Reviewed by William "Willy" Vizcarrondo, NYS DEC Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator C1825832. Updated September 23, 2026.
Long Island homes get two kinds of cricket problems. Field crickets and house crickets come in through doors and foundation cracks in late summer and fall and chirp at night. Camel crickets, the pale humpbacked ones with long legs, live in damp basements and crawlspaces year round and never make a sound.
| Size | Field cricket 1/2 to 3/4 inch; house cricket about 3/4 inch; camel cricket 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches with legs and antennae much longer |
|---|---|
| Color | Field cricket dark brown to black; house cricket light yellowish brown with three dark bands behind the head; camel cricket tan to dark brown, mottled |
| Look-alikes | Cockroaches (flat, fast, no jumping); grasshoppers (outdoors, short antennae) |
| Where you'll find it | Field and house crickets near doors, garages and basements in fall; camel crickets in damp basements, crawlspaces, garages and under decks |
| Active on Long Island | Field and house crickets August through October; camel crickets year round indoors, worst in late summer |
| Danger level | None to people; house and field crickets can chew fabrics; camel crickets can damage fabrics and houseplants |
Field and house crickets show up in Long Island homes from August into October as nights cool; camel crickets are in damp basements and crawlspaces all year, with calls peaking in late summer.
Field crickets are the classic dark brown to black cricket, half to three quarters of an inch, with rounded wings and long antennae, and the males chirp by rubbing their wings together. House crickets are the same size but light yellowish brown with three dark bands behind the head, and they chirp too. Both have wings, both are drawn to lights, and both show up near doors, in garages and in basements in late summer and fall.
Camel crickets, also called cave crickets or spider crickets, are different. They're humpbacked with the head bent down, tan to dark brown and mottled, wingless, with antennae longer than the body and long hind legs that make them jump, sometimes toward you. They can't chirp. Clemson's fact sheet puts adults at half an inch to an inch and a half. If it's silent, pale, humpbacked and jumping in the basement, it's a camel cricket.
Crickets don't bite or spread disease, but they're not harmless to your stuff. Minnesota Extension notes field crickets can damage cotton, linen, silk and wool indoors, and house crickets can feed on silk and wool and cause severe damage when they're numerous. Clemson's fact sheet says camel crickets can damage fine fabrics and houseplants indoors. The bigger thing a camel cricket population tells you is that the basement or crawlspace is damp: they need moisture, and a basement full of them is a basement with a humidity problem that's also feeding silverfish, centipedes and mold.
Yes, for the fall crickets. Minnesota Extension's list: caulk cracks and gaps in the foundation and around windows, fix door sweeps and weatherstripping, cut weeds and tall grass at the foundation, move firewood, brush and debris away from the house, and turn off unnecessary outdoor lights or switch to yellow bulbs, since field and house crickets are strongly attracted to light. Sticky traps along basement walls and near doors catch the ones already inside, and a vacuum handles the rest.
Camel crickets take one more step: dry the space out. Clemson and Minnesota both point to reducing moisture, with a dehumidifier in the basement, ventilation in the crawlspace, and fixed leaks and drainage. Sticky traps near entryways and along walls catch them well. If the basement stays damp and they keep coming, the perimeter and the entry points are what we treat.
We seal the entry points at the foundation, door thresholds and utility lines, treat the perimeter and the cracks and voids where crickets harbor, and tell you plainly if the basement or crawlspace has a moisture problem that will keep bringing them back. Crickets are covered under general insect treatment, quoted in writing with no guarantee, because they come in from the yard every fall.
Related answers
Camel crickets, also called cave crickets or spider crickets. They're tan, humpbacked, wingless, with very long legs and antennae, they can't chirp, and they jump when startled, sometimes at you. They live in damp basements and crawlspaces year round, and a lot of them means the space is too humid.
Because nights get cold in late August and September, and field and house crickets follow warmth and light to the house, then find their way in through door gaps, foundation cracks and open garages. Minnesota Extension notes they enter homes accidentally in late summer and fall, mostly through doors, windows and foundation cracks. Sealing those and cutting outdoor lights stops most of it.
Yes, fabric. Field crickets chew cotton, linen, silk and wool, house crickets feed on silk and wool and can do severe damage when numerous, and camel crickets damage fine fabrics and houseplants. Stored clothing and linens in a basement are the usual casualties. They don't bite people or damage the house itself.
Find the cricket. A chirping male is usually behind an appliance, under a workbench or in a floor drain in the basement or garage, and it goes quiet when you get close, so listen, wait, and use a flashlight. Sticky traps along the walls of that room catch it within a night or two. Then seal the gap it came in through.
Think you have crickets? Call (516) 509-6001 for a free written quote.