"Chirp, chirp, chirp." If I’ve heard that sound one more time coming from under somebody’s porch, I might just throw my gloves down. It’s usually late summer, the evenings start cooling off, and all of a sudden your house sounds like it’s hosting a cricket convention. You might hear ’em inside, sure, but they’re not setting up shop in your living room — they’re sneaking in through every little crack and gap around the foundation, and they’re plenty loud about it.

I’ve seen it a hundred times over. Folks call me for leaky faucets, sagging floors, whatever else is going on, and sooner or later somebody says, “Can’t you do something about these darn bugs, Bob?” And yeah, I can. Most of the time, it’s not some weird pest mystery. It’s just the kind of conditions crickets love — damp, dark, tucked-in spots right around your house. That’s all they need.

Quick Answer

Those relentless crickets bugging your peace and quiet? They’re probably hanging out near your foundation, pulled in by wet spots, thick landscaping, and even your outdoor lights. To really get rid of ’em, you’ve gotta hit ’em from both sides: clean up their hideouts, seal the house tight, and, if needed, lay down some pest control. That one-two-three punch usually sends ’em packing from the yard and the walls.

The Problem

Crickets aren’t just noisy; they’re a real nuisance. They usually won’t chew through your house like termites, but they can mess up fabrics, paper, and even food once they get inside. For most people, though, it’s the noise that does ’em in. That nonstop chirping can drive you right up the wall, especially at night when you’re trying to sleep. And it’s not just one kind, either — you’ve got field crickets, house crickets, camel crickets (some folks call ’em cave crickets), and mole crickets, all with their own flavor of annoying. They move toward homes for shelter, food, and moisture, especially when the seasons start shifting. If you’ve got a constant concert around your foundation, that means your place is giving ’em a pretty nice setup.

How It Works

Think of your foundation like a five-star hotel for crickets, if you don’t keep on top of it. These little pests love cool, damp, dark spots — exactly what you get under bushes, woodpiles, or thick mulch shoved right up against the house. When it gets hot and dry outside, or cold, those foundation cracks and little gaps become prime real estate for ’em to escape the weather.

Crickets are omnivores, so they’ll eat just about anything they can get their legs on: decaying plant matter, other insects, fungi, even fabrics. So if you’ve got leaf litter and junk piled up around the perimeter, that’s basically putting out snacks. Outdoor lighting doesn’t help, either. A lot of cricket species are active at night and get drawn to bright lights, and those lights also pull in other bugs crickets love to eat. Once they’re hanging out near your foundation, it’s a short hop through a weather-stripping gap, a crack in the concrete, or an unsealed pipe opening into your basement or crawl space. From there, it’s not long before they end up in your living space, chirping away like they pay rent. You’re handing ’em shelter, food, and a doorway in — no wonder they stick around.

Step-by-Step Fix

Alright, let’s get after it. Getting crickets out of your foundation isn’t a one-and-done deal. It takes a little strategy. You’ve gotta make your house less attractive, then deal with the ones who didn’t get the message. Here’s how I walk folks through it.

1. Inspect and Identify — Know your enemy and their entry points.

   • Tools: Flashlight, knee pads.
   • Process: Grab a solid flashlight and walk the whole perimeter of the house. Look for damp spots, overgrown shrubs, woodpiles, trash cans sitting too close to the foundation, and any cracks or gaps in the foundation, siding, or around windows and doors. Pay close attention to weep holes in brick veneer — those are common entry points. Check utility entries like pipes and wires for unsealed gaps. Don’t skip this part. You’re looking for where they’re hanging out and how they’re getting inside.

2. Clean Up the Perimeter — Eliminate their favorite hideouts.

   • Process: This one matters more than folks think. Cut back all vegetation — bushes, vines, ground cover — so it’s at least 12-18 inches away from the foundation. Rake mulch, leaves, and any other organic debris back at least 6 inches from the foundation wall. Pull away woodpiles, old lumber, stones, or anything else that gives ’em a cool, damp spot to hide. Keep the grass mowed short, especially around the house. I tell people to picture a 12-inch clear zone around the place — nothing but air and maybe a little gravel. That dries the area out and takes away shelter. I was at a house in Northwood last month, and the homeowner had a whole pile of old railroad ties jammed right against the basement wall. No wonder he had camel crickets playing hide-and-seek in the laundry room.

