Unlike crickets that find themselves trapped inside of the wall of your home, keeping you up at night as they chirp away, the cave cricket is a strange type of cricket. Cave crickets are also known as “spider crickets” and “camel crickets”. All three of their names fit them perfectly because of their appearance as well as where they choose to live.
Cave crickets have a humped back, hence the name “camel cricket”. This type of cricket also has much larger legs than a typical field cricket. The legs resemble a large spider, hence the name “spider cricket”.
Unlike field crickets, cave crickets are commonly found in dark damp locations such as basements. Cave crickets use their large legs for jumping great distances instead of chirping. It is often reported that they tend to jump towards humans unlike other types of insects that jump away. In actuality, cave crickets are most likely jumping towards people because of their poor eyesight, or perhaps just to scare us away as they have no means of defending themselves.
Cave crickets need moisture in order to survive. Outdoors they can be found living among rotting logs, in leaf piles, and firewood. They consume fungi, dead insects, plants, and decaying plant matter when outdoors. When they come indoors they will seek areas of moisture and feed off of organic material. Hungry crickets will also eat fabric and paper when food is scarce.
Although basically harmless, cave crickets are not the best houseguests. NJ cave crickets can be removed by calling a Monmouth County, NJ pest control professional like Allison Pest Control.