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Home Pest Control, Household Insects, Insect Identification, News, Nuisance Insects

Do Cave Crickets Bite?

Did you know that you could have a cave cricket infestation in your home without even knowing it?

Cave crickets (also known as camel-back crickets) don’t make that annoying chirping sound that you hear from house crickets. They can get up to two inches long, but you’ll be happy to know that they don’t bite humans, although their appearance can lead you to think otherwise.

Where Do You Find Them?

Cave crickets, just like their name suggests, prefer damp places like caves. It’s not often that they wander into human dwellings, however if you have a cave cricket infestation, you’re likely to find them around standing water, drains or leaks in a dark place in your basement.

What Harm Can They Do?

In large numbers, cave crickets can cause some significant damage. They can feed on plants, fabrics and other insects. If they’re in your basement, you risk losing some of the items you have in storage if cave crickets are around. When they’re outside, they can feed on your outdoor plants, the fabric on your lawn furniture, or even on the clothes you hang on your clothesline.

Although cave crickets don’t bite, their best line of defense is to jump at anything they consider to be a threat. That might be your first hint that you have them in your home. They will have a tendency to jump towards you instead of away.

A residential pest control specialist will be able to rid you of your cave cricket problem, and prevent other cave crickets from coming later on. If you think you might have a cave cricket infestation, please contact us at Allison Pest Control today.

Home Pest Control, Household Insects, Insect Identification, Nuisance Insects

Camel Back Crickets: Silent Invaders

Not all crickets chirp. Camel back crickets are silent invaders, creeping into damp, dark Monmouth County, NJ crawl spaces and basements unknown to homeowners. Their lack of vocalization provides no warning, allowing camel back cricket populations to grow unchecked. Ocean County, NJ residents may not realize they have a pest problem until these insects start appearing in more heavily trafficked areas of their home. If you start seeing these rapidly reproducing crickets in bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms or other rooms in your home; it’s time to call a cricket exterminator NJ before they take over your house!

About 2 inches long and pale brown in color, camel back crickets get their name from the resemblance of their prominently arched back to a camel’s hump. These insects are also called cave crickets, a frequent dwelling place, and spider crickets for their unusually long, thin, spider-like legs. Camel back crickets have a unique and disconcerting jumping habit that often upsets Middlesex County, NJ residents. Instead of jumping away from you if disturbed, these crickets will leap right at you and may land on your clothing or person. The unusual response is thought to be a defensive behavior meant to confuse and frighten predators.

A nuisance pest, camel back crickets are part of Mother Nature’s clean up crew, feeding primarily on dead spiders, flies and other insects. They also feed on mold, fungi and dead plant material. Outdoors these scavengers can find plenty to eat; but in the confines of your basement large populations will feed on fabrics and can damage stored linens and clothing waiting to be washed.

Ants, Bees & Wasps, Biting Insects, Commercial Pest Control, Home Pest Control, Household Insects, Insects, News, Nuisance Insects, Problem Insects, Termites, Wood Destroying Insects

Scientists Believe Global Warning Has Brought An Increase In Plant Eating Insects

The summer of 2011 brought about numerous complaints by New Jersey residents to many pest control companies throughout New Jersey about an increase of insects eating more than their normal share of a variety of outdoor plants.  Notwithstanding the voracious appetite of the pesky stink bugs that have taken over the eastern seaboard in recent years, and have damaged farmer’s crops and homeowners gardens, many residents have noticed an increase of other plant-eating insects in their gardens.  Many home gardens that were normally bursting with fruits and vegetables were hit hard by unwelcome invaders this past year report NJ pest control professionals.

Through extensive research, it is the belief of some scientists that the continuing warming of the earth is contributing to the increase in plant-eating insects.  Researchers do not believe that the plants have become tastier to insects, but they do believe that insects have a greater appetite and have become more destructive in recent years.  Planetsave reported back on February 11, 2008 that scientists from Pennsylvania State University and the Smithsonian Institution believe that “when temperature increases, the diversity of insect feeding damage on plant species also increases.”  Additionally, the study’s lead author and researcher said “our study convincingly shows that there is a link between temperature and insect feeding on leaves.” You may read the article here.

Keeping the interior and exterior of your home free from all types of unwelcome pests is easy when you hire a New Jersey pest control expert.  Allison Pest Control will be able to blanket your property with a barrier pest control treatment to keep unwanted pests out so that your gardens will grow as expected.  We provide fast and professional service to residences and businesses in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey.  Call us today for a free estimate and pest evaluation.

Commercial Pest Control, Home Pest Control, Household Insects, Insect Identification, Insects, Nuisance Insects, Problem Insects, Rodents

Camel Back Crickets Will Creep You Out

Camel back crickets are known by different names.  Sometimes called cave crickets or spider crickets, these creatures are not a pest you want to have around your house.  Reproducing very quickly, camel back crickets thrive in damp, cave like environments.  Basements and crawl spaces are perfect places for them to set up house.  Camel back crickets can live undetected in a home for a long period of time because the dark damp environment provides ample food and water for their colony to grow.  Once you have a good size infestation on your hands, camel back crickets will begin to emerge from the nest.  Homeowners in New Jersey and other parts of the United States can expect to see these scary insects invade their living quarters once the camel back cricket nest becomes overcrowded.

In basements and crawl spaces, camel back crickets feed on mold and fungus.  Left untreated in your home, they will cause considerable damage feasting on anything that is made of fabric.  Regardless of if it is synthetic or man-made fabrics, nothing is of limits to this damage causing pest.  Once your have camel back crickets living around the exterior of your home or business, you can expect them to move to the interior as the summertime heat sets in.

Many people find camel back crickets creepy and mistake them being a large spider instead of a cricket.  Camel back crickets have strange hairy looking antenna that make them intimidating looking.  Unlike every other type of bug, these crazy insects tend to jump toward you, rather than run away from you.  It is believed that they do this because of their poor vision, not because they are in attack mode.  Despite being scary to encounter, camel back crickets are actually harmless to humans as they do not bite or sting.

Leaving a camel back cricket infestation untreated is also an invitation to other unwanted household pests.  Rats and mice find camel back crickets to be a delicious treat and will pursue a New Jersey infestation.

You can put an end to your New Jersey camel back cricket infestation problem by contacting Allison Pest Control today.