3. Manage Moisture — Dry ’em out.

   • Tools: Shovel, downspout extensions.
   • Process: Crickets love moisture. Make sure your gutters are clean and draining like they should. Extend downspouts at least 3-4 feet away from the foundation so rainwater gets moved out and away. Check for leaky outdoor spigots or irrigation systems. If there’s standing water anywhere near the house, figure out why and fix it. Even one damp patch of soil can be a cricket magnet. You want dry soil right up next to the home.

4. Seal Entry Points — Shut the door on ’em.

   • Tools: Caulk gun, silicone caulk (exterior grade), steel wool, door sweeps, weatherstripping.
   • Process: Once you’ve found the openings, close ’em off. Seal cracks in the foundation, gaps around utility penetrations like pipes, wires, and AC lines, and any openings in the siding with a good exterior-grade silicone caulk. Replace or install door sweeps on all exterior doors so they make a tight seal against the threshold. Check weatherstripping around doors and windows and swap out anything worn out. For weep holes, use proper weep hole covers or screens — don’t seal them shut, because brick veneer walls need them for moisture management. Even a 1/4-inch gap is a free pass for these guys.

5. Adjust Outdoor Lighting — Turn off the welcome mat.

   • Materials: Yellow 'bug' lights, motion sensors.
   • Process: Crickets, like a lot of night bugs, get pulled toward light. Switch your outdoor bulbs to yellow 'bug' lights since they’re less attractive to insects. Even better, use motion-activated lights for walkways and entry spots so they’re only on when somebody needs ’em. That keeps your house from acting like a giant beacon for every bug in the neighborhood.

6. Apply Perimeter Treatment (Optional but Recommended) — Bring in the heavy hitters.

   • Materials: Granular insecticide, liquid insecticide spray (permethrin or bifenthrin based), hand spreader, pump sprayer.
   • Process: If you’re still seeing a lot of activity after cleanup and exclusion, it may be time for a targeted perimeter treatment. Put down a granular insecticide around the foundation in a band 2-3 feet wide. Follow the product directions exactly — more isn’t better, and it can turn into a problem fast. Water it in lightly to activate it. You can also use a liquid insecticide spray made for exterior pest control. Spray a band around the foundation, paying extra attention to spots like window wells, vents, and around doorframes. A good rule is about 1 foot up the foundation wall and 1-2 feet out onto the ground. Reapply based on the label, usually every 2-3 months during peak cricket season (late spring through fall). Wear gloves and eye protection any time you’re handling insecticides.

7. Set Traps (Inside) — Catch the stragglers.

   • Materials: Sticky traps (glue boards).
   • Process: For any crickets that still make it inside — because a few usually do — set sticky traps. Put them along baseboards, in corners, near door thresholds, and in basements or crawl spaces. They’re non-toxic and they work well for picking off individual invaders. Just keep them where pets and little kids can’t get to ’em.

Common Causes

• Excessive Moisture: Leaky spigots, poor drainage, clogged gutters, or damp basements create ideal breeding and living conditions for crickets.
• Overgrown Landscaping: Thick bushes, dense ground cover, or tall grass right against the foundation give ’em cover and hiding spots.
• Debris Accumulation: Leaf litter, woodpiles, stones, or trash cans near the house give them both shelter and food.
• Cracks and Gaps: Unsealed cracks in the foundation, gaps around utility lines, or poor door/window seals are open invitations for crickets to move inside.
• Outdoor Lighting: Bright, unshielded outdoor lights attract crickets and the other insects they feed on, drawing them closer to your home.
• Warmth and Shelter: As temperatures drop outside in fall, your warm, sheltered foundation becomes an irresistible refuge.

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring Cleanup: Thinking a spray alone will fix it. You must remove their habitat first, or they’ll just keep coming back.
• Sealing Weep Holes: Completely sealing weep holes in brick veneer can cause moisture problems inside the walls. Use proper weep hole covers instead.
• Over-spraying Pesticides: Using too much pesticide, or spraying all willy-nilly, wastes money, hurts the environment, and can be dangerous for pets and people. Read the label and follow it.
• Not Addressing Moisture: Killing the crickets won’t stop the next wave if you still have leaky pipes or bad drainage making everything damp.
• Leaving Lights On All Night: Keeping bright outdoor lights on around your house acts like a giant beacon and pulls bugs in from everywhere.

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