As our article above explains, if you’re seeing any in your living space, it means you have some foraging in from the outside of your home or you have some living inside the structure like in a crawl space, basement or wall void. And the rule to follow here is if they’re coming in from outside, you’ll expect to be seeing 1-2 every month or two. But if you’re seeing them daily? That means you definitely have a problem inside the home. And I would venture to say it’s significant based on my previous experience.

As for your next question; “are they safe”? Not sure what you mean here but remember where they live. The spaces they come from are typically dark, damp, full of bad things like bacteria and other contaminates, etc and from there, when they migrate into living spaces they carry all that stuff with them. So once they start walking around inside the home, they’re making a mess and bringing with them potentially some bad stuff like mold spores and other things that are now getting into your living space. So overall, I would say they’re not “safe” to have living inside the home and should be controlled. But they’re not dangerous as in stinging or biting if that’s what you mean.

So at this point, I suggest you set out some Cricket Traps and try to locate just where the most activity is happening. The traps will help collect some and no doubt help to control the invasion. But it won’t solve the problem. Ultimately you should apply some Delta Dust to their nest site and my guess is that will have to be in some space like a crawl space or hidden void in the home where they might be living.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

It’s not likely they’re entering through the heating ducts. That’s because these are sealed systems and tend to be very dry with air moving through them which is not where crickets can survive. And since most any home has so many alternate routes of entry which is also where these crickets like to live, it only makes sense that one of these more common nest sites is the main route of entry.

Now you mention that you have a basement and that they are being seen there. That tells me you might have a finished basement and if that’s true, treating behind the finished walls with Deltamethrin Dust is strongly suggested. And if you have a crawl space here too, get it treated as well.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Now in the living spaces, there are two things you can do. The first is to set out some Cricket Traps where you either see them or suspect they might be active. These will help collect any that forage into your rooms and help to alert you to problem areas.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

Another option is to treat all routes of entry with Drione Dust. This product is highly repellent to any insect and these crickets will avoid all areas where it’s applied. If you lightly dust electric outlets, switch plate covers, where pipes enter the room and where light fixtures poke through the wall or ceiling, you should be able to eliminate all these routes of entry. Drione lasts a year or longer and is an excellent tool for repelling invasive pests like camel back crickets.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

As explained above in our article, camelback crickets love dark dirty areas and sewer lines are in fact one of their favorite nest sites. Homes that use septic tanks for sewer responsibility are more prone to having these crickets infiltrate through drain lines but most any home can have the issue.

Additionally, drain lines will many times crack and leak. This leakage will rarely ever be noticed or repaired but the raw sewage that will be seeping into the ground can attract all kinds of critters including camelback crickets. And once they find the cracked drain line, they can easily enter and forage their way into the home.

Since drain lines will harbor and hoard organic matter camelback crickets like to eat, it’s important to remove as much of this matter as possible. Survivors drain treatment is an easy way to clean to accomplish this goal. It contains bacteria which will “feed” upon the muck and matter basically eating away at it till the pipes get clean. This in turn will help deter the crickets from wanting to stick around.

Survivors: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/survivors

You can also spray some Gentrol aerosol down the drain. Gentrol is labeled for use down drains and by treating your pipes this way, you can indirectly help to minimize the crickets. Now it’s important to understand the active in Gentrol won’t control the crickets directly but because the Gentrol will stop many other drain dwelling pests, you will effectively be taking away the crickets food which in turn will force them to go elsewhere. Remember, crickets are predatory and can live on all kinds of small insects. Drain lines typically house all kinds of roaches and crickets love to eat roaches so by using the Gentrol, you can eliminate the crickets food supply.

Gentrol Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/gentrol-aerosol-16-oz

First, when applied properly, all the products mentioned in our article above won’t pose a hazard to anyone in the family or any pets.

Second, since the basement is finished, it would be wise to treat the void behind the finished walls with a dust to get the best results.

So the plan for these crickets will be to first keep them from getting inside. To do this you’ll need to get the Conquer for the outside spray and apply monthly during the warm season. Be sure to use 2-3 gallons applied around the home treating the foundation, around windows, doors, and basically any route of entry to the home. The soil should also be sprayed; about 2-3 feet out from the foundation wall. This barrier will keep out camelback crickets as well as spiders, ants and pretty much any type of perimeter invader.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Next, get the Deltamethrin Dust and apply some behind every finished wall in the basement. Use a Hand Duster to apply it. Remember to attempt to get some dust between every set of studs that may be present so get a good idea of how the basement walls are constructed and treat after you understand their design. I’ve seen basements where there are very few studs spaced out every 3-4 feet and then I’ve seen basements where the studs are more evenly spaced the more standard 16-18″ apart. When it comes to basements anything goes so check it out and make sure you get some dust into as many of these spaces as possible.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Lastly, set out some Cricket Traps. These won’t solve the problem but they will help catch rogue pests and in doing so help by letting you know where problems still persist and may need more treating. Plus, every pest they catch is one less in the home. Good luck!

