Cave Crickets Creep Out Family in Manasquan, NJ
A new client in Manasquan, NJ, immediately called Cowleys after her young daughter came face-to-face with a cave cricket. Apparently, the daughter let her mom know of the problem by screaming in terror over what she believed to be “jumping spiders!” She wasn’t far off-base. If you've never heard of or have seen cave crickets before, these ugly, creepy looking pests could be easily be mistaken for an alien spider straight out of a horror film. These crickets are commonly called camel crickets because of their humpbacked appearance. They are also referred to as cave crickets or spider crickets.
Outdoors, camel crickets are commonly found underneath wet leaves, rocks, and decomposing foliage. When invading a home, they seek out damp, cool areas like basements and crawl spaces. And if you happen to own a hot tub, be careful when you open the cover! Although these pests sound unusual, they are actually quite common throughout New Jersey. Researchers from North Carolina State University found that camel crickets live in or near 37% of homes in New Jersey. Needless to say, we’ve been getting many calls from distraught homeowners who find themselves with a “plague” of these pests.
Camel crickets are thought to breed year-round, and only in the dark. Unlike field crickets, these crickets do not have sound-producing organs and do not chirp. Also, they are wingless. The good news is that camel crickets do not bite. However, with their long limbs, they jump when startled. This is their only defense to scare off predators and should one of them jump on your face, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget!
When I began inspecting the crawl space, I found a heavy infestation of camel crickets all over the block walls. Fortunately, we have several products that will quickly resolve the heaviest camel cricket infestation. For this home, I took care of the problem by applying both a liquid application and granular bait treatment in the crawl space. I also sprayed the block wall and sill plate to stop the crickets from entering the home through any small gaps around the wire and pipe chases, and I placed more granular bait around the base of the foundation wall.
With the treatment completed, I explained to the homeowner what I found in the crawl space and how I treated the infestation. I let her know that the camel crickets would be gone within a matter of days. The entire family was put at ease, which to me, is the most rewarding part of being a pest control technician.