and overwinter there as nymphs or adults. House crickets seek warmth throughout the home and can survive, and even breed, indoors. Field crickets enter in fall but typically die off by early winter and do not overwinter or breed indoors.
Spring exit
Surviving camel and house crickets may lay eggs indoors in spring; field crickets, by contrast, are already dead by that point and never re-emerge.

Season by season

A year in the life

Cricket activity in New Hampshire runs from peak outdoor chirping in summer to a fall entry surge and a winter where only two of the three common species remain active indoors.

01
Spring
Outdoor eggs hatch and camel crickets begin laying in soil. Very few crickets are seen indoors this season, apart from lingering camel or house crickets that survived winter in a basement.
02
Summer
Peak outdoor activity and chirping, especially on warm nights. Late-summer heat and dryness begin pushing crickets toward building foundations as outdoor conditions become less favorable.
03
Fall
The main entry season. Cooling nights heading toward the ~Oct 19 frost drive field and house crickets indoors, while camel crickets move in from mulch beds, woodpiles, and other damp perimeter areas around the foundation.
04
Winter
Field crickets have died off outdoors by this point. Camel crickets persist in damp basements and crawlspaces, and house crickets can survive — and in some cases breed — near indoor heat sources.

New Hampshire context

Crickets in southern New Hampshire

In Manchester, Nashua, and Concord, older basements and crawlspaces with even moderate dampness are the main draw for camel crickets, which is why homeowners on wooded or low-lying lots tend to see the heaviest numbers. House and field crickets are a more general fall entry problem tied to New Hampshire's cooling nighttime temperatures, moving toward any home with accessible foundation gaps. Because field crickets don't overwinter successfully indoors, a New Hampshire winter naturally resolves that portion of the problem — but camel and house crickets can persist for months if entry points and moisture aren't addressed.

Key local data

Manchester's first hard frost averages October 19 (50% probability), the point by which outdoor field-cricket populations have largely died off and fall indoor entry has peaked (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals).

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Southern New Hampshire

When to act

Timing your treatment

Because camel crickets in particular are a moisture indicator, the best prevention window also doubles as a basic home-maintenance check.

The right window

Late summer through September — seal foundation cracks and utility gaps, add door sweeps and weather-stripping, screen crawlspace vents, and reduce basement moisture with a dehumidifier or by fixing leaks, since dampness is the key camel-cricket draw.

Heavy camel-cricket numbers, which signal an underlying moisture problem

Persistent basement infestations despite dehumidifying

Chirping loud enough to disrupt sleep

Crickets appearing throughout living areas, not just the basement

Chewed stored fabric or paper in storage areas

General Pest Control

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Learn more about this pest

Common Questions

Frequently asked

Sources & references

University of Minnesota Extension — Crickets
fall entry timing, field crickets die off, no indoor eggs
University of Missouri Extension — Crickets (G7366)
late-summer/fall entry timing
NC State Extension — Camel Crickets
silent, moisture-driven behavior, overwintering
University of Maryland Extension — Crickets
house vs. camel vs. field cricket comparison, sizes, damage potential
NOAA — Can Crickets Tell Temperature? The Answer Is in Their Chirp
Dolbear's Law chirp-to-temperature formula
Garden.org — Manchester, NH Frost Dates
~Oct 19 Manchester first-frost anchor (NOAA 1991–2020)

Editorial disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute pest control advice. Every property is unique — consult a licensed professional for guidance specific to your situation. Anchor Pest Services is licensed in New Hampshire (#782664).

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

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Last updated Jul 2026

Anchor Pest Services

Whatever the season — we handle the timing for you.

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Keep Exploring

When Do Crickets Come Inside? NH Cricket Timing Guide

The short of it

When are they active — the whole year at a glance

Winter behavior

A year in the life

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Crickets in southern New Hampshire

Timing your treatment

Frequently asked

Sources & references

Whatever the season — we handle the timing for you.

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Camel Crickets in New Hampshire — ID, Why They're Inside & Control

When Do Crickets Come Inside? NH Cricket Timing Guide

The short of it

When are they active — the whole year at a glance

Winter behavior

A year in the life

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Crickets in southern New Hampshire

Timing your treatment

Frequently asked