Which Cricket Is It?
By the Clark Pest Entomology Team
Last updated: October 28, 2026
Quick answer: Start with color and wings. Black or dark brown crickets that chirp are field crickets. Light yellowish brown crickets with three dark bands on the head are house crickets. A tan cricket with a humped back and no wings is a camel cricket. A big, bald-headed bug with an orange abdomen and black rings is a Jerusalem cricket.
Pick the Closest Cricket Match
Clark covers four crickets that turn up in homes and yards across California and Northwestern Nevada. Tap the one that sounds closest.
Field Cricket
Black or dark brown, with a chirp you can hear day or night. It lives outdoors in woodpiles, mulch and weedy beds, and it gets inside by mistake.
House Cricket
About 3/4 to 7/8 inch long and light yellowish brown, with three dark bands on the head. It lives outdoors in warm weather and moves into homes and sheds as cold weather nears.
Camel Cricket
Light to dark brown with an arched back. It likes cool, moist spots and shows up in basements, crawl spaces, garages and sheds.
Jerusalem Cricket
Amber with black stripes and a bulbous head. It is also called a baby-face bug or a potato bug, and it only now and then wanders into a building.
Jerusalem cricket photo: Franco Folini, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.
Field, House, Camel or Jerusalem? Quick Tests
Three clues sort these crickets: color, wings and where you found it. Use the row that matches your bug. Sizes come from the University of Minnesota Extension and UC IPM.
| Cricket | Color and size | Wings and sound | Where you find it |
|---|
| Field cricket | Dark brown to black, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch | Has rounded wings. Males chirp | Yards, fields and weedy beds. Strongly drawn to light |
|---|
| House cricket | Light yellowish brown with three dark bands behind the head, about 3/4 inch | Long, pointed wings. Males chirp | Warm spots in the home. Strongly drawn to light |
|---|
| Camel cricket | Tan to brown with a humped back, about 3/4 inch | No wings and no chirp | Cool, damp, dark places such as basements and crawl spaces. Not drawn to light |
|---|
| Jerusalem cricket | Orange body with black rings, a bald round head and up to about 2 inches | No wings | Underground by day and above ground at night. Seen when soil is turned or after heavy rain or irrigation |
|---|
A Cricket Is Chirping in My House
Only some crickets sing
The University of Minnesota Extension says only males chirp, and they do it by rubbing their wings together. The University of Maryland Extension says only house and field crickets sing. It lists camel crickets as quiet. If you hear a song, you are looking for a field cricket or a house cricket.
Use the chirp as a thermometer
Warmer temperatures mean faster chirping, says the University of Maryland. Count the chirps in 15 seconds and add 40. That gives you the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Thirty chirps means about 70 degrees.
Why you cannot find it
UC IPM says crickets are nocturnal and need shelter during the day. So the singer hides until dark. The University of Minnesota says field and house crickets are strongly drawn to light, so a lit porch can draw them in. For removal, the University of Maryland suggests vacuuming the crickets you find and putting sticky traps near the spots where you hear singing.
Crickets in the Basement, Garage or Crawl Space
Quiet, humped and tan
A cricket that hides in the dark and never makes a sound is likely a camel cricket. The University of Minnesota says these insects like cool, damp, dark areas. They eat paper products and rarely touch fabric. Clark's camel cricket page lists wells, pipes, A/C units, sheds, utility rooms and attics as other places to look.
Dry it out
The University of Minnesota says to dry damp areas with a fan or a dehumidifier. It adds that this works especially well for camel crickets. Clear out boxes and clutter so they have fewer places to hide. Sticky traps help too. Camel crickets are especially drawn to them.
A big orange bug on the patio at night
That sounds like a Jerusalem cricket. UC IPM says it feeds and tunnels underground by day and comes up at night. It calls the insect harmless to people. It also says no control is necessary and that you can scoop one into a box and throw it away.
How to Keep Crickets Out
Start outside the walls
The University of Minnesota tells homeowners to caulk or repair cracks and gaps in the foundation, around doors and at ground-level windows. It also says to cut weeds and tall grass near the foundation, remove firewood, brush and debris, and set garbage cans on wood blocks. The University of Maryland says to trim back groundcover growing within 18 inches of the home.
Dim the porch
Because field and house crickets go toward light, the University of Minnesota suggests reducing outdoor lighting or switching to yellow lights. The University of Maryland adds shades or drapes on windows.
Crickets in the vegetable bed
UC IPM says crickets move in from weedy areas that are drying up. Large numbers can wipe out several rows of seedlings in a day or two. Protective cones or row covers can shield young plants.
What a technician does
Clark's cricket pages call crickets occasional invaders that get inside by mistake. A Clark technician can show you how to keep them outside. That method is called exclusion. The University of Minnesota says pesticides are generally not effective or necessary indoors, so sealing and cleanup are the main jobs.
Clark's Expert Insight
Count what you find before you act. One cricket that wandered in needs a vacuum. A steady stream means something outside is feeding them or drawing them in. The University of Maryland says chemicals should only be used alongside permanent repairs and cleanup, so fix the gaps, damp spots and lights first.
Cricket Questions Homeowners Ask
Why are there crickets in my house?
Most pest crickets wander in from outside, says the University of Maryland. The University of Minnesota names open doors and windows and cracks in foundations as the way in. Weedy areas that dry out can also push them toward the house, according to UC IPM.
How do I tell a house cricket from a field cricket?
Look at the color. A house cricket is light yellowish brown with three dark bands on the head. A field cricket is dark brown to black. Both chirp and both are strongly drawn to light, so color is the quickest clue.
Is a Jerusalem cricket dangerous?
UC IPM calls Jerusalem crickets harmless to people and says no control is necessary. They look scary because of the bald round head and the orange abdomen with black rings. If you do not want one around, scoop it into a box and throw it away.
Why does a cricket chirp all night and how do I find it?
Males chirp to attract females, and crickets are nocturnal. Listen for the spot where the sound is loudest, then vacuum what you find and set sticky traps nearby, as the University of Maryland suggests. Count the chirps in 15 seconds and add 40 to guess the room temperature.
How do I get rid of camel crickets in the basement?
Dry the space with a fan or a dehumidifier and clear away clutter. Use sticky traps where you see them. The University of Minnesota says pesticides are generally not effective or necessary indoors. Seal foundation cracks to stop new ones.
Do crickets eat clothes?
They can. The University of Maryland says crickets chew wool, silk, nylon, rayon, cotton and linen, and that soiled fabrics are more vulnerable. It calls the damage minor unless dozens of crickets are present.
When should I call a professional?
Call when crickets keep coming back after you seal gaps and dry out damp areas. A Clark technician can find the entry points and show you how to keep crickets outside. The University of Maryland also lists licensed pest control operators as an option for hard cases.