Cricket Crashing my Condo!

June 1, 2007 11:01 AM

An unwelcome guest resides in my home. A demon of a creature known only as a cricket. Now for years I have lived here and occasionally there has been a cricket or two. Luckly I can dispatch it quickly with a Sandal of Slaying and wipe it away quickly with a Sock of Sorrow. Recently though a devious cricket has come calling at my condo.

The sucker is in my bathroom, in a wall and will not shut up all night long. *chirp* *chirp* *CHIRP*. I have heard cricket sounds before, at times they are pleasant. This cricket unleashes a cacophony of noise which can only herald the coming of the apocalypse.

So to the question. How can I get rid of it and prevent future cricket intruders? I am not sure how they are getting in. But they mostly hang out in my bathroom. I think there could be a crack in the dry wall from a flood that happened a year or two back. But that is inside of the sink cabinet and against the wall. Fixing that though will not prevent my current cricket problem. This cricket has been here for at least a month and is driving me slowly insane. Now I cant tent the place and I cant tear up the bathroom. So those two are out. What kind of sprays or devices or traps can I use to deter crickets? Also his location is difficult to pin point because when I step in the bathroom he stops chirping. As soon as I exit the bathroom he starts up again. Grrrr.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

posted by Tinen to science & nature (20 comments total)

Get one of those glue traps used for mice. That should do it.
posted by Atom12 at 11:05 AM on June 1, 2007

Wow this was actually formatted decently! I think I botched my first question I ever asked by not using all the section. Preview didnt show it this way! Cant edit. Ah well.
posted by Tinen at 11:05 AM on June 1, 2007

It's okay, you've been driven mad -- MAD, I SAY!! -- by the chirp, chirp, chirp...

Oh, and get a cat.
posted by LordSludge at 11:08 AM on June 1, 2007

You need to borrow someone's cat for a while. 12 hours should do it.
posted by Asparagirl at 11:11 AM on June 1, 2007

Hmm mercenary kitty could be an option. Only i have some pretty strict instructions to not allow any pets in here.
posted by Tinen at 11:14 AM on June 1, 2007

If it's in the wall cavity and you aren't going to be doing any demolition and reconstruction to fix the source of the problem the only adequate solution would be to find some earplugs you really like.
posted by prostyle at 11:19 AM on June 1, 2007

It's a bit pricey, but a supersonic pest repeller like this might be the way to go.
posted by cerebus19 at 11:22 AM on June 1, 2007

On Frasier they got a gecko and let it loose in the apartment to vanquish the elusive noisy cricket.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:23 AM on June 1, 2007

D'oh! Make that ultrasonic, not supersonic.
posted by cerebus19 at 11:23 AM on June 1, 2007

My initial suggestion doesn't include assassinating the offender, but it lets one sleep: Get an oscillating fan for your bedroom; the "white noise" helps blocks unwanted sounds. A fan saved my sanity when I worked nights at a newspaper and slept from 4 a.m. to 10 or 11 a.m. (Garbagemen and commuting neighbors don't understand night workers' need for quiet at those hours!)

But if you are bent on killing, pick a day when you'll be gone for 8 or more hours, get a bug bomb and set it off in the bathroom. When we had a horrible flea infestation thanks to squirrels in the attic), we did this. Had to keep the windows open a few hours afterward, but the poison seemed to have penetrated carpet, drywall, etc.
posted by Smalltown Girl at 11:28 AM on June 1, 2007

Wow I just got some crazy 80s/90s song in my head from the word supersonic. Supersonic idiotic brain-infected...

Anyway maybe that could be a route I could explore. Im a bit hesitant to unleash more wildlife then needed. Though it does sound kinda cool to get an animal to search and destroy.
posted by Tinen at 11:28 AM on June 1, 2007

Localize the critter... see if you can find from whence it serenades you.

Drill small hole in nearby baseboard. Spray Cricket-Be-Gone/Tweak-My-DNA pesticide therein. Repeat until cricket be gone or DNA in square knots.

