Camel Crickets (Spider Crickets): Identification and Control

Camel crickets are the pale brown, long-legged insects that sit on basement walls and jump when you get close. The name comes from the arched back. The long legs and antennae give them a spider-like outline, which is where “spider cricket” comes from, and “cave cricket” describes the kind of place they like. All three names refer to the same family, Rhaphidophoridae.

They are harmless to people and mostly a nuisance. Large numbers tell you something about the room they are in: it is damp.

How to identify a camel cricket

• Size. Adults are about 13 to 38 mm (1/2 to 1 1/2 inches) long, not counting legs and antennae.
• Shape. Humpbacked when seen from the side.
• Color. Light tan to dark brown, sometimes with darker bands.
• Legs. Very long hind legs built for jumping.
• Antennae. Thread-like and often longer than the body.
• Wings. None, at any age. They cannot fly.
• Sound. None. They cannot chirp.

Females have a long, blade-like egg-laying organ at the rear. Nymphs look like small adults.

Several species share the name. NC State Extension notes that most are minor pests, and that the greenhouse stone cricket (Tachycines asynamorus) is the one that most often becomes a problem indoors.

Camel cricket vs field and house crickets

If you hear chirping, it is not a camel cricket.

The house cricket, the third kind found indoors, is light yellowish brown with three dark bands on its head and 19 to 25 mm (3/4 to 1 inch) long. Camel crickets are also not drawn to lights, according to the University of Missouri.

Crickets belong to the order Orthoptera, with grasshoppers and katydids. See the orders of insects.

Where they live

Outdoors, camel crickets shelter in moist places: under stones, logs and stacked firewood, in leaf piles, and in dense ground cover such as ivy.

Indoors they pick the nearest equivalent. Extension sources list basements, crawl spaces, garages, storage buildings, laundry rooms and bathrooms. They are active at night and rest on walls and in corners by day.

Why they come inside

The University of Maine calls them accidental invaders: they wander in from suitable habitat just outside. NC State adds that weather pushes them, with problems following heavy rain or long hot, dry spells. They often spend the winter in basements and crawl spaces, and Cornell Cooperative Extension notes they can breed indoors year-round where conditions suit them.

Females lay eggs in soil in early spring, and nymphs hatch a few weeks later.

Are camel crickets harmful?

None of the extension sources used for this page lists bites or disease among the problems they cause. They are treated as nuisance pests.

Damage is uncommon but possible. They eat organic matter of many kinds. In large numbers, or when other food runs out, they can chew stored fabrics, clothing and linens, and Cornell lists sponge mops and lace curtains among the items damaged. Heavy infestations also leave dark fecal smears on walls and stored items.

How to get rid of camel crickets

Control comes down to making the space drier and harder to enter. NC State describes insecticides as no long-term solution without those changes.

Dry out the space

• Reduce humidity in basements and crawl spaces and repair leaks.
• Keep boxes and stored items off the floor and away from the walls so there are fewer dark, damp gaps.
• Store fabrics and linens in sealed containers.

Seal entry points

• Fit door sweeps or weather stripping so the bottom of each door seals against the threshold, including the garage and crawl space doors.
• Seal gaps around windows, foundation vents, dryer vents, soffits and the points where utility lines enter.

Clear the area next to the house

• Keep mulch and ground cover at least 12 inches from the foundation. NC State suggests gravel in that strip.
• Move firewood, stones, boards and debris away from the walls and clear out under decks.
• Trim shrubs back from the house.

Trap and remove

Sticky traps work especially well on camel crickets, according to the University of Missouri. Put them in corners and behind appliances, and replace them before they fill up, since a full trap starts to smell. A vacuum takes care of the ones you can see. Empty it straight away.

Insecticides

If numbers stay high after the steps above, products labeled for crickets can be applied to cracks and crevices indoors or as a barrier around the foundation, vents and door thresholds outdoors. Heavy rain shortens how long outdoor treatments last. Read and follow the product label. Your county extension office can advise on what is approved locally, and a licensed applicator is an option for crawl spaces, which are awkward and unpleasant to treat yourself.

Expect this to take a while. Cornell notes that control is slow and that crickets tend to return while the surroundings stay damp.

Other insects in damp basements

Camel crickets share their habitat with silverfish, which are also a sign of high humidity, and with the Oriental cockroach, the insect often called a water bug. The fixes overlap: less moisture, fewer gaps and less clutter against the walls. Pest control basics explains the approach.