Nature sounds are some of the best to listen to when you want to relax or sleep.
The pitter-patter of rain, the sound of wind and even the chirping of crickets can be soothing.
However, if you’re not used to the chirping sounds of cricket or you’re a light sleeper, then the chirping can be annoying.
If you’d like to know how to get rid of cricket noise at night, this article is for you.
We’ll be taking a look at why crickets chirp, a few things you can try to get rid of crickets in your yard and measures you can take to block out the sounds.
- Why do crickets make noise at night?
- How to Get Rid of Cricket Noise at Night
- Clean your yard
- Cricket-proof your home
- Use bait
- Encourage Predators in your yard
- Call in the professionals
- Soundproofing methods to stop crickets chirping
- Soundproofing methods to stop crickets chirping
- Why you should get your cricket problem under control
- When do crickets go away?
- How to stop crickets from chirping if you keep them in your home?
- Conclusion
Why do crickets make noise at night?
Crickets are nocturnal animals which means that they are more active at night.
However, you may hear crickets chirping in the day but not a much as you hear in the night.
Keep in mind that only male crickets chirp.
They do this to impress females and ward off other males.
It is a common misconception that crickets make sounds by rubbing their hind legs together.
This isn’t exactly true.
Crickets use their wings to make sounds.
The wings have large veins running down the button side.
They rub one wing over the other and the comb-like structure protruding from the veins rubs together.
This creates the chirping sound you hear.
Interestingly not all species of cricket chirp.
Camel crickets found in Asia and Eastern parts of the US are silent.
House crickets and field crickets are the two most common types that chirp.
House crickets make a loud chirping sound during the night.
Field crickets produce a lower-pitched chirp during the day and night.
How to Get Rid of Cricket Noise at Night
There are two ways to get rid of cricket noise.
You can either get rid of the crickets themselves or muffle the sound.
First, we’ll take a look at how to get rid of the cricket themselves.
Clean your yard
If you find yourself struggling to keep the population of crickets in your yard under control, the first thing you’ll need to do is to make them want to leave.
To do this you need to remove any incentives that may make them want to stay like food, shelter and water.
Removing the food source of crickets can be difficult but you can still try by drying out damp areas and removing any standing water.
Another thing you can do is change your outdoor lights.
Crickets are attracted to lone sources of light but they do not like bright yellow bulbs and sodium vapor bulbs.
This is because these bulbs simulate daylight.
Replace any outdoor light with these types of bulbs and they should leave.
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The important thing to remember is that crickets love to hide so you need to get rid of any hiding spots in your yard.
If you stack firewood in the yard, move it to a shed or the basement.
You should also get rid of any debris, rock piles or unwanted furniture that are in the yard.
Even trimming your lawn can make your yard less tempting for crickets.
After trimming, you can spread some food-grade diatomaceous earth where the crickets usually hide.
This powder is safe to use and is not toxic to humans, pets or your plans but it will dry out the exoskeletons of cricket.
if you don’t mind them meeting a gruesome death then this is the way to go.
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Cricket-proof your home
Before cricket-proofing your home, make sure they cannot follow you inside.
Keep your windows and doors closed and install bug screens.
Seal cracks in the foundations and the walls as well.
Crickets love warm and humid environments so you’ll want to keep your home cool and dry.
Take some time to fix leaky pipes and wipe off sinks and counters when you’re finished using them.
You can also opt for a quiet humidifier to keep the air dry.
Try to keep the temperature in your home under 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crickets tend to thrive in temperatures between 80- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit.
Anything below this range will encourage them to leave.
Use bait
There are several things you can use to lure crickets into a trap both indoors and out.
If you want to know how to get rid of a cricket n your home scurrying about, there are a few ways to do so.
You can use a jar or cup to trap it and either kill it or release it once you got it trapped.
If you’re too scared to do that, place a bowl with something sweet and sticky where crickets usually dwell.
You can mix a bit of Maple syrup or molasses with water and put it in a jar or bowl.
When the cricket tries to get to the mixture, they’ll fall in and drown.
If you’re worried that this will also bring ants as well then you can use sticky mouse traps.
Place some cornmeal in the middle of the trap and the crickets will get stuck as they’re trying to reach it.
Some people even use beer cans to catch crickets.
Place an empty can on its side and watch as the cricket crawl inside to get to the remaining drops of beer.
Once inside, it’s highly unlikely they’ll find their way out of the can.
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Encourage Predators in your yard
There are plenty of animals that enjoy feasting on crickets.
Encouraging predators to hang out in your garden can help to control the cricket population in your yard.
Birds are one of the best options.
Crickets are a perfect snack for birds.
You can encourage birds to make your garden their home by allowing hedges and trees to grow.
Install bird feeding tables, birdbaths and fitting nest boxes as well.
Birds will be attracted to your garden and more so when they realize that it is filled with crickets.
Before long, they gobble up all the crickets leaving your yard cricket-free.
Frogs also love eating crickets.
If you’ve ever owned a pet frog, you know this.
Crickets are a protein-rich snack for a frog.
You can try installing a pond and encourage frogs to live there.
This is one of the most effective solutions to a persistent cricket noise problem.
Do keep in mind that it will take time to dig a pond and populate it with frogs.
If you are in a hurry to get rid of crickets then you’ll need to try one of the quicker methods mentioned in this article.
