Cricket
Gryllidae
Chewing Insects Low Risk 15-25 mm
📖 Description
Crickets are occasional pests of seedlings and young plants, though they are generally more of a nuisance due to their nighttime chirping. Both field crickets and house crickets can feed on tender plant material, particularly at ground level. They are most damaging to newly planted seeds and young seedlings, which can be severed at the soil line. Cricket damage is often confused with cutworm damage since both occur at night near the soil surface. In most cases, cricket feeding is minor and plants outgrow the damage once established.
⚠️ Symptoms to watch for
- Irregular holes in seedling leaves and stems,Chewed stem bases on young transplants,Damage concentrated at ground level and at night,Seedling plants severed or severely damaged,Chirping sounds audible from garden area at night
🩹 Treatment
- Set out sticky traps along baseboards and near plants (organic),Apply diatomaceous earth around seedling bases (organic),Use molasses and water traps in shallow containers (organic),Spray insecticidal soap on affected plants at dusk (organic),Apply carbaryl (Sevin) bait around plant bases (chemical),Use permethrin-based granules in garden beds (chemical)
🌿 Organic treatments
- Set out sticky traps along baseboards and near plants,Apply diatomaceous earth around seedling bases,Use molasses and water traps in shallow containers,Spray insecticidal soap on affected plants at dusk
🧪 Chemical treatments
- Apply carbaryl (Sevin) bait around plant bases,Use permethrin-based granules in garden beds
🛡️ Prevention
- Remove weeds and tall grass near garden beds that provide habitat,Keep garden area free of debris and piles of organic matter,Use floating row covers over seedlings and young transplants,Reduce outdoor lighting that attracts crickets at night,Till garden soil in fall to expose overwintering eggs,Start seedlings indoors and transplant after they are established
🪴 Affected plants
- Seedlings,Young Transplants,Vegetables
🦋 Natural predators
- Various beneficial insects
🌱 Host plants
- Various plants
🔄 Lifecycle
- Females lay 150-400 eggs in soil using a long ovipositor.
- Eggs overwinter in soil and hatch in spring.
- Nymphs develop through 8-12 instars over 2-3 months.
- Adults appear in mid-summer and live 2-3 months.
- Males chirp to attract mates.
- One generation per year in most temperate climates.
- House crickets can reproduce continuously indoors in warm conditions.
📅 Season
- Late Spring to Fall (peak in late summer)
🔎 Appearance
- Medium-sized insects with cylindrical bodies, long antennae, and powerful hind legs for jumping.
- Typically black or brown.
- Males produce a distinctive chirping sound by rubbing their forewings together.
- Field crickets are dark and robust; house crickets are lighter yellowish-brown.
💥 Damage level
- Low
🔁 Reproduction rate
- Moderate
🗺️ Geographic regions
- North America
- Europe
Have an Insect to Identify?
Upload or take a photo of an insect on your plant and our AI will identify it and recommend treatments.
📷 Diagnose from Image