Cave Crickets, Camel Spiders & Spider Crickets: 7 Strategies to Eliminate Them Permanently

What Are Cave Crickets, Camel Spiders, and Spider Crickets?

Cave crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae), also called camel crickets, spider crickets, or camelbacks, are not true crickets despite their name. They are actually part of the Orthoptera order along with grasshoppers and true crickets. What makes them unique — and frightening to homeowners — is their appearance: a humpbacked body that resembles a cross between a cricket and a spider, paired with long antennae as long as their entire body.

These insects are particularly common in cool, dark, damp environments. Basements, crawl spaces, attics (especially around sump pumps), garages, and sheds are ideal cave cricket habitats. They're most active at night and hide in crevices and dark corners during the day. A single pregnant female can establish a rapidly growing colony that, if left untreated, will grow to several hundred individuals within weeks.

Important Note: Camel spiders (order Solifugae) are NOT cave crickets and are NOT related to spiders despite their name. Camel spiders are significantly more dangerous, faster, and more aggressive than cave crickets. If you've discovered a camel spider (a tan/yellow creature 2-3 inches long with oversized jaws), contact a professional immediately.

Why Are Cave Crickets Such a Problem?

They Reproduce Exponentially

A female cave cricket lays 150+ eggs in her lifetime. In a warm basement with plentiful food (dead insects, fabric, paper, cardboard), eggs hatch in 3-6 weeks and nymphs mature to adulthood in 3-4 months. An untreated infestation can explode from a few individuals to hundreds within a single season.

They Damage Fabrics, Food, and Paper

Cave crickets are omnivorous scavengers. They feed on stored clothing, boxed food items, paper, cardboard, insulation, and fabric. In crawl spaces and basements, they leave behind dark, oily droppings that stain everything they contact. Their feeding damage often goes unnoticed until items are pulled out and found contaminated or partially consumed.

They're Essentially Invisible Until Overpopulation Occurs

Homeowners typically don't notice a cave cricket problem until the population has grown large enough that individuals are visible during the day or jumping around living spaces. By that point, an infestation is already well-established.

Conventional Pesticides Don't Work Well

Cave crickets are attracted to dead insects and decaying organic matter. Standard insecticides often don't kill them effectively — they can feed on dead insects poisoned by the same spray meant to eliminate them. Poison baits that work well for other insects are largely ineffective.

How to Identify a Cave Cricket Infestation

• Visual sightings: You see a tan/beige, humpbacked, cricket-like insect with very long antennae — especially at night in cool, damp spaces like basements, crawl spaces, and garages.
• Dark, oily droppings: Look for tiny dark fecal pellets in corners, on stored items, and along baseboards in basements or crawl spaces.
• Damaged fabrics and paper: Find clothing, cardboard boxes, or paper items that have been partially chewed or stained with dark droppings.
• Musty odor: A concentrated population can produce a distinct musty odor in crawl spaces and basements.
• Physical evidence of damage: Check stored items (especially in basements) for chewing marks, holes, or contamination.

7 Strategies to Eliminate Cave Crickets Permanently

Strategy 1: Eliminate Moisture at the Source

Cave crickets require moisture to survive. In fact, they're often called "humidity indicators" because their presence usually signals a moisture problem. The single most important step in eliminating cave crickets is addressing the underlying moisture issue.

Specific actions:

• Fix any standing water in basements, crawl spaces, or drainage sumps. Even small puddles are sufficient to support an infestation.
• Install or repair sump pump systems. Water accumulation is cave cricket paradise.
• Improve foundation drainage. Rainwater should flow away from the house, not pool near the foundation.
• Add basement dehumidifiers to bring humidity below 60% (cave crickets thrive above 70%).
• Ensure crawl space venting is adequate and not blocked.
• Seal foundation cracks where water might enter during heavy rain.

Strategy 2: Remove Food Sources and Harborage

Cave crickets will consume nearly anything organic, but they prefer dead insects, fungi, and decaying matter. Eliminating food sources dramatically slows reproduction and makes the remaining population more vulnerable to treatment.

Specific actions:

• Remove cardboard boxes from basements and crawl spaces. Store items in sealed plastic containers on shelves, elevated off the floor.
• Eliminate dead insects. Use a vacuum to remove dead insects from basements, attics, and crawl spaces.
• Store food items in airtight containers (not cardboard boxes).
• Clean up leaf debris and decaying plant matter in and around the structure.
• Remove old wood piles, stumps, and dead wood near the foundation.

Strategy 3: Seal All Entry Points (Exclusion)

Once food and moisture are addressed, seal every crack, gap, and opening where cave crickets might enter from the exterior. This prevents new individuals from replacing those eliminated through treatment.

Specific actions:

• Seal foundation cracks using concrete caulk or foam sealant.
• Install weather stripping around basement doors and windows.
• Seal gaps around pipes, utility penetrations, and HVAC openings.
• Ensure crawl space vents have functioning screens (repair damaged ones).
• Caulk gaps where walls meet the basement floor.

