Q: What has a light brown head, three transverse black bands, and could be living in your home right now?
A: A House Cricket
Tell Us More
One of the pests that tend to enter your home in search of sustenance and shelter is the house cricket. The house cricket, commonly found in the eastern part of the United States, Ontario, Quebec and sunny California, is an omnivore that prefers to diet on insects, fruit, veggies, meat, and other insects. These unique insects are scavengers and love to roam in nice warm spaces.
House crickets lay their eggs on a damp substrate such as moss or sand and overwinter in your home. Their lifecycle consists of an egg, nymph, and adult, typically takes two to three months to complete when reared above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unique Facts
- Male house crickets make a calling song by rubbing their left wing agains the teeth of a file beneath their right wing to attract female house crickets. While they are not harmful, they are considered a nuisance as they like to perform at night when the home’s occupants are sleeping.
- House crickets do not survive very well in the wild.
- Young House crickets resemble adult House Crickets but are smaller and wingless.
- House crickets can range between 16 and 21 millimeters in length.
Now you know a little bit more about this curious creature.