Do Crickets Eat Ants?

Content:

What are Crickets?
Signs of a Cricket Infestation
Do Crickets Eat Ants?
Why You Must Get Rid of Crickets
How to Get Rid of Crickets
Conclusion

Do you have a cricket problem in your garden or around your home? Crickets may be an excellent way to get rid of ants as they are natural predators. But this method is not advisable because crickets are pests too and may turn on your garden as soon as their prey is gone. Crickets can lay waste to your garden if you let them, and the nuisance they constitute around the home prompts the need to eliminate them.

However, eliminating these tiny critters can be tricky if you do not know how to do it. This article will explain everything you need to know about the cricket insect, its pestilent behaviors, and the best pest control measures.

What are Crickets?

Crickets are tiny insects from Orthoptera and other notorious garden pests like locusts and grasshoppers. They are of the Ensifera suborder, mainly nocturnal and famous for the chipping sounds they make at night.

There are over 900 cricket species, but the commonest in human environments is Acheta Domesticus, commonly called the house cricket. This species is native to Southwestern Asia but has since spread to other continents, especially after it was adopted as a standard feeder insect for research industries.

House crickets are commonly known as household pests that often make their way into homes and gardens in search of food and shelter. However, it is worth knowing that other similar insect species can invade human spaces, and your ability to identify these insects is vital to get rid of them successfully.

Here are some of the house cricket’s physical features that make them easily identifiable.

Size: Crickets are tiny insects, like all other orthopteran insects. Male and female are similarly sized, reaching lengths between 16 – 21mm with light weights of about 0.8g.
Color: Most cricket species, including the house crickets, have smooth brown bodies with three black stripes at the back of their heads.
Body: The cricket’s body is often cylindrically shaped with a round head that has s pair of thread-like antennas. They are six-legged with long powerful hind legs designed for leaping. Adults have wings designed for flights that cover their abdomen when they are not flying.

Signs of a Cricket Infestation

Crickets are often attracted to lawns and gardens, where they cause havoc by feeding on plants. A cricket infestation is always a nightmare for homeowners, and your ability to prevent it depends on how early you notice their presence. Here ate some apparent signs of an active or impending cricket infestation.

Firstly, spotting multiple crickets in your home is as good a warning as possible. When crickets invade your lawn or garden, a few can often find their way into your home, which is an obvious sign that you have an infestation in your yard.

The annoying chirp sound these insects make is another sign of an imminent infestation. Male crickets chirp at night to attract females, and it is customary to hear cricket chirps on summer evenings. But when this sound gets too loud, it shows the crickets are close and plenty which may be a problem.

Yes, crickets do eat ants. They usually camp around ant nests, waiting to pick up smaller, weaker ants to feed on.

Indeed, crickets do not look like predators. In fact, one can easily consider them at the bottom of their food chain because of how tiny they look. But they are not and often make meals for many insects, including ants.

Crickets are typical omnivores, meaning their diet consists of plants and insects. So, they can often go hunting for smaller insects when they wish to take a break from plant meals.

Why You Must Get Rid of Crickets

Crickets are household pests, and their large numbers in urban settlements mean they will often make their way into your yard to find food and shelter.

They are also attracted to light and may find their way into your home through the smallest openings in your wall, doors, or windows. Of course, crickets do not pose any direct threats to humans, but they have a list of pestilent behaviors that prompt the need to rid your home of them, including;

Disturbance: The chirping sound of crickets often indicates that summer is here as these insects often mate in warm seasons. But these sounds can become a disturbance when these insects camp around your home or make their way inside. The more they are, the louder their noises can hinder you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Disease: Crickets may look harmless, but they are carriers of different parasites and diseases that can harm humans. Leaving crickets to roam free in your house puts you and your family at risk of health problems.
Destruction: Another pestilent behavior of crickets is their destructive instincts. Indeed, they are not a violent bunch, but they can often feed on wood, paper, and other materials that are valuable to you.

How to Get Rid of Crickets

Crickets have a few ecological advantages, including the fact that they feed on more minor insect pests.

However, their pestilent behaviors overshadow these advantages and prompt the need to evict them from your properties.

Here are some best ways to rid your home of intruding crickets.

Ultrasonic Cricket Repeller: Of the exemplary methods of insect control measures available today, only a few are as effective as ultrasonic repellers. This device emits high-pitched sounds that are harmful to insects and other pests but safe for humans. It is also eco-friendly and will help you overcome your cricket problem without side effects.
Insect Traps: Sticky traps and glue boards are among the best insect traps and can be effective for capturing intruding crickets.
Prevention: An excellent approach to cricket control is preventing infestations. Crickets are attracted to damp areas and tall grasses, so you can eliminate dark, damp areas in your home and ensure to mow your lawn regularly.

Conclusion

Crickets eat ants and other minor insect pests, which is one of its ecological benefits. But it is a household pest, and you may need to eliminate it from your home.

This article has explained everything you need to know about crickets and how to control an infestation.