Strategy 4: Deploy Non-Toxic Predatory Control

Crickets have natural predators that are extremely effective at controlling infestations. Centipedes and ground beetles (carabid beetles) hunt cave crickets aggressively. Encouraging these predators while simultaneously reducing cave cricket populations creates a self-regulating system.

Specific actions:

• Deploy ground beetles: Certain carabid beetle species are voracious cave cricket predators. Professional pest control can introduce them into infested spaces.
• Create predator harborage: Leave small areas of shelter (bark mulch, leaf litter in contained areas) where beneficial predators can hide and hunt.
• Avoid broad-spectrum pesticides that would kill beneficial insects along with the cave crickets.

Strategy 5: Use Targeted Baits (Non-Repellent Approach)

Unlike traditional sprays, non-repellent baits allow cave crickets to feed before the active ingredient takes effect. This removes their resistance to standard poison baits.

Specific actions:

• Deploy appropriately sized bait stations in basements, crawl spaces, and other infested areas. Place them in corners and along walls where cave crickets hide.
• Use baits containing spinosad or other active ingredients proven effective against crickets.
• Check bait stations weekly and replenish as needed during active infestations.
• Be patient — control takes 2-4 weeks as the population is gradually reduced.

Strategy 6: Deploy Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade)

Food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is a non-toxic powder that damages the exoskeleton of insects, causing dehydration and death. It's particularly effective when combined with other strategies.

Specific actions:

• Apply food-grade DE to basements, crawl spaces, and other areas where cave crickets hide. Use a hand duster for even coverage.
• Reapply after moisture exposure (rain, cleaning) since moisture reduces its effectiveness.
• Combine DE with exclusion and moisture reduction for best results.

Strategy 7: Professional Interior Treatment (Last Resort)

If infestation severity warrants it, professional interior insecticide treatment can provide quick knockdown of large populations. This should only be used in combination with the above strategies, not in place of them.

Specific actions:

• Spray all potential harborage areas: basements, crawl spaces, attic spaces, garage corners, and dark sheltered areas.
• Treat wall voids and behind stored items where crickets hide.
• Allow proper drying time (typically 2-4 hours) before re-occupying treated spaces.
• Schedule follow-up applications 2-3 weeks after the initial treatment to catch newly hatched nymphs.

How to Get Rid of Spider Crickets: Quick-Start Summary

If you're searching for how to get rid of spider crickets and need the fastest path to control, here's the distilled answer:

1. Cut the moisture. Spider crickets live where humidity stays above 70%. A basement dehumidifier running 24/7 is often enough to eliminate an infestation without any treatment.
2. Remove harborage. Pull cardboard boxes off basement floors. Spider crickets nest in anything they can chew — and cardboard is their favorite.
3. Seal entry points. Foundation cracks, gaps around pipes, damaged crawl space screens — every opening is an invitation.
4. Deploy food-grade diatomaceous earth in corners, along baseboards, and under stored items.
5. Call a professional if the infestation is established. See Strategy 7 above for when DIY stops working.

The full 7-strategy approach above covers each of these steps in detail. For severe infestations in Long Island, Westchester, or Rockland County homes, professional treatment combined with moisture control is the only reliable path to permanent elimination.

Important: DIY Pesticides Don't Work Well for Cave Crickets

Store-bought pesticides and aerosol sprays are largely ineffective against cave crickets. Here's why:

• Poor residual activity: Most consumer products dry quickly and don't maintain lethal residue where cave crickets hide.
• Behavioral resistance: Cave crickets are attracted to dead insects. An insecticide spray that kills some individuals just creates more food for the survivors.
• Deep harborage: Cave crickets hide in cracks, foundation gaps, and deep wall voids that consumer sprays can't reach.
• Moisture persistence: In damp basements, spray residues break down quickly.

Professional-grade products have better residual activity, reach deeper harborage areas, and are applied to appropriate surfaces based on the severity and location of the infestation.

When to Call a Professional

Contact a pest control professional if:

• You see cave crickets regularly during the day (indicates significant overpopulation)
• You've identified a moisture problem (crawl space flooding, standing water) that you cannot fix yourself
• DIY approaches have failed or the infestation is severe
• You want guaranteed control with follow-up visits and pest-free guarantees

The Bugs Stop Here provides comprehensive cave cricket control across Suffolk County, Nassau County, Westchester County, The Bronx, and Rockland County, including moisture assessment, exclusion inspection, predatory pest deployment, and professional treatment. Most infestations can be controlled in 4-6 weeks with our combination approach.

How to Prevent Future Cave Cricket Infestations

• Maintain basement/crawl space humidity below 60%: Install and maintain dehumidifiers. Check regularly with an inexpensive humidity meter.
• Fix foundation leaks immediately: Don't let standing water persist. Address the source, not just the symptom.
• Store items properly: Keep basements free of cardboard boxes and open fabric/paper items. Use sealed plastic containers.
• Maintain good ventilation: Ensure crawl space and basement vents aren't blocked by debris or damaged screens.
• Regular inspections: Check basements and crawl spaces seasonally (especially spring and fall) for signs of cave crickets before populations explode.

Related guides: Spider Crickets in the Basement: Signs & Removal · What Causes Spider Crickets in Your House · Spider Cricket Eggs: Find & Destroy Them