If the idea of birds and frogs aren’t for you then perhaps a cat will do.
Cats are generally quiet but they love hunting for fun.
Although crickets aren’t at the top of their list of things to eat, cats will definitely hunt and kill a cricket for their own entertainment.
However, while some cats may be great at killing crickets some may not even be interested.
Call in the professionals
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty or have other animals around, it’s time to call in the professionals.
Hire professional pest control technicians to get rid of crickets fast.
They will use quick and humane methods to exterminate crickets in and around your home and yard.
Soundproofing methods to stop crickets chirping
If you’re having trouble getting rid of crickets or can’t get rid of them fast enough, try shutting the noise out.
There are several soundproofing techniques you can try to muffle the chirping of crickets.
Cover or plug your ears
One of the best ways to shut out external noise while you sleep is to cover or plug your ears.
If you don’t mind having things in your ears while you sleep then you can use some earplugs.
Foam earplugs especially are pretty comfortable.
You can try these below.
Soundproofing methods to stop crickets chirping
If you’re having trouble getting rid of crickets or can’t get rid of them fast enough, try shutting the noise out.
There are several soundproofing techniques you can try to muffle the chirping of crickets.
Cover or plug your ears
One of the best ways to shut out external noise while you sleep is to cover or plug your ears.
If you don’t mind having things in your ears while you sleep then you can use some earplugs.
Foam earplugs especially are pretty comfortable. B005YUW7A2
You can try these below.
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For those that cannot stand anything in their ear, you can try earmuffs.
Some also double as sleeping masks.
However, keep in mind that these won’t completely block out something the same way air plugs can.
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On the other hand, if you can’t fall asleep in complete silence you can purchase noise-canceling headphones or earbuds.
Try to go for those wireless ones with an automatic shut-off option.
Distract yourself with white noise
If you can’t handle anything at all in or on your ears while sleeping then you will need to find other ways to deal with the noise.
You can use the best fan for white noise, a sound or white noise machine to trick your brain into thinking the noise has stopped.
There are usually two types of these machines.
White noise machines make a fan base noise while sound machines produce electronic noises such as nature sounds and ambient melodies.
Before you commit to this solution you should know that there is one major disadvantage.
You can become so dependent on your sound machine and have a hard time falling asleep without it.
Soundproof your room
If air plugs headphones and white noise machines don’t work then it is time to take drastic action.
You may need to consider soundproofing your home.
if you’d like to know how to do this, click on the links below to read these articles:
Why you should get your cricket problem under control
If you don’t mind cricket noises, you may still want to stop them from infesting your yard or home.
You see crickets can quickly destroy fields of cash crops so they can wreak havoc on your vegetable garden or even your lawn.
House crickets on the other hand will eat different types of fabric including wool, cotton, silk, fur and linen.
They have a particular taste for food and sweat-soiled clothing as well as home furnishings like curtains, carpet and wallpaper.
Other than creating issues with your home garden, lawn, clothes and home furnishings, crickets can also infect humans with deadly diseases.
These include e.Coli and salmonella.
You can contract these diseases by coming in direct contact with a cricket or its feces or when bitten,
However, it is rare for a normal house cricket bite to break human skin.
Cricket feces can also carry worms which poses another health risk.
Although crickets aren’t dangerous or poisonous, they shouldn’t be allowed to roam free in your home or yard.
The risk of damaging your garden, lawn, clothing, home furnishings and making you sick is too high.
Try to find ways to fight back and hire pest control if you need to.
When do crickets go away?
Crickets are active during the warm seasons and the chirping you hear is the mating call of male crickets.
Crickets don’t go away exactly.
They die when fall arrives.
However, cricket eggs survive the cold months and hatch in the springtime.
The average lifespan of the average cricket is from spring to fall.
How to stop crickets from chirping if you keep them in your home?
If you keep crickets in your home then you’ll need to keep them quiet so you can sleep.
It may be weird to know that some people have crickets living in their homes.
However, fishermen like to use crickets as bait for freshwater fish.
Owners of pet lizards and frogs may also buy and keep crickets in the house to feed their pets.
Some people may even keep crickets as pets and although they may not be a popular choice, it has a few advantages.
Crickets do not require a lot of time, care or effort and they are not aggressive or dangerous.
If you keep cricket in your home for whatever reason, you’re probably sick and tired of their chirping especially when you’re trying to sleep.
Here are a few things to try to get them to quiet down.
Keep males and females together
As we said before, only male crickets make noise.
This is their mating call so keeping males and females together will reduce some of the noise.
Once a male mates with a female, he usually tends to tone down the chirping.
Turn night into day
Trick the crickets to think it’s daytime when it’s nighttime.
Illuminate the container or aquarium with a bright yellow light.
They will think it’s daytime and stay silent.
In the morning you can cover the container or aquarium with a dark cloth and let the crickets chirp all they want.
Your tolerance for noise is much higher in the day so this method works well if you keep crickets in the house.
Conclusion
There you have the many ways you can get rid of cricket noise at night.
You can either get rid of the cricket themselves since they can cause some serious damage to your garden, lawn, clothing and home furnishings.
If you can’t get rid of them fast enough, you can try to muffle the sounds or distract yourself by using a white noise machine.
Try any of the methods mentioned in this article and you should be okay.