What to Know About Cave Crickets
Cave crickets, also known as camel crickets, are pale crickets that belong to the insect family known as Rhaphidophoridae. They typically dwell in cold and damp environments such as inside rotten logs and under stones. Unlike other crickets, cave crickets lack the ability to produce chirping sounds. These wingless creatures also have a somewhat frightening appearance and are known for their hunched packs and brownish-pale color.
Naturally, cave crickets can surprise humans, but typically only take up residence in cool, dark areas such as basements, although cave cricket infestations are relatively uncommon. However, if you encounter an infestation, the quickest method to clean them up is with a vacuum cleaner. Due to their large hind legs, cave crickets can jump fairly high, which makes them adept at avoiding capture by hand. However, a quick call to your exterminator can certainly amend the situation. All in all, though, cave crickets are harmless creatures and usually don't take up residence in basements very long since resources are scarce.
Given their need to live in dark, damp environments, cave crickets have learned to go for long amounts of time without nutrition; however, if the starvation lasts long enough, these insects have been known to eat their own limbs. These insects have very poor eyesight and depend on their long antennas to adequately negotiate their respective environments. Young cave crickets are completely translucent while adults typically take on a brown shade. Cave crickets are also incapable of reproducing outside their natural, damp habitats, so the quickest way to get rid of them is prevent an infestation from spreading by removing such breeding grounds as damp leaves, wet rotten wood and similar habitats.
