How to Get Rid of Crickets Inside | Stop the Chirping

A few crickets in the garage are one thing. A chorus under the sofa at 2 a.m. is another. The reliable way to handle crickets indoors is a two-part job: remove the ones already in your home, then make it impossible for more to follow. Most infestations trace back to unsealed gaps around doors and windows, damp basements, and clutter that gives crickets a place to hide during the day.

Here is the order that works best, from removing what you can see to keeping the rest out for good.

Catch And Remove The Crickets You Can See

Start with a strong vacuum. It picks up live crickets, dead ones, and the eggs they may have laid in corners and along baseboards. Empty the canister or bag right away so nothing crawls back out.

Sticky traps work well for the crickets you never see, especially camel crickets that gather in basements and garages. Place them along walls, behind appliances, and in other spots where you have heard chirping. Check and replace them regularly.

For a quick DIY lure, a shallow dish of molasses mixed with a little water attracts crickets, which climb in and drown. This is common consumer guidance rather than a documented pest-control method, but it costs pennies and often helps knock down a small problem.

Use Cricket Baits And Sprays Only As The Label Allows

When traps and vacuuming are not enough, cricket baits can be effective indoors, and over-the-counter insecticides work if the label specifically permits indoor use. Apply them only in cracks and crevices where crickets hide, not as a general fog across your floors.

The University of Florida’s guidance is direct: use indoor insecticides only when sealing and sanitation cannot control the problem fast enough, and apply them as spot treatments. Never assume an outdoor product is safe inside — it must be registered and labeled for indoor use. Keep bait, traps, and any spray out of reach of children and pets.

For a tested comparison of sprays that are safe and labeled for indoor cricket control, see our roundup of the best cricket killer sprays.

Seal Entry Points So No More Crickets Get In

Removal only wins the battle. Sealing wins the war. Walk the outside of your home and seal exterior cracks and crevices with caulk, especially where utility lines, pipes, and electrical wiring enter the foundation.

• Repair or replace torn window screens.
• Install weatherstripping around doors so the gap underneath is closed.
• Cover vents and crawl-space openings with fine mesh screening.
• Seal gaps where the foundation meets the siding.

Crickets are small and find the tiniest openings, so this step matters more than any other for keeping your home cricket-free through the season.

Dry Out The Spaces Crickets Love

Crickets survive where moisture collects. Basements, crawl spaces, attics, and laundry areas are their favorite indoor spots for exactly that reason. Run a dehumidifier in damp basements and crawl spaces, and add ventilation to attics and enclosed storage areas.

Clutter is the other half of the invitation. Piles of clothes, cardboard boxes, and stacked paper give crickets daytime shelter where you will never see them. Keep storage areas tidy, clean up food spills promptly, and take out trash regularly. A dry, open house is far less appealing to crickets than a damp, cluttered one.

FAQs

Will crickets go away on their own?

Crickets inside will not simply leave on their own because the house provides warmth, moisture, and shelter. Without intervention, they breed and the chirping gets worse. Vacuuming the ones you see and setting sticky traps reduces the population immediately, but sealing entry points is what actually stops new crickets from replacing the ones you remove.

Where do indoor crickets usually hide during the day?

Indoor crickets hide in dark, damp, undisturbed places: under appliances, behind baseboards, in basement corners, inside garage storage boxes, and along foundation walls. They emerge at night to feed and chirp. Check these areas first when you hear noise, and place sticky traps along the walls where you suspect activity.

Is boric acid safe to use for crickets indoors?

Consumer sources recommend boric acid for crickets, but official university guidance emphasizes following label directions for any product used indoors. Boric acid can be effective in cracks and crevices, but it must be kept away from children and pets, and it works best as part of a broader plan that includes sealing entry points and reducing moisture.