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Catch house crickets humanely
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Are you tired of hearing crickets sing and chirp all night long in your basement? Maybe you need to catch some crickets to feed your pet snake or use for fishing bait. There are a number of reasons for catching crickets, and almost as many ways to catch them. If you want to catch crickets by the dozen in no time at all, keep reading.
How to Make a Cricket Trap
Fill a large jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts white sugar and plain breadcrumbs. Put a small covering over the top, and make a hole so the crickets can get in. Alternatively, cut the top off of a 2 liter soda bottle, fill the bottom with sugar, and put the spout back in upside down.
Steps
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Mix equal amounts of granulated sugar and plain breadcrumbs together. This is cricket food! If you want to catch a few dozen crickets, a cup of sugar and a cup of breadcrumbs should be plenty.- Don't use spicy or flavored breadcrumbs. Plain breadcrumbs are best for catching crickets, and extra ingredients might deter them.
- You can mix up a big batch of sugar and breadcrumbs and store whatever is left over in a jar for later use. This way you can catch more crickets every few days.
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Sprinkle this mixture on the ground where you have seen crickets congregating. This method may be best to use outside, since sprinkling this mixture indoors may draw other pests, like roaches and mice. Sprinkle the mixture at dusk just before the nocturnal crickets will come out to play.Advertisement -
Cover the mixture with a single layer of newspaper. Lay it out over the area where you sprinkled the sugar and breadcrumbs. Use no more than a single layer, since you want the crickets to be able to get underneath it. -
Choose a large jar with a lid for capturing the crickets. Get a big glass jar or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Poke holes in the lid if you want to keep the crickets alive once you catch them. [1] X Research source- There are special containers you can use for storing live crickets. Visit a bait store to check out their options, or look online and order one.
- You can sprinkle some of the sugar and bread mixture in the jar to keep the crickets fed.
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Return in the morning before the dew dries. This is prime time for catching crickets. Their bellies will be full and they'll be calmly waiting for you under the layer of newspaper. If you wait until the sun dries the dew, the crickets will have time to hop away. -
Lift the newspaper and sweep the crickets into the container. You can use a scoop or a small brush to nudge them into the container. Place the lid on tightly once you've caught your crickets.
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Cut off the top of a 2-liter soda bottle. Use a sharp knife to cut around the circumference of the bottle. Be sure to hold the bottle tightly with one hand so the knife doesn't slip. -
Invert the top and place it inside the bottle. The pour spout should be pointing to the bottom of the bottle, and the cap should be removed. [2] X Research source Use duct tape to seal the top edge of the bottle. -
Sprinkle sugar into the bottom through the spout. Keep sprinkling until you have a fine layer of sugar at the bottom of the bottle. [3] X Research source -
Place the bottle on its side in a spot where you have seen crickets. You can use this method either indoors or outdoors. The crickets will crawl through the spout to reach the sugar, and a surprising number of them will be unable to find the hole to get back out. -
Return in the early morning to collect your crickets. Move them to a sealed container to store them for later use.
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Place a strip of duct tape sticky side up where you have seen crickets congregating. Common areas are on the floor along the baseboards or on windowsills in rooms where you suspect crickets are hiding. This method works best indoors, since tape placed outside will collect dirt, leaves and other creatures. -
Return to the tape the next day. The crickets will get caught in the glue as they try to walk across, making it easy for you to pick up and dispose of them. A more expensive option would be to use the sticky traps or "motels" made for catching roaches.
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Place a small amount of food in a cardboard tube. Use the type of tube that comes with paper towels or bathroom tissue. The longer the tube, the more crickets you'll be able to catch. -
Place the tubes in areas where you suspect crickets might be hiding. This works well along baseboards and windowsills. -
Return early the next morning to collect the crickets. Place them in a sealed container with holes in the top for storage.
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Slice a long loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Pre-sliced bread won't work for this method; you'll need to get a loaf of uncut bread. -
Hollow out the 2 sides. Use a spoon to dig a hole into both sides of bread. Place the bread you scoop out int a bowl. -
Mix some of the bread you removed with granulated sugar. Use equal parts sugar and bread. -
Place the mixture in one of the hollowed-out halves. Scoop in as much as you can fit. -
Replace the top and hold the loaf together with rubber bands or toothpicks. You could also wrap the entire thing around the middle with duct tape or plastic wrap. -
Slice off the ends of the bread. This exposes the hollowed-out section so the crickets can get inside. -
Place the bread in cricket territory. In the morning, you should have a full loaf of crickets.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat container should I use if I choose to breed the crickets?Brandon Runyon is a board-certified Entomologist based in Evansville, Indiana. He has over 18 years of experience as a Pest Control professional, and is the Technical Director of Swat Pest Management. Swat Pest Management serves areas throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, where they provide safe, cost-effective solutions for client’s pest control needs. He authored Bugged by Bugs: A Comprehensive Guide to Pest Control, a user-friendly guide to commercial pest control practices in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and offices. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Entomology, and received a MS in Entomology from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also received an MBA from Western Governors University.When breeding crickets, use separate containers for breeding adults and maturing young crickets. Having at least two containers is optimal: one for the adult breeding pairs and another for the developing young crickets. It's crucial to separate the full-grown adults from the immatures and eggs, especially when the eggs are fertilized and ready to hatch, as adult crickets may consume the eggs. This segregation ensures the proper care and development of the young crickets without interference from the adults.
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QuestionWhich method works best?Community AnswerThe duct tape and the soda pop bottle works the best, and can be easily transported.
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QuestionWhat do I do if the crickets are too small?Community AnswerThe trap will work even if the cricket is small - but close the lid after catching it.
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Tips
- You can feed your crickets fresh fruits. [4] X Research source If the fruit dries, just dip it in water or replace it with another fresh slice.Thanks
- Common nesting sites for crickets include wood piles, building foundations, compost heaps, inside walls and almost any place where there is water available.Thanks
- Crickets will hibernate or die off in cold weather.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Leave out an empty tissue box that's filled with leaves and rocks to protect them from rainwater sources. With enough time, crickets will probably come once they like your home—then, you can easily catch them.
- Keep in mind that these methods won't just catch crickets. For instance, with the soda bottle method, you might catch fire ants instead of crickets.
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Things You'll Need
- Granulated sugar
- Breadcrumbs
- Newspaper
- 2 liter (0.5 US gal) soft drink bottle
- Duct tape
- Cardboard tubes
- Loaf of unsliced bread
- Rubber bands or toothpicks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about entomology, check out our in-depth interview with Brandon Runyon .
References
About This Article
Article Summary
X
If you want to catch crickets outside, combine equal amounts of granulated sugar and plain breadcrumbs and sprinkle the mixture wherever you have seen crickets congregating. The best time to put down the cricket food is dusk, since crickets are nocturnal. Cover the mixture with a single layer of newspaper. The next morning, before the dew dries, lift the newspaper and sweep the crickets into a glass jar with a lid. If you want to keep the crickets alive, make sure to poke holes in the jar's lid. If you want to learn how to catch crickets using a water bottle, keep reading the article!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I liked that there was more than one way to catch them. I have reptiles and I found that using the soda bottle method lets me catch the most while keeping them alive." ..." more
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"I liked that there was more than one way to catch them. I have reptiles and I found that using the soda bottle method lets me catch the most while keeping them alive."
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"I am doing an insect collection for school, and a cricket is one of the things that I needed. I made this cricket trap and caught what I needed!"
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"I've used the bottle method for other insects but didn't know it worked for crickets. No more nocturnal cricket song in my old stone basement!"
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"The bottle with sugar was great. Also, the additional info of wetting the surrounding area was great in luring them closer to the trap."
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"This article was pretty helpful so far. I have only tried the bottle trick and I caught three crickets, I will try the rest."
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