How To Get Rid Of Camel Crickets (Cave or Spider Crickets) Forever

Start Here: Where Are the Crickets?

Before buying anything, identify the location. Cricket control works best when you match the method to the source.

If you are not sure which product fits your situation, also see our full comparison of the best cricket killer products.

DIY Cricket Control vs Professional Treatment Cost

For most small cricket problems, DIY is the cheaper first step. Traps, sealing gaps, moisture control, and a targeted spray often cost far less than a professional visit. But if crickets keep coming back from a crawlspace, wall void, basement, garage, or hidden foundation gap, a professional inspection may save time.

If you only see crickets in one accessible area, start with cricket traps, sealing, moisture control, and a targeted indoor/perimeter spray. If activity continues after 7 to 10 days or appears in multiple rooms, the source is usually moisture or a hidden entry point. That is when it makes sense to inspect crawlspaces, wall voids, and the foundation perimeter instead of buying more product.

What Does a Camel Cricket Look Like?

Camel crickets are among the easiest crickets to recognize. They have a humpbacked body, long legs, brown coloring, and a habit of jumping suddenly when disturbed. They are common in basements, crawlspaces, cellars, garages, sheds, and other damp, dark spaces.

Unlike house crickets, camel crickets do not chirp. Their main problem is the way they gather in damp areas, jump when startled, and feed on organic materials, fabrics, cardboard, insulation, or stored items.

Camel Crickets, Cave Crickets, and Spider Crickets: What Is the Difference?

In most homeowner conversations, these names refer to the same general type of insect. “Camel cricket” describes the humpbacked body. “Cave cricket” describes the damp, dark places they prefer. “Spider cricket” comes from their long legs and spider-like appearance.

The control strategy is the same: reduce moisture, remove hiding places, trap the crickets already inside, and seal the entry points they use to get in.

Signs of a Cricket Infestation

A cricket problem is usually easy to notice once it becomes active. Look for:

• live crickets in basements, garages, crawlspaces, or storage rooms;
• nighttime chirping from house or field crickets;
• camel crickets jumping when you turn on lights;
• chewed fabric, cardboard, paper, rugs, curtains, or stored items;
• droppings in corners, along walls, or near storage boxes;
• crickets gathering near doors, windows, lights, or foundation gaps;
• lawn damage if mole crickets are involved.

If you are worried about bites, read our guide: Do Crickets Bite Humans?

The 7-Day Cricket Reset Plan

If crickets are already inside, do not start with random spraying. Use a simple sequence that finds the source and reduces the population at the same time.

1. Day 1: Place glue traps along walls, behind appliances, near basement corners, and beside garage doors.
2. Day 2: Reduce moisture with a dehumidifier, ventilation, or leak repair.
3. Day 3: Remove cardboard boxes, fabric piles, leaf debris, and clutter from damp areas.
4. Day 4: Seal gaps around doors, windows, vents, utility lines, and foundation cracks.
5. Day 5: Treat baseboards, thresholds, cracks, garage edges, and entry points if traps show continued activity.
6. Day 6: Clean up the outdoor perimeter: mulch, weeds, leaf litter, wood piles, and bright lights near entries.
7. Day 7: Recheck traps. If activity continues in multiple rooms or wall voids, focus on moisture and hidden entry points before buying more product.

Best First Step Indoors: Cricket Glue Traps

Glue traps are usually one of the simplest first steps for indoor cricket problems. They do two things at once: catch crickets and show you where the activity is strongest.

Another Indoor Trap Option: Catchmaster 72MAX

Catchmaster 72MAX Pest Traps are useful when you want broader glue-board coverage for basements, garages, closets, utility rooms, and storage areas. They are not only for crickets, but they work well as monitoring boards when you are trying to locate pest movement.

How to Get Rid of Crickets in the Basement

Basements are one of the most common places for camel crickets because they are dark, quiet, and often damp. If your basement has cardboard boxes, old furniture, rugs, fabric storage, or poor ventilation, it can become a perfect hiding place.

