Spider crickets don’t bite in any meaningful sense. Most entomologists agree these insects lack the ability or inclination to bite humans, and they carry no venom or stingers. That said, they do have small chewing mouthparts called mandibles, and a few pest control sources suggest a cricket that lands directly on bare skin could theoretically nibble. In practice, this is extremely rare, and even if it happened, the mouthparts are too weak to cause injury.
Why They Jump at You Instead
Spider crickets (also called camel crickets) are wingless, humpbacked insects that belong to the family Rhaphidophoridae. They have no way to fly and no ability to chirp like common house crickets. Their primary defense is jumping, and they’re startlingly good at it. When threatened, a spider cricket often leaps directly toward the perceived threat rather than away from it. This isn’t aggression. The cricket is essentially blind in bright light and jumps erratically to confuse a predator. The result, though, is an insect that seems to charge at you, which is probably why so many people wonder whether they bite.
They don’t sting, they don’t have venom glands, and they don’t transmit diseases. The worst a spider cricket can do to your body is startle you.
What They Actually Eat and Damage
Spider crickets are scavengers. In the wild, they feed on decaying plant material, fungi, and other organic debris. Indoors, they’ll eat almost anything with organic content: cardboard, wallpaper paste, fabric, paper, and even other dead insects. According to North Carolina State University’s extension service, they can damage stored garments and linens packed in boxes in a garage or basement, especially when an infestation goes unchecked and the crickets can’t find their preferred food sources.
So while spider crickets pose no risk to you physically, they can slowly ruin clothing, books, and other items stored in damp, dark spaces.
Why They’re in Your Basement
Spider crickets need two things: moisture and darkness. Basements, crawlspaces, garages, and utility rooms offer both. They enter homes through foundation cracks, gaps around pipes, and spaces under doors. Once inside, a cluttered basement full of cardboard boxes is paradise for them. The boxes provide food, shelter, and the dark crevices they prefer. You’ll almost never find spider crickets in dry, well-lit parts of your home.
Populations tend to spike in late summer and fall, when outdoor conditions start to dry out or cool down and the crickets seek more stable environments. A few crickets wandering in from outside is normal. Dozens or hundreds usually means your basement has the right combination of moisture, entry points, and clutter to support a breeding population.
How to Get Rid of Them
Because spider crickets depend so heavily on moisture, the single most effective step is running a dehumidifier in your basement or crawlspace. Spider crickets struggle to survive in dry environments, so bringing the relative humidity below 50% makes the space far less hospitable.
Beyond that, a few practical changes make a big difference:
- Declutter storage areas. Replace cardboard boxes with sealed plastic bins. Remove piles of old fabric, newspapers, and paper bags. These serve as both hiding spots and food sources.
- Seal entry points. Inspect your foundation for cracks, check gaps around pipes and utility lines, and add weatherstripping or door sweeps where needed. Closing off their routes in is the most permanent fix.
- Reduce outdoor habitat near the house. Move woodpiles, leaf litter, and mulch away from your foundation. These are the environments spider crickets live in before they migrate indoors.
Sticky traps placed along basement walls and in corners can help you gauge how many crickets you’re dealing with and reduce numbers passively. For large infestations where these steps aren’t enough, a pest control professional can treat the perimeter and interior more aggressively.
Spider Crickets vs. Common House Crickets
People sometimes confuse spider crickets with the tan or black house crickets that chirp at night. They’re quite different. Spider crickets are silent, since they lack the wings that other crickets rub together to produce sound. Their bodies are hunched and round rather than flat, their legs are disproportionately long (giving them that spider-like appearance), and they prefer total darkness over the warmth and light that house crickets gravitate toward. If you’re finding large, silent, jumping insects in your basement or garage rather than hearing chirping from behind the fridge, you’re dealing with spider crickets.
Several species exist across North America, including the alpine camel cricket, the great plains camel cricket, and the robust camel cricket. From a household perspective, the species doesn’t matter much. They all share the same habitat preferences, the same diet, and the same inability to harm you.