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

The odds of any pest entering an untreated home is many times greater compared to a treated structure. So if you take curative and preventive measures as described above in our article, you’ll be able to virtually eliminate any pest (including camelback crickets) from your living space regardless of what’s going on around you.

So that means you should start by spraying as many areas on the outside the duplex as you can. If I was there, I’d treat all the exterior siding and common ground of the units. Since it will only 1-2 gallons of mixed material, the job would be easy, inexpensive and have a huge impact because it would dramatically reduce the local population. True, everyone would benefit from your treatments but in the end, the worse that would happen is that you’ll end up with a few more friends.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Use a standard pump sprayer to do the application.

Eliminator: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/eliminator-gallon-sprayer

Next, I’d dust every wall void, electric outlet, light fixture cover, etc. where they might enter. By treating these voids, you’ll no doubt eliminate them as nest sites.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Next, apply a baseboard spray of the Conquer to the inside of your apartment basically spraying the perimeter of every room.

Lastly, set out numerous traps to intercept and alert you to any problem areas you might otherwise be missing. Traps can be helpful because they’ll both alert you to what’s active and where it’s most active so corrective measures can be taken. And since they’ll catch many kinds of “pests”, they’re good to have around in any case.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

You’ll need to treat using the products we have listed above if you want to do the job properly. Now you won’t be able to find them locally in any store but since we ship within one business day, you can get them delivered quickly.

Alternatively you can hire a service company to do the work. Just make sure they can handle this pest. And if you need help finding a company, we use a referral service that’s reliable. Here’s a link to find a local service company:

http://www.bugspray.com/about-us/who_is_bugspray.html#pest_control_service_company_referral

Based on the information you’ve provided, it would appear these crickets are thriving around the home. They clearly have found safe harborage both inside the crawl space and no doubt in some of the debris and vegetation around it’s exterior. You need to remove as much of the vegetation up close to the home which in turn will help to reduce these numbers. That means trimming back as much of the live stuff as you can and discarding anything dead like the large branches you mention.

Once the outside area is cleaned up, the conditions for the crickets to find good shelter and food will have been reduced. However, this alone will not solve the problem. Clearly you’ll need to spray the outside of the structure and the inside of the basement. Now in most cases we recommend dusting basements or crawl spaces whenever possible but this would not be a good choice for your home since the basement floods out. So in your case, just spraying it once a month should do the trick.

In fact, the only thing I recommend for your home is to spray the outside foundation, the siding and a 2-3 foot band of ground all the way around the home. Use the Esfenvalerate for this and to spray thoroughly. You’ll need to apply at least 2 gallons of mixed solution for a small house; 3-4 gallons for any large structure (2000 sq/ft or more).

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Inside the home, you’ll need to spray the basement monthly focusing on any spot the crickets may be entering. My guess is there must be cracks in the foundation, any windows that are present, any basement hatch or maybe where pipes come through the wall. These would be likely entry ways and should be treated for sure. And to accomplish this treatment, you should expect to use at least 1/2 to 1 gallon of mixed solution for the treatment.

Lastly, you should set out some Cricket Traps in the living area. These will no doubt catch roaming crickets which in turn will help monitor and remove them from the living spaces.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

Now since there is no need to treat living spaces there is no need to worry about your pets. You see, pesticides are no different from anything else in that the only way they can affect people or pets is if we eat, breath or absorb large amounts of the concentrate. So if you limit your applications to the outside and just your basement, there will be no danger of any kind of exposure to your pets. You’ll only need to keep the dogs and bird inside during the outside application and once dry, they can go back outside without any risk. As for the basement, just keep them out of there altogether and they won’t have any chance of getting exposed to the treatment.

For more information on how to do the treatments and not have them exposed in any way, watch the Safety Video we have on using Concentrates. It can be found on the bottom of the Conquer page and is well worth viewing. And we have more information on product safety which you should read which covers the topic thoroughly. This can be found here:

Product Safety: http://www.bugspray.com/about-us/who_is_bugspray.html#safe_for_the_home

Absolutely. When used as explained in our video’s, none of the products listed above pose any kind of hazard to people or pets. Please view our safety video’s (they can be found at the bottom of every product page) so you’ll learn all you’ll need to do in order to mix, apply and store our products safely but when used according to their label and allowed to dry, the treated areas will be safe for people and pets. Here’s a link that will explain in great detail just how safe it is to use our products:

Product Safety: http://www.bugspray.com/about-us/who_is_bugspray.html#safe_for_the_home

And here is a direct link to all our safety videos:

Safety Video’s: http://www.bugspray.com/video/safety-videos.html

Most every insect and animal life form will “shut down” or “hibernate” during the cold of winter when temps drop below freezing. However, these very same insects and animals can remain active if their main nest site is in or on anything that remains warm.