To get rid of crickets in the basement:

1. Place glue traps along walls, corners, and near utility openings.
2. Run a dehumidifier if the basement feels damp.
3. Remove cardboard, fabric piles, old rugs, and clutter from the floor.
4. Seal gaps around pipes, vents, doors, and foundation cracks.
5. Check traps every few days to see where activity is strongest.
6. Use a targeted spray only after you know where crickets are moving.

If crickets are mostly in the basement, moisture control is not optional. Without it, traps and sprays may reduce the current activity but the problem can return.

How to Get Rid of Crickets in the Garage

Garages attract crickets because they often have gaps under doors, clutter, cardboard storage, pet food, tools, and easy access from the yard.

Start with the garage door. A worn bottom seal is one of the easiest ways for crickets to enter. Add traps along the wall edges, clean up storage piles, and check around side doors and windows.

If crickets keep appearing near the garage, combine traps with a perimeter treatment around the door threshold, wall edges, and cracks where insects may enter.

How to Get Rid of Crickets in Walls

If you hear crickets near a wall or see them coming from baseboards, do not assume they have taken up residence deep inside the wall. Many crickets move through cracks, gaps, pipe openings, and baseboard edges while hiding nearby.

The best approach is to lure and intercept them:

• place glue traps directly along the wall where activity is strongest;
• seal obvious cracks after activity starts dropping;
• treat baseboards, crevices, and entry points according to label directions;
• avoid spraying blindly into electrical openings or unsafe voids;
• if crickets keep coming from inaccessible crawlspace or wall areas, treat it as a moisture and sealing problem rather than a spraying problem.

Best Spray for Cracks, Baseboards, and Entry Points

Sprays work best when used as part of a broader cricket control plan. They should not replace trapping, sealing, and moisture control. Use them around baseboards, cracks, crevices, thresholds, doors, windows, garages, basements, and crawlspace edges where crickets are moving.

How to Get Rid of Crickets in the Yard

If crickets are active around the outside of the house, the goal is to reduce shelter and prevent them from moving indoors.

• mow tall grass near the house;
• remove leaf piles, weeds, and dense vegetation near the foundation;
• move firewood and stored lumber away from the home;
• keep mulch from sitting directly against siding or door thresholds;
• use yellow or motion-sensor outdoor lights instead of bright white lights near doors;
• seal gaps around doors, windows, vents, and utility lines.

For outdoor cricket pressure around patios, foundations, and lawn edges, a perimeter approach often works better than treating one indoor room over and over.

Outdoor Perimeter Strategy

If crickets keep moving indoors from the yard, focus on the route they use rather than repeatedly treating one room. Reduce shelter near the foundation, repair gaps around doors and windows, and use a targeted perimeter treatment only where cricket activity is concentrated.

How to Get Rid of Crickets in the Garden

Garden crickets can chew plants, seedlings, leaves, and soft growth. Before using pesticides in a garden, start with habitat reduction and targeted control.

• remove weeds and dense ground cover;
• clean up fallen leaves, boards, pots, and debris;
• water early in the day so the area dries before night;
• use barriers or traps near problem areas;
• avoid broad pesticide use near edible plants unless the label clearly allows it.

If the issue is actually mole crickets damaging turf or soil, see our guide on how to get rid of mole crickets.

Natural Remedies for Crickets

Natural remedies can help with light activity, especially when combined with sealing and moisture control. They are less reliable for heavy infestations, but they can be useful in low-risk areas.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth can help against crawling insects when it stays dry. It works by damaging the insect’s outer layer and causing dehydration. Apply a light dusting in dry cracks, edges, and areas where crickets travel. Do not pile it heavily; insects are more likely to avoid thick piles.

Soapy Water

A shallow container with soapy water can catch some crickets in damp areas, but it is not a full infestation solution. Use it only as a supplemental trap, not your main control method.

