My house has been invaded by crickets. Some even come with a microphone! I'm not talking about a few.... if I open the screen to my bedroom, Leader & the pack come running in! They don't even bother to crawl through the walls anymore.
I have animals, so I'm afraid of the Exterminator.
Does anyone have a suggestion of how to get rid of them without harming any other animal?
I had no idea where to post this.....
Bambi
could get some frogs to help rid of the crickets. Sorry, bad joke.
I know you said that you have [ets, so if you make up this recipe, just make sure you put this stuff where your pets can't get to it.
Cricket Control:
This formula is good to control crickets.
1 cup flour
1 small onion...cut fine or shredded
1/4 cup sugar
1 lb. box Borax powder (for roaches)
vegetable oil to mix.
Mix and roll into balls about walnut sized. Place under
furniture, etc.
As with most things, keep out of the reach of children
and pets.
That's quite a recipe. I'm not great at measuring & can't seem to keep my dogs & cats out of anything!
The frog idea is looking better & better. I was never especially fond of frogs but... well would froggy have to live inside & besides crickets, what do frogs eat?
I have killed lots of ants in a safe way suggested by someone on Garden Web, and wonder if it would work with crickets. You just put your little poisoned baits inside a jar lying on its side, and you screw on the lid real tight. Don't do this with a snap-on plastic lid. The lid has to have holes punched in it so the bugs can get in. I used nails for this. Don't know how big the holes would have to be for crickets, and if your dogs are very strong, with big mouths, maybe this wouldn't work, but it was sure good for ants!
Would you mind having a pet house duck or chicken? Muscovy ducks would be the breed of choice for me(yes, we have had pet ducks in the house for brief periods of time). For chickens I would choose maybe an Aracona which is also often called an Americona or something like that, or one of those short lived cross breeds that Tyson and other places use for butchering. You can get them thru most hatcheries. That way you can get rid of the crickets and then have chicken for dinner or keep it for a pet and eggs. Get it when it is a young hatchling so it will be really tame. I would suggest banty types if you want to keep it for a pet.
I have to ask....how do you housebreak a duck? Litterbox? Papers in the corner?
*perplexed look*
If the dough is sticky enough, you might be able to press it into the bottom of a glass bottle and you won't need a lid at all. The dough will stay at the bottom of the bottle where the pets can't reach it but the crickets can.
Perhaps the ducks could live outside and just be invited in for lunch or dinner? Having crickets in your house isn't funny, but the frogs and ducks are hilarious!!
Thanks everyone. I'm trying to teach my cat to catch crickets.
I guess this is a good time to tell.....I went to the basement to get some stuff out of the freezer yesterday and I heard a funny noise. I listened for it again, and evidently when I brought the plants in to put them under lights, I also brought in a tree frog. I can hear him, but I can't find him. Maybe he will take care of some of the bugs that might be over on the plants, but if he doesn't get back there soon, he will become petrified. Yuck!!
poor froggie Brugie!
Hey Kell, it scares me that I might even put him in the washer without knowing it. LOL!!
Brugie: Then he could sing Tiny bubbles. LOL..
back2back: On a serious note. I had an exterminator for years, with no ill effects on my pets. One thing that he did was sprinkle Diaznon Granules all around the foundation of the house. This will stop the crickets from entering the house. You could even sprinkle them in closets. They can be bought almost anywhere--WalMart--Home Depot--Garden Centers.
Edited because I forgot how to spell.
This message was edited Dec 7, 2003 10:19 PM
Funny Deb...tiny bubbles? I just wonder what he would look like after the spin cycle. Not a pretty picture to envision.
Brugie: After the spin cycle, now that is a horrid thought. Imagine finding it while taking out the wet clothes. Ick...
Or stepping on it when going to the basement barefooted. Oh gosh, I don't even want to think about that poor little guy. I hope he has found the plants again.
really Brugie. run little frog run!
Spincycle makes them breed.......
Dang...I might be in real trouble then. I can just see me checking pockets for a tree frog. Yuck!! They are so cold feeling. This summer, one evening, I grabbed the outside faucet to turn it on and grabbed a tree frog. Made my skin crawl. Maybe the grandkids can find him when they are here for Christmas.
Yuck! I'm not fond of cold wet animals. I prefer them with fur.