Alternately, drill larger hole. Insert small diameter vacuum cleaner attachment. Suck Cricket without a lot of warning. (Might wanna ask Cricket's boyfriend, first.) May require additional holes to increase airflow and cricket suckage efficiency parameter.

All else fails... infuse cavity behind wall with expanding insulation foam... several cans. Give cricket major obstacle course to navigate. Use residual contents of can in your ear canal if this does not work. Win - win situation, methinks.
posted by FauxScot at 11:31 AM on June 1, 2007

I have an oscillating fan in my room already to block out other noises since I am an extremely light sleeper (part of the problem).

Do you know if Bug Bombs have any last effects? I mean I dont have any children so it shouldnt be a big deal I guess. It just somehow seems unsanitary.
posted by Tinen at 11:32 AM on June 1, 2007

BTW... I have observed that if I strike two hammers together, the sound makes crickets respond. THis might help in localizing the little guy or will at least give you something to do to keep yourself occupied whilst you hunt.
posted by FauxScot at 11:35 AM on June 1, 2007

Ok the hitting the hammers together sounds like beast-magic. Im in. I may.. need a loin cloth and a large sword first though. In all seriousness pin pointing the cricket is high on my list of things to do. That and his death.
posted by Tinen at 11:43 AM on June 1, 2007

Seconding sticky traps and time. Those things are evil, try not to get any of the glue on your skin or carpet. I believe you can get traps prebaited for crickets. Here's a place to start, althought he Airsoft guns are for a different type of cricket (or not if you'd rather go rambo on it once you find it)
posted by samsara at 11:53 AM on June 1, 2007

Be careful if you're striking two hammers together. The heads are made to be especially strong, but striking them together can cause them to spark or eject small metal pieces.
posted by boreddusty at 12:25 PM on June 1, 2007

Ok the hitting the hammers together sounds like beast-magic. Im in.

You'll shoot your eye out, kid.

If the spray in the pesticide doesn't work, slip a mild firecracker in there and slip out of the room. I mean if you're donning war gear, it only seems right to nuke the place from orbit.
posted by cashman at 1:47 PM on June 1, 2007

Who among we cricket slayers does not wear full safety regalia when striking of the hammer? I always put on my safety glasses before donning chain mail and the other accoutriments of my warrior class. Do I have to explain everything?!
posted by FauxScot at 3:30 AM on June 2, 2007

I suggest focusing on preventing new crickets from getting in (and ending up in the bathroom), trapping the current symphony of one, and if those fail, getting some earplugs. I think the real problem here is your light sleeping.

Prevention:
1. Keep them out of the house. The cricket's in your house because he's trapped there. Keep them out of the house by plugging any obvious means of entry, starting with the cracked wall you mentioned.

2. Make the bathroom less hospitable. Houses are dry places for insects and so they seek water, and as a result often end up near sinks and bathtubs. If your sink or bathtub runs a bit, get them repaired. Any moisture in the bathroom will lead any crickets who end up in the house to seeking out that room.

It's probably not been the same cricket for over a month since they need to eat more often than that. If your house is very clean, there is little food to keep a cricket alive. Crickets are omnivorous, so if there's anything remotely edible (even cardboard) lying about, pick it up.

Trapping:
Pesticides: Just say no. Not only do they rarely help in a "bug in my house" kind of situation, they create more problems than they solve. Kill this cricket, and another will replace him. The real issue: the current little dude is trapped, thirsty, and lonely (hence the chirping). So build a simple trap using food (dog food works well), water, or a pheromone. Cricket pheromones not being easy to find, I suggest a jar of molasses (right-side panel) or a shallow pan of water with a small container (shotglass) of dog food in the center. Crickets are very susceptible to drowning, which both of these methods exploit. A glue trap might also work, and those are easy to find at stores. A glue trap with dog food bait in its center would probably work better.
posted by Tehanu at 10:54 AM on June 5, 2007