The Difference Between Grasshoppers and Crickets (and How to Prevent Them From Invading Your Home This Fall)
Outside, the sound of grasshoppers and the chirping of crickets add to the atmosphere, especially in summer. But indoors, this noise can get boring very quickly. Also, while some people may not find grasshoppers and crickets as intimidating as spiders, encountering one or more of these insects in your home can be annoying.
But if you found it in a closet, would you know if it was a grasshopper or a cricket? Here’s how to tell the difference between the two insects, as well as how to prevent them from invading your home in the fall.
Difference Between Grasshoppers and Crickets
Although grasshoppers and crickets look similar in appearance, they are not the same insect. However, they belong to the same order (Orthoptera). Here are some of their key differences that should help you tell them apart :
- Crickets usually have long antennae, while grasshoppers have short antennae.
- Grasshoppers have larger bodies than crickets.
- Most crickets fly out at dusk, while grasshoppers fly out during the day.
- Crickets make a distinctive chirping sound by rubbing their wings against each other; grasshoppers chirp, rubbing their hind legs on their wings
- All grasshoppers have wings and most of them can fly; only some crickets have wings
- Grasshoppers are primarily herbivores; crickets are omnivores
- Crickets are usually brown or black; grasshoppers tend to match the color of their surroundings, most often bright green like leaves
How to scare grasshoppers and crickets away from home
Like some other types of insects, grasshoppers and crickets love to find a warm place to live when the weather cools down and don’t mind moving into your home. And while both grasshoppers and crickets may prefer to spend the winter indoors, crickets are more likely to invade your home.
Unlike grasshoppers, which are more interested in eating plants in your garden, crickets will gnaw on clothes, floorboards, and furniture, so you definitely don’t want them in your home. It’s best to keep them out, and the same methods work for repelling grasshoppers and crickets. They include :
- Installing sealant or other material under doors or around windows with gaps in them
- Repair any holes in window or door panels
- Sealing cracks or holes in your home’s foundation
- Do not store firewood directly in front of the house
- Mowing tall weeds and grasses growing near the house