Molasses Trap

Some homeowners use a small amount of molasses mixed with water to lure crickets into a container. This can catch a few insects, but it can also attract other pests if left too long. Use cautiously and clean it up quickly.

Boric Acid

Boric acid baits can work against some insects, but they must be used carefully and kept away from children, pets, and food areas. Always follow the product label. Do not scatter loose bait randomly around the home.

Cricket Prevention Tips

Prevention matters because crickets often return if the source remains. Focus on four things: moisture, entry points, shelter, and light.

• Seal entry points: door sweeps, window gaps, foundation cracks, vents, and utility penetrations.
• Reduce moisture: repair leaks, run a dehumidifier, improve basement or crawlspace ventilation.
• Remove shelter: cardboard boxes, fabric piles, leaf litter, mulch piles, wood stacks, and dense vegetation.
• Control lighting: reduce bright lights near doors and windows at night.
• Use traps as monitors: keep a few traps in basements and garages to catch early activity.

For more prevention steps, see our guide to DIY pest proofing and our page on pest control barriers for doors, windows, and vents.

Do Camel Crickets Die in Winter?

Cold weather may reduce cricket activity outdoors, but it does not always solve an indoor problem. Camel crickets can survive in protected spaces such as basements, crawlspaces, garages, and wall voids. Eggs and immature crickets may also continue the cycle when conditions improve.

If you are seeing crickets inside during colder months, look for moisture, gaps, and indoor hiding places rather than waiting for winter to solve the problem.

When DIY Is Not Enough

You usually do not need outside help for a few crickets. But it may be worth stepping back and rethinking the plan if:

• crickets keep returning after 7-10 days of trapping and sealing;
• activity is coming from a crawlspace, wall void, or hidden foundation gap;
• you see crickets in multiple rooms at once;
• the basement or garage problem is heavy;
• you cannot find the entry point;
• the lawn is damaged and may point to mole crickets rather than a house problem.

FAQ

What is the fastest way to get rid of crickets indoors?

The fastest first step is to place glue traps along walls, corners, and entry points. Then reduce moisture, remove clutter, and treat cracks or thresholds if activity continues.

Why do I have crickets in my basement?

Basements attract crickets because they are dark, damp, and sheltered. Cardboard boxes, fabric storage, old rugs, and poor ventilation make the problem worse.

Do crickets bite?

Crickets can bite, but they rarely bite humans. A bite is usually minor. The bigger issue is infestation, noise, droppings, and damage to fabrics or stored items. See our guide: Do Crickets Bite Humans?

Will vinegar get rid of crickets?

Vinegar may repel some insects temporarily, but it is not a reliable cricket control method. Traps, sealing, moisture control, and targeted treatment work better.

Will crickets go away on their own?

Sometimes a few stray crickets disappear on their own. A recurring basement, garage, or crawlspace problem usually continues until moisture, shelter, and entry points are fixed.

Are crickets bad for your house?

Crickets do not damage structures like termites, but they can chew fabrics, paper, cardboard, plants, and stored items. Heavy activity may also point to moisture or access problems.

What if crickets are damaging my lawn?

Lawn damage may be caused by mole crickets, which require a different treatment plan. Read our guide on how to get rid of mole crickets.

Conclusion

The best way to get rid of crickets is not one product. It is a sequence: trap the crickets already inside, reduce moisture, remove hiding places, seal entry points, and treat the areas where they are moving.

For basements and garages, start with glue traps and moisture control. For cracks, baseboards, and thresholds, use a targeted spray if needed. For outdoor pressure, clean up the perimeter and consider a yard/perimeter support option. If crickets keep coming back from hidden spaces, focus on moisture and sealing before spending more on spray.

Related Reading

• Best Cricket Killer Products
• Do Crickets Bite Humans?
• What Do Crickets Eat?
• Why Do Crickets Chirp?
• How to Get Rid of Mole Crickets
• Pest Control Barriers for Doors and Windows
• DIY Pest Proofing: Keep Bugs Out Naturally