What Do Cave Crickets Eat (Hint: It's not your soul)

Cave Crickets also go by the names camel crickets, sprickets, bugs from hell, spider crickets and the scientific name - Rhaphidophoridae (it's not about whether you can pronounce it but rather if you can avoid them at all costs).

These six legged beasts are a lot like goats in that they eat pretty much anything. But very little like goats in that goats are kind of cute and cave crickets are... just not. They mostly eat things like dead insects, drywall flakes, rotting leaves, carpet fibers, cardboard, etc. They will even eat each other if the mood is right... There preferred nourishment is fungai which tends to grow on basement walls if they're damp.

This is one of the reasons they are such a pest control problem. Because these cave crickets can survive pretty darn well without quality food sources available to them.

The Best Way to Get Rid of Camel Crickets - 3 Steps (aka sprickets, cave crickets, spider crickets)

Before I start, you may want to know what makes me such an expert.... Well just read my spricket horror story here and you'll see I had one of the worst camel cricket infestations known to man and came out alive without moving out of my house (you know you've considered it). While the story-form writing may be colorful in that post, I promise it is not an exaggeration. I truly wish it was... I truly, truly do...

....Anyways, without further ado, here are the 3 best steps for getting rid of your spricket problem.

Step 1: Bug Bomb (if your problem is extreme)

If you truly have a large infestation of these spider crickets (that's one of their many disgusting names) you may need to start with a bug bomb you can find at any store that sells pest control products. It's best if you can find the main place they are coming from. For me it was in an external storage room where the dryer exhaust exited. Be warned, some will survive and scatter.

Step 2: Roach Motels (AKA Spricket Traps)

Make this step one if you are only dealing with a few sightings a week. This is truly the secret weapon. Honestly they could rename these spricket traps and it would be just as accurate. Sprickets love dark, moist places, they love to eat cardboard and they love the smell of the glue. They will flock to these things, trust me! Place them all over the place especially in dark corners.

My most successful locations where behind toilets, in laundry rooms, behind couches, in corners of the house... you can tell I had a real issue. But seriously, those seemed to be the best places to put the roach motels.

Step 3: Smash or Catch

Had to include this one just to set realistic expectations. After the initial scatter after the bomb and a week with the roach motels, your camel cricket sightings should start to be pretty rare if not completely resolved. But before that, you may have to kill or be killed... given the heebie jeebies?

Here's a tip. These cave crickets (another nasty name) are hard to hit. They may not be able to control where they jump but they do react fast. Your going to need something long and fast. For me the best tool was a plastic kids golf club. You could hit them quickly and at a little bit of a distance before they had time to jump and brush your leg with their disgusting dense bodies.

If you're squeamish, catching might be your only option. Bowls seemed to work for me, but you have to be fast. I'd use an empty plastic snack jar like the ones used for pretzel rods for example. That way you can see what the little devil bug (might submit that as another name) is up to.

Anyone who as caught a spider knows the next step. Just slide something underneath (a thick construction paper works well) and carry it outside, drop everything on the ground and run away in a fit of panic. Easy peasy.

Prevention

The steps above got me out of a dark place so I wanted to share the light at the end of the tunnel with others in spricket purgatory. But once they're gone, hows about we make them stay gone? You should always keep some roach motels on hand. It can't hurt to always have a vacancy sign lit up for these creatures in your most vulnerable places. Basements, laundry rooms, and bathrooms are great places to just keep these around if you can find a discreet place to put them.

Aside from that I wrote up a whole post about preventing sprickets from getting into your home so go read that and begin your path to recovery and a restful nights sleep. Good luck!


Other Helpful Articles:

Preventing Sprickets From Getting Into Your Home

3 Ways to Kill Sprickets

What Do Sprickets Eat?

Are Sprickets Poisonous?

I Get Bored Playing With My Kids

If you've had that thought, it probably also came with a rush a guilt. But just know you absolutely aren't alone in this. I've heard it said that the most difficult thing about being a stay-at-home mom is getting past the boredom. But we of course want to play with our kids, so here are some tips to help you stay present and enjoy the quality time with your kids.

Full Immersion

Sometimes the best solution is to dive in and fully become the character your child keeps asking you to do. If you gotta be a horse, might as well be the best freakin horse there is. What this does is changes the mental state. Instead of more interesting or more pressing thoughts jumping into your head, your mind will be too distracted by your masterful performance. This in turn will make you less anxious.

Breathe

We flood our minds with stressful adult thoughts all day. Instead of looking at it as playtime, think of it more as mediation. Focus on your breathing and your posture while you brush dollies hair and sip pretend tea. Clear your mind and relax all the stresses in your body.

Observe

Use this time to stare at your kid's face. Look at how much they've grown. How much they've learned. Try to remember what it was like when they first started playing. Contemplate the miracle that is them.

Ask Questions

Kids are so funny. We all know this. Take a moment to ask them some questions and see how they view the world. You'll definitely get a good laugh and they'll feel happy seeing that they're making you laugh.

Finally, cut yourself some slack. You don't have to feel guilty, we all get bored playing with our kids. Our fully grown brains just aren't stimulated by the play that they need for their brains. But it is important so try and make the best of it. Slow down and truly be in the moments with your kids.

Are Sprickets Poisonous

The short answer is no. In fact they won't even bite you. But that doesn't change the fact that sprickets, also known as camel crickets, are unbelievably creepy.

The biggest problem is they jump when startled and have little control over where they land, thus ending in them touching you and giving you the willies, which is not actual poison.

Are Sprickets Poisonous to Pets

If you have cats or dogs at home that have valiantly volunteered to destroy this creepy spider crickets, then by all means let them. I have not found any evidence to suggest that they are in any way poisonous to animals. In fact they are most likely a good source of nutrition for your pets (as disgusting as that sounds).

How to Get Rid of Sprickets

If your cats are lazy and you're fearful then you have my sympathies. But there is hope! I've actually already covered the topics of killing and preventing sprickets pretty intensely. Go here, here and here for more info.

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Weight Lifting in Wrestling Shoes

I used to be a wrestler and I've been weight training for a little over a year now. I recently discovered that some serious weight trainers lift wearing wrestling shoes. Why? Well it's important to know how I'm defining "serious weight trainers" in this article. Really, I'm just referring to those individual who aren't hitting the gym just to work on their biceps. I'm talking about the people who go in doing the old time strong training like squats and dead lifts. 

So why wrestling shoes? Well the simple reason is because of how minimal the sole is. When you lift it is important that you are stable under foot, but it's also important that you don't lose your arch and you can control the position of your ankles. Wrestling shoes make this really easy because it's pretty close to being barefoot. That natural feeling makes it easier to control your body.  In fact some lifters will go barefoot when doing a really heavy dead lift. That's how some of the old olympians did it in competition back in the day. 

Some athletic shoes attempt to give you a lot of cusion and even create a cushioned platform for your heal to rest on. This can create instability and make doing heavy lifts dangerous. 

Which Wrestling Shoe Is Best For Weight Training?

Not all wrestling shoes are created equal. I've worn some that were in fact a little unstable and caused some degree of pronation (that's when your foot rolls to one side a little putting more pressure on the sides then on the bottom… not good). You want to look for a wrestling shoe that allows your foot to lie flat and stable on the ground without losing your arch. Most should work pretty well. Adidas makes quality wrestling shoes and is my go to brand. Also be careful about the tread on the bottom. Some wrestling shoes have a tendency to be a little slippery. It's something you wouldn't notice on a wrestling mat, but can be pretty important when weight training. 

3 Ways to Kill Sprickets

They're tricky because they jump right before you get them. Below are some ways that work for me and believe me I have tons of experience! I'll keep this short in case you are involved in a battle right now.

The No Look, No Touch Way

We'll start with my favorite method. You won't have to directly kill the cave cricket with this helpful tool: The Roach Motel. That's the brand I used and it worked great for me. They love the glue smell on the inside and are attracted to the dark space. I had a huge infestation and I put a bunch of these around the house (corners, behind toilets, laundry room etc.) and it only took about 2 weeks before I was completely rid of sprickets. 

Distance Killing

Pick up a powerful spider/roach spray. They shoot pretty far so you can maintain a safe distance. They work relatively fast. But fair warning, it isn't instantaneous. And before the spricket is dead it will jump around like crazy! Gives me the chills just writing this.

Weird Method that Works Great

So the problem with sprickets is they always see you coming. Throwing a book, using a newspaper or coming at it with a paper towel (for the insanely brave only) are extremely difficult because they jump. And the worst part about jumping is they have no control and often bump into you. They can't hurt you, but who cares they are disgusting!

during a particular dangerous encounter with an army of sprickets I found the the best close-quarter combat weapon was actually a child's golf club (my apologizes to my nephew Gavin). The kind that is made of plastic. I believe it was a driver. I think they work so well because they strike fast before the cave cricket has a chance to jump. 

Good luck and fight well!