Field Crickets
Various scientific names
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Gryllidae
Size: Field crickets in the adult stage are 1/2 to 1-1/8 in (13-30 mm) long.
Characteristics: Threadlike antennae are much longer than body; wings lay flat on back; long feeler-like appendages at end of abdomen; female has long tube-like egg laying structure at tip of abdomen.
Color: Typically black, but varying to brownish yellow or straw yellow.
Geographic Range: Throughout North and South America; about 25 species in the U.S.
Comparison with other species: House crickets are light yellow-brown, with 3 dark bands on the head. Cave (also known as camel, or stone) crickets have "humpback", are wingless; antennae almost touch at base; first hind leg section is long. Jerusalem crickets are large, wingless; first hind leg section is short, does not extend beyond tip of abdomen. Mole crickets have broad spade-like front legs, and antennae that are much shorter than body.
Habitat: Outdoors in moist places.
Food: Plants and insects, including other crickets
Biology: Field crickets usually overwinter as eggs, depending on species, but may overwinter as mid to late stage nymphs. Females lay 150-400 eggs singly in firm, moist soil. Development from egg to adult typically takes 80-90 days, with 8-9 stages (instars) of nymphs; 1-3 generations per year.
Invasion: They do not live very long indoors, and usually die by winter. However, they can enter through small crevices and openings in a building.
Damage: Field crickets can be extremely damaging to field crops, such as wheat, oats, alfalfa, and rye, as well as to vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans. On some occasions there are huge swarms of crickets that sweep through regions of the midwest and south. Besides damage to crops, crickets may chew into fabrics, such as wool, linen, cotton, silk, or man-made fibers, as well as fur and leather. Soiled fabrics are especially vulnerable.
Environmental Policy
The employees of American Pest Management are committed to improving the quality of life for all of our customers by providing the safest and most effective treatment for the management of pests which pose a threat to their health, property, and food supply. History has shown that neglecting to control pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, rodents, and ticks, and the misapplication of pest control products are equally dangerous.