So in the case of Camelback Crickets – which typically live on homes and inside walls spaces and/or crawl spaces – they can remain active all year long once they get inside any structure that’s kept heated when it gets cold. In fact, the most common time to see this pest is in the fall and winter because it’s during these times that they’ll migrate onto homes seeking warmth. And once on the home, it’s only a matter of time before they get inside.

Now to find out if you have any in the home, set some traps out and see if you catch some.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

And if you do, chances are high you have crawl space or wall void that’s got some nesting and these spaces will have to be treated with either the Niban or Deltamethrin Dust listed above.

Niban FG: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/niban-fg-3-lb

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

And if it’s still warm by you now, I suggest you also do some outside treatments with the Conquer. This could very well take care of the problem if they’ve not yet moved inside but are rather just beginning to migrate out of the colder nights we’re now seeing.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

If you review our article above, you’ll learn camelback crickets will flourish in dark, protected areas like crawl spaces and wall voids. Now many mobile homes have “skirting” that surrounds the foundation or concrete pillars on which the home sits and if you have such a skirting in place around your home, my guess is the crickets are thriving in that space.

To get rid of this pest, you’ll need to dust the area with the Deltamethrin Dust listed above. You can apply it with either the Dustin Mizer or the Power Duster. The good news is this kind of treatment will last a long time, like 3-6 months, and it will handle most any pest that might want to live in this dark space so it’s well worth the time and cost to apply.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Dustin Mizer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/dustin-mizerdeflector

BG 2300: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/foggers/bg-my-t-lite-2300-120-v/

Now on the outside of the skirting you should start spraying with the Esfenvalerate on a regular basis. Maybe once a month. This will stop any pests from wanting to enter the space including crickets, ants, roaches, etc. In areas where homes are located close to one another, pests will commonly migrate from one unit to another so it’s extra important to treat the exterior of the home to keep nearby pests from migrating over.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Lastly, you can spray with the Conquer inside the home too. This way any that forage up into your home will not live long. I also suggest you set out some cricket traps to help reduce any that make it inside.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

If you read our article above, you’ll learn that these crickets live in spaces and not out in the open. This means surface spraying won’t take care of the problem. Now once they’re inside wall voids, the only way to knock them out is to dust the spaces with the Deltamethrin Dust. In most cases, they’ll target 1-2 sides of the home so if you’ve noticed them active more on one side of the home, start there. And be thorough. That means getting the dust between each stud.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

To make the application, you’ll need a good hand duster. And you’ll need access holes so the duster tip can direct the dust into the space. That means drilling through the wall. Be sure to space holes between the studs and one low on the wall and one high will usually allow for a good dusting.

Once treated, the holes can be sealed and cosmetically covered up since treatments will last 6-12 months. Unfortunately this is the only way you’ll knock them out for good.

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Now do keep spraying the outside but don’t rely on them alone. Camelback Crickets need spaces like those provided in basements, crawl spaces and wall voids. And since you say you don’t have a basement or crawl space, the wall voids must be where they’re nesting. Get this space properly treated with Deltamethrin Dust and you’ll solve the problem for good. And keep spraying the outside exterior of the home with something like the Conquer as this will keep new ones from coming around the structure.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

If you read our article above, you’ll learn this pest is largely nocturnal. That means seeing them at night is normal. And based on how many you’re seeing, they no doubt must be nesting either under the structure or in wall voids. Do you know if there is a crawl space underneath the home? If so, then I would get that area treated with Deltamethrin Dust for sure because it’s probably at least one of the nest sites.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Next, I’d evaluate the areas around the home to see if there is one side which is showing the most activity. If that’s the case, they might be focused on that outside wall or the outside of the building on that side. So if it’s the wall void, dust it with the Delta Dust using a hand duster.

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

As for the outside of the building, this area should be sprayed with the Conquer listed above.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Lastly, I’d set out as many cricket traps as I can inside the home. Traps won’t solve the problem but by capturing any that forage into the living space, you should minimize the activity and get a better handle on where the worse part of the problem is located.

Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8

As explained in our article, camelback crickets will “come out” in the winter and make themselves more visible than ever. So even if you’ve had a treatment or two that has knocked out the majority of the problem, if you haven’t had every important void dusted, I’m certain they’ll continue being a menace. And based on the numbers you’re still reporting, I’d say it’s pretty clear that there are some more areas that need to be dusted.

At this time I suggest you either have your service company do a more thorough job (dusting every wall void through holes made at the top, middle and bottom of the wall and make sure holes are made in between every stud) or you get the products needed from us and start tackling this issue yourself. No doubt a more complete dusting will solve the problem but it will take a lot of dust and a very thorough application of it so there is no possible space left for them to live. I also suggest getting the ceiling void dusted along with any hidden crawl spaces that may be present in the home.

Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader