How to Get Rid of Crickets in the Basement for Good (7 Methods)

Hearing that rhythmic chirp-chirp-chirp echoing through your basement every night is one of the most frustrating homeowner experiences. Those basement crickets — most likely camel crickets (also called cave crickets or spider crickets) or house crickets — didn’t end up down there by accident. Your basement is giving them exactly what they want: darkness, moisture, warmth, and plenty of hiding spots.

The good news? Crickets are one of the easiest indoor pests to eliminate permanently, because they don’t reproduce well indoors unless conditions stay favorable. The bad news? If you only kill the ones you see and ignore the moisture problem, they’ll keep coming back.

This guide walks you through 7 proven methods to get rid of crickets in your basement for good — from simple traps to the dehumidifier strategy that makes your basement genuinely cricket-proof.

Why Crickets Invade Basements in the First Place

Before you reach for traps, it helps to know which cricket you’re dealing with, because that determines the right strategy.

Camel crickets (the silent jumpers)

If the crickets in your basement are brown, humpbacked, have very long antennae, and don’t chirp but jump impressively high when startled, they’re camel crickets. They don’t bite, don’t damage homes, and don’t chirp — but they’re unsettling to find and they chew on fabrics, cardboard, and stored paper. They love damp, cool spaces and can’t survive long in dry conditions.

House crickets (the noisy ones)

Pale yellow-brown, chirping loudly at night — these are field or house crickets that wandered in. They come for warmth in fall and stay if moisture lets them breed.

Bottom line: both species thrive on moisture and clutter. Every method below works on both, but reducing basement humidity is the single most important long-term fix.

Method 1: Run a Dehumidifier (The Permanent Fix)

Crickets absorb moisture through their environment and prefer relative humidity above 70%. Drop your basement below 50% relative humidity and it becomes hostile territory for them — eggs dry out, adults dehydrate, and they leave on their own.

How to do it right

• Choose a dehumidifier sized for your basement’s square footage (a 50-pint unit covers most full-size basements).
• Set it to maintain 40–50% humidity year-round, not just in summer.
• Run it continuously for the first week to “reset” conditions, then let the humidistat maintain the level.
• Drain it via a hose to a floor drain or sump pit if possible — crickets are attracted to standing water in collection tanks too.

This single step often eliminates camel cricket problems without any trapping at all. If you’re only going to do one thing from this list, make it this one.

Method 2: Set Molasses Jar Traps (The Classic)

This old-fashioned trap is cheap, non-toxic, and surprisingly effective for monitoring and reducing cricket numbers.

Step-by-step

1. Take a glass jar and pour in about an inch of molasses mixed with a little water (roughly a 1:3 molasses-to-water ratio).
2. Leave the jar open and unwashed-looking — crickets climb in for the sugar but can’t climb the slick glass walls to get out.
3. Place jars along basement walls, near corners, behind the water heater, and anywhere you’ve seen crickets. Use 3–5 jars for an average basement.
4. Check and empty every 2–3 days. Rinse, refill, and reset.
5. Keep trapping for at least 3 weeks to catch newly hatched nymphs.

Variation: smearing a thin ring of petroleum jelly on the inside rim of the jar makes escape nearly impossible even for strong jumpers.

Method 3: Use Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth (With Proper Precautions)

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fine powder made from fossilized algae. It kills crickets by damaging their protective waxy outer layer, causing them to dehydrate. It works — but it must be used carefully.

Safety rules you should not skip

• Use only food-grade DE — never pool-grade or filter-grade, which contain crystalline silica and are hazardous.
• Wear a dust mask and eye protection when applying it. DE is a lung irritant when inhaled; the fine powder gets airborne easily.
• Apply it in thin, barely-visible layers — thick piles get avoided by insects and wasted.
• Keep it away from areas where children or pets play, and never apply it near food or food-prep surfaces.
• DE loses effectiveness when wet, so only apply it to dry areas — it pairs perfectly with the dehumidifier strategy.

Where to apply it

Dust a light layer along baseboards, in cracks behind appliances, under the stairs, around sump pit edges, and in any crevices where you’ve seen crickets. Reapply after vacuuming or if it gets damp. Expect results over 1–2 weeks as crickets cross the powder.

For the National Pesticide Information Center’s full fact sheet on DE’s inhalation, eye, and skin risks, see the Sources box at the end of this article.

Method 4: Vacuum Them Out (Fast Knockdown)

Sometimes the simplest approach is the fastest. A vacuum with a hose attachment lets you remove dozens of crickets — plus their eggs and the clutter dust they hide in — in one session.

• Vacuum along baseboards, behind boxes, under the stairs, and in window wells.
• Empty the vacuum into a sealed bag outside immediately — camel crickets can survive a ride in the canister and crawl back out.
• Follow up with the molasses traps to catch any you missed.

Vacuuming won’t solve the problem alone, but it gives every other method a head start by cutting the population dramatically on day one.

Method 5: Declutter and Remove Their Habitat

Crickets hide in cardboard, fabric piles, stacks of newspapers, and anything that holds a little dampness. Basements are often cricket hotels for this reason alone.

• Move stored items off the floor onto plastic shelving or pallets.
• Replace cardboard boxes with sealed plastic bins where practical — crickets chew cardboard and nest behind it.
• Remove stacks of newspapers, old magazines, and unused fabric.
• Sweep out leaf litter and debris near basement window wells and exterior doors.
• Store firewood outside, away from the foundation — it’s a classic cricket harborage.

Method 6: Seal Their Entry Points

Crickets squeeze through gaps as small as a few millimeters. A weekend of sealing can cut off the invasion route permanently.

Priority sealing checklist

• Basement windows: repair torn screens, add weatherstripping, and make sure window wells drain properly.
• Door gaps: install door sweeps on the basement door and any exterior doors; check the seal on the bulkhead door.
• Foundation cracks: fill small cracks with concrete caulk; larger cracks may need professional repair.
• Utility penetrations: seal around pipes, dryer vents, and cables entering the basement with copper mesh plus caulk or expanding foam.
• Exterior lighting: crickets are attracted to lights at night — switch porch and basement-window lights to yellow “bug” bulbs or motion-sensor lights to reduce the crowd gathering at your foundation.

Method 7: Targeted Insecticide (Last Resort, Use Carefully)

If the infestation is heavy and non-chemical methods haven’t made a dent after 3–4 weeks, a residual insecticide labeled for crickets can help. This is the method to reach for last, not first.

• Choose a product labeled for crickets and for indoor crack-and-crevice use. Read the entire label before buying or applying — the label is the law.
• Apply only in cracks, crevices, and along baseboards — never as a broadcast spray across open floors.
• Keep children and pets away from treated areas until fully dry, and follow the label’s re-entry instructions.
• Never mix products, never use outdoor-only products indoors, and store everything locked away from children and pets.

In most basement cricket situations, methods 1–6 make insecticide unnecessary. Save this option for severe, persistent infestations.

What NOT to Do

• Don’t just spray and walk away. Without fixing moisture and entry points, new crickets replace the dead ones within weeks.
• Don’t use “bug bombs” or total-release foggers in the basement. They scatter pesticide residue over stored items and rarely reach the cracks where crickets hide.
• Don’t ignore a musty smell. Persistent dampness that attracts crickets can also mean mold growth — worth investigating on its own.
• Don’t call DE “completely safe.” Food-grade DE is low-toxicity compared to synthetic insecticides, but it is a respiratory irritant — the mask matters.

How Long Until They’re Gone?

With the dehumidifier running and traps set, most homeowners see a dramatic drop within 1–2 weeks and full elimination in 3–4 weeks. Camel cricket eggs can take a few weeks to hatch, so keep traps and the dehumidifier going for a full month even after you stop seeing adults.

Preventing Crickets From Coming Back

• Keep basement humidity at 40–50% year-round with the dehumidifier.
• Do a fall walk-around: check door sweeps, window screens, and foundation cracks before temperatures drop and crickets move indoors.
• Keep grass and mulch trimmed back 6–12 inches from the foundation.
• Store items in sealed plastic bins on shelving, not cardboard on the floor.
• Fix any plumbing leaks or seepage promptly — water is the root attractant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do basement crickets bite?

Camel crickets and house crickets can technically nibble but they rarely bite people and are not considered dangerous. Their mouthparts are too weak to break skin in most cases. The real damage is to fabrics, paper, and cardboard.

Why are there suddenly so many crickets in my basement?

A sudden surge usually follows heavy rain, high humidity, or a plumbing leak — or a fall cold snap that drives outdoor crickets inside. Check for new moisture sources first.

Will crickets go away on their own in winter?

Outdoor populations die back, but basement populations can persist all winter if it’s warm and damp down there. Don’t wait — dry it out.

Are camel crickets the same as spider crickets?

Yes — camel cricket, cave cricket, and spider cricket are common names for the same family of humpbacked, long-legged crickets. None of them chirp.

Can I use boric acid powder instead of DE?

Boric acid is effective against crickets, but it is toxic if ingested by children or pets and should be used very cautiously — light dusting in inaccessible cracks only, following the label exactly. For most homeowners, DE plus moisture control is the safer route.

Related Guides

• How to Get Rid of Silverfish in the Bathroom — another moisture-loving pest with a similar dehumidifier-first strategy.
• Is Pest Control Safe for Pets? — what to know before using any powder or spray around animals.
• Fall Home Maintenance Checklist — the seasonal sealing walk-around that keeps crickets and other fall invaders out.
• How to Get Rid of Spiders in the Basement (Without Chemicals) — more basement pest control without chemicals.
• Musty Smell in the Basement? How to Find and Fix the Cause — tracking down basement moisture that attracts pests.