For homeowners, the important point is not only how long one cricket lives. It is how quickly crickets can reproduce. Under warm, favorable conditions, eggs can hatch in about two weeks, nymphs can mature in several weeks, and a new generation can begin before the first problem is fully noticed.
- Most house and field crickets live about 8 to 13 weeks from hatching to death.
- Adult crickets usually live several weeks after their final molt, with males often dying soon after mating season.
- Camel crickets can survive much longer in damp basements, crawlspaces, and protected indoor spaces.
- Mole crickets may live up to about 2 years because much of their life cycle happens underground.
- Without food, most active crickets survive about a week. Without water or moisture, many die within a few days.
Cricket Lifespan by Species
The common 90-day estimate is useful, but it hides major differences between cricket types. House crickets and field crickets are usually short-lived seasonal pests. Camel crickets and mole crickets can be more persistent because they live in protected habitats.
| Cricket Species | Typical Lifespan | What Homeowners Should Know |
|---|---|---|
| House cricket | About 8-13 weeks total | Can live longer indoors when warmth, food, and moisture are available. |
| Field cricket | About 2-3 months | Most adults die after mating season or the first hard frost. |
| Camel or cave cricket | Several months to over a year in protected spaces | Can remain active in damp basements, crawlspaces, garages, and storage areas. |
| Spider cricket | Similar to camel cricket | This is a common nickname for camel/cave crickets, not a separate household pest category. |
| Mole cricket | Up to about 2 years | Lives mostly underground and causes lawn or turf damage rather than typical indoor nuisance problems. |
| Feeder or pet-shop cricket | Usually 8-10 weeks with good care | Stable temperature, food, and water help them reach their normal lifespan, but they still do not live very long. |
The biggest practical takeaway: if you are dealing with house or field crickets, the problem is usually seasonal but fast-breeding. If you are dealing with camel crickets in a damp basement or mole crickets in a lawn, the source may persist much longer unless the habitat is corrected.
Cricket Life Cycle: Egg, Nymph, Adult
1. Egg Stage
Female crickets lay eggs in protected places where moisture and temperature are suitable. Outdoors, this often means soil, plant debris, or protected cracks. Indoors, eggs may be laid in hidden cracks, wall voids, baseboard gaps, or other undisturbed areas if conditions are warm and damp enough.
Eggs can hatch in roughly 1 to 2 weeks under favorable warm conditions, but development slows when temperatures are cooler or moisture is limited.
2. Nymph Stage
Newly hatched cricket nymphs look like tiny wingless adults. They grow by molting, which means they shed their outer exoskeleton several times before becoming adults. Many crickets molt around 8 to 10 times before reaching maturity.
This nymph stage is one reason indoor cricket problems can build quietly. Young crickets are smaller, harder to notice, and may hide in clutter, cracks, cardboard, laundry areas, or damp storage spaces.
3. Adult Stage
Once crickets become adults, they can mate and reproduce. Adult males chirp by rubbing their wings together to attract females and compete with other males. This is usually when homeowners first realize crickets are inside, because the nighttime noise becomes difficult to ignore.
For a deeper look at cricket sounds and mating behavior, see our guide to why crickets chirp at night.
How Fast Do Crickets Reproduce?
Crickets reproduce quickly when warmth, food, moisture, and hiding places are available. A female cricket can lay many eggs over her adult life, and some species can lay hundreds under good conditions. Not every egg survives, but even a small surviving group can restart the problem.
This is why a few indoor crickets should not be ignored if they keep appearing in the same area. One cricket in a basement may be a random invader. Repeated chirping, nymphs, droppings, or crickets in multiple rooms suggest there may be a breeding site nearby.
How Long Do Crickets Live in a House?
Crickets can live longer indoors than outdoors if they find moisture, food, and shelter. A house protects them from frost, heavy rain, predators, and extreme temperature swings. Basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and storage areas are especially attractive because they are dark and often humid.
However, a dry, clean, well-sealed house is not ideal for crickets. Without moisture, food scraps, fabric, cardboard, pet food, or hiding places, indoor crickets usually die or leave quickly. If crickets keep appearing, look for a moisture source, entry gap, or hidden breeding area.
How Long Do Crickets Live Without Food?
Most active crickets can survive about a week without food. Some may last a little longer in cooler conditions because their metabolism slows down, but active indoor crickets in warm rooms need regular food.
Crickets are opportunistic feeders. They may eat plants, fruit, fungi, insects, crumbs, pet food, cardboard, paper, fabric, or even other crickets when food is scarce. For a full diet breakdown, see what crickets eat indoors, outside, and in captivity.
How Long Do Crickets Live Without Water?
Water matters even more than food. Many crickets die within about 3 to 5 days without water or moisture. That is why cricket activity often clusters around damp basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, plumbing leaks, and humid storage areas.
For homeowners, moisture control is one of the best non-chemical cricket controls. Fix leaks, improve ventilation, use a dehumidifier in damp basements, and avoid storing cardboard or fabric directly against damp floors or walls.
Where Do Crickets Go in Winter?
Most outdoor adult field crickets and house crickets die when cold weather arrives. Eggs or immature stages may survive in protected outdoor locations and continue development when temperatures rise again in spring.
Camel crickets are different because they already prefer protected, damp places. They may remain active in basements, crawlspaces, garages, and similar spaces during winter, especially if the area stays humid.
Mole crickets are another exception. They spend much of their life underground, where soil protects them from surface weather. If you are seeing tunnels, thinning grass, or spongy turf, read our guide on how to get rid of mole crickets.
Do Camel Crickets Die in Winter?
Camel crickets do not always die in winter, especially indoors. These crickets prefer dark, damp, protected spaces, so a basement or crawlspace can help them avoid outdoor freezing conditions.
If camel crickets are active in winter, focus on habitat correction first: lower humidity, seal foundation gaps, remove cardboard clutter, improve crawlspace conditions, and use traps along walls and corners. Sprays may help with entry points, but moisture and shelter are usually the larger problem.
Do Crickets Live Longer Indoors or Outdoors?
Crickets often live longer indoors if the space gives them warmth, moisture, food, and protection from predators. Outdoors, crickets face birds, spiders, rodents, weather changes, drought, flooding, and frost.
That does not mean every cricket inside your home will survive for months. Dry rooms, limited food, vacuuming, traps, and sealed entry points can shorten the problem quickly. The goal is to make your home less suitable than the outdoor habitat they came from.
How to Shorten an Indoor Cricket Problem
Understanding the cricket life cycle helps you act before a small problem becomes a larger one. The steps below target adults, nymphs, eggs, moisture, and entry points.
- Place traps first. Use sticky traps along walls, baseboards, behind appliances, near garage doors, and in damp rooms.
- Reduce moisture. Repair leaks, run a dehumidifier, improve ventilation, and dry out basements or crawlspaces.
- Remove food and shelter. Clean crumbs, seal pet food, lift clutter off the floor, and reduce cardboard storage.
- Seal entry points. Check door sweeps, garage seals, foundation cracks, vents, pipe openings, and window gaps.
- Use targeted treatment if needed. Apply sprays only where the label allows, such as cracks, baseboards, thresholds, or exterior entry points.
- Check outside pressure areas. Move mulch, leaf litter, wood piles, and dense vegetation away from the foundation.
For a full control plan, see how to get rid of crickets in the house, basement, and garage.
FAQ
How long do house crickets live?
House crickets usually live about 8 to 13 weeks total, depending on temperature, food, moisture, and predators. Adults live for several weeks after their final molt.
How long do crickets live in a house?
Crickets may live for several weeks indoors if they find moisture, food, and hiding places. In dry rooms with little food or shelter, they usually die much faster.
How long do mole crickets live?
Mole crickets can live up to about 2 years. They spend much of that time underground, which is why mole cricket lawn damage can persist across seasons.
How long do crickets live without water?
Many crickets die within about 3 to 5 days without water or moisture. Damp areas are one of the main reasons crickets survive indoors.
How long do crickets live without food?
Most active crickets survive about a week without food. Cooler conditions can slow their metabolism, but food shortage still weakens them quickly.
How many eggs does a cricket lay?
A female cricket can lay many eggs during her adult life, and some species may lay hundreds under good conditions. Survival depends on temperature, moisture, predators, and whether the eggs are hidden well.
What is the lifespan of a pet cricket?
Feeder crickets kept for reptiles or amphibians usually live about 8 to 10 weeks with good care, including stable temperature, ventilation, food, and a safe water source such as water gel.
Do crickets bite humans?
Most crickets do not bite humans unless they are handled, trapped, or pressed against the skin. Cricket bites are uncommon and usually minor. For details, see do crickets bite humans?
What kills crickets fast indoors?
Sticky traps are the easiest first step for visible indoor activity. Targeted sprays can help around cracks, baseboards, thresholds, and entry points. For product comparisons, see our guide to the best cricket killer products.
Bottom Line
Most crickets live only a few months, but that is long enough for them to mate, lay eggs, and create a new generation if indoor conditions are favorable. House and field crickets are usually short-lived seasonal pests, while camel crickets and mole crickets can be more persistent because they live in protected, damp spaces.
If you are finding crickets indoors, act early. Place traps, reduce moisture, remove clutter, seal entry points, and treat cracks or exterior pressure areas only where appropriate. The faster you interrupt the life cycle, the easier the cricket problem is to control.
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Enjoyed every bit of your post. Was wondering how lond do these creatures live and your article gave me a complete answer.
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I think this is a real great article post. I have a pet cricket, so was wondering how long he will stay with me 🙂
I have a cricket in my wall and I don’t know what to do about it
Hi Devin,
If you know exactly where cricket is you can make a small hole and take him out of the wall. Another way is to use ultrasonic repeller (this is link to my guide) or you can use a glue trap. Using a glue trap will require a small hole in the wall to place it inside.
If you don’t want to handle it by yourself you can also hire an exterminator.
Best regards,
Vil.
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i just moved from a home in northern california with wonderful sounds of chirping to a condo developement with NO CRICKETS so…….I went to petsmart and bouught 15 to release in my yard as I love
their summer chirping which I NEED TO HEAR. Any idea if this will work? They are escape
artists and seven escaped in the house but three cats led me ri ght to them?
What I really wanted to know is how long I have to put up with crickets that come in the house in the fall. I’ve seen them hide by the bottom of the door and hop like mad to get in when I open it. They are hard to catch, going silent when you stalk them. I threw one out last night and there is another one in the kitchen this morning. You mention a voracious appetite – if I dust some lettuce with borate will that kill them? I’d rather not use Raid.
Very good article but it looks like the wrong graphic made it into your article. Your graphic shows grasshoppers not cricket. Other than that a great amount of relevant information in such a short piece.