How to Get Rid of House Crickets
At a glance
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Time: An afternoon to seal gaps and clear debris; locating one chirping cricket may take longer
- Cost: Low — caulk, door sweeps, and sticky traps
- Success: High once outdoor harborage and entry points are addressed; locating an individual indoor chirper can take some persistence
Can you DIY House Cricket?
The verdict on House Cricket DIY
A simple DIY — the real challenge is finding the one chirping, not eliminating a colony.
The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is primarily a noise and nuisance pest — the male's persistent chirping, usually at night, is the main homeowner complaint — and it's harmless to people. In larger numbers it can chew fabrics (wool, silk, cotton, linen, nylon, rayon), but it poses no health or structural risk. Control is straightforward exclusion and moisture management plus tracking down the individual disrupting your sleep, which is often the hardest part simply because a single chirping cricket can be surprisingly difficult to locate by sound alone.
The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded
Every approach graded for this species, in IPM order — prevention first, chemistry late. Pick a method to see how it works, the steps, and what it actually takes.
Prevention / Exclusion
Works wellSealing entry points and clearing outdoor harborage is the most effective, durable fix.
House crickets typically live outdoors near debris and structures and wander indoors through gaps, especially at night. Closing those gaps and removing nearby harborage cuts off both the entry route and the outdoor population supplying it.
Best for: Preventing crickets from entering in the first place
Seal entry points
Install tight-fitting door sweeps and weather-stripping, and caulk or screen basement windows, dryer vents, and other utility penetrations.
TipCrickets are drawn to light at night, so gaps near exterior lighting are worth extra attention.Clear outdoor harborage
Move leaf piles, brick or lumber stacks, and firewood away from the foundation, where they provide daytime shelter for an outdoor population.
Tools & materials
Why DIY falls short here
Not scare tactics — the specific, proportionate reasons a home attempt can stall for this species.
Can't locate the single chirper
One hidden male can be genuinely hard to pinpoint by sound alone, and it typically stops chirping when approached, so people give up on finding it rather than continuing to methodically narrow down the location.
Exterior harborage left in place
Leaf piles, lumber stacks, and firewood against the foundation keep supplying new crickets even after you've removed the one currently indoors.
Gaps left unsealed
Unsealed basement windows, dryer vents, and door gaps continue letting new individuals wander in each season, regardless of how many you catch indoors.
How risky is it, really?
An honest read — most nuisance species are genuinely low risk, and we say so.
House crickets pose no disease or bite risk to people. The complaint is almost entirely noise — persistent nighttime chirping from a male — with occasional minor fabric nibbling in large numbers. There's no structural or health threat involved.
- Persistent nighttime chirpingCommon
The primary homeowner complaint; produced by males and often the main reason for control
University of Maryland Extension
- Nibbling on fabrics (wool, silk, cotton, linen, nylon, rayon)Occasional
Occurs mainly in large numbers, not from a single indoor individual
University of Maryland Extension
- Bite, sting, or disease transmissionRare
Not documented — house crickets pose no direct health risk to people or pets
University of Maryland Extension
Recurring Cricket Pressure Every Summer?
A large outdoor population near the foundation can outlast simple sealing. Anchor Pest Services offers a full exclusion assessment across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.
Call a pro when…
- Heavy outdoor pressure continues despite exclusion and harborage removal
- Recurring chirping indoors across multiple seasons
- You'd rather have a professional exterior perimeter treatment applied correctly
General Pest Control
You almost never need a pro for house crickets — this is a low-complexity exclusion job most homeowners handle themselves. The exception is heavy, recurring outdoor pressure despite consistent sealing and harborage removal.
Keep them out
- Install door sweeps and weather-stripping on exterior doors
- Clear leaf, lumber, and firewood piles from the foundation
- Seal basement windows, dryer vents, and utility penetrations
House crickets in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's warm months bring house crickets indoors from outdoor harborage near foundations, wood piles, and debris, with nighttime chirping complaints typically peaking in late summer as populations build. Activity drops off as temperatures fall toward the first hard frost, when outdoor crickets die off or seek deeper shelter rather than continuing to press indoors.
Peak season
Late summer, as outdoor populations peak
First-frost anchor
Manchester first hard frost ~Oct 19 (50%) / Oct 29 (80%), NOAA 1991–2020
Make sure it's a House Cricket
Two quick detours worth taking — confirm the ID, then learn what drew it in so it doesn't come back.
Frequently asked
Sources & further reading(1)
- [1]University of Maryland Extension — Crickets
Biology, noise-nuisance framing, fabric-nibbling risk, exclusion recommendations
extensionverified 2026-07-13
Written & reviewed by
VerifiedDaniel 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.
Last updated July 2026
Other species you can tackle
Same category — the dot shows each one's DIY verdict at a glance (green = friendly, amber = doable with care, red = call a pro).
Professional Pest Control
Recurring Cricket Pressure Every Summer?
A large outdoor population near the foundation can outlast simple sealing. Anchor Pest Services offers a full exclusion assessment across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.
- Exclusion & harborage assessment
- NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
- Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH
NH License #782664 · No obligation · We answer in person
Your next step
- What to do next
House Crickets in New Hampshire — ID, the Chirp & Control
Read the answer - What to do next
Can crickets chew on fabrics or wallpaper?
Read the answer - Also relevant
When Do Crickets Come Inside? NH Cricket Timing Guide
Read the answer - Also relevant
How to control indoor crickets in fall?
Read the answer