Camel Crickets Everywhere

[RoninStorm]

I have about 15 chickens in my backyard, and because of nocturnal predators I've had to get into the habit of locking them up in their coop at night.
Not sure if it's actually related to that, but now when I go out at night to make sure they are all cozy and secure I have to wade thru hundreds upon hundreds of Camel Crickets. So many that you can actually hear them jumping and scrambling away from my flashlight. During the day they completely disappear for fear of being a chicken snack, but as soon as the sun goes down, the party is on.

I don't want to use any chemicals or traps to try and deal with them especially since they are all over the chicken's area and was hoping there was some kind of more natural solution to this....

like something nocturnal that might enjoy an all you can eat smorgasbord of camel crickets.

I've heard lizards, and several other small predators, but none nocturnal and hunting when the crickets are actually around.

Any ideas?

 

[sourland]

I'm subscribing as this is the time of year they invade my cellar.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

i know you said you don't want to trap them but if you can catch them, "yummies" for the chickens!

 

[LittleMissCountry]

I don't think you can get rid of them outside without insecticide. Most of the natural routes involve essential oils like tea tree or peppermint. Our basement gets tons of them each year. There is a bedroom down there, and I put cedar scraps in the closet and under the bed, and run a diffuser with peppermint or tea tree oil when they get bad. It keeps them out of that room at least.

 

[Elektra2167]

What do they eat? Maybe you could rig a trap for chicken snacks.

 

[centrarchid]

Put a large flat board out the crickets can retreat to in the morning. After sun up call chickens over and slowly roll board over so the chickens can access the exposed crickets. You might consider placing small amounts of well hay under board to make attractive as feed as well as cover.

I have other crickets that are much more abundant than the camel crickets. Thus I attract to chickens at night using a low output light. Same light helps deal with predator issues.

 

[Mimi13]

Put a large flat board out the crickets can retreat to in the morning. After sun up call chickens over and slowly roll board over so the chickens can access the exposed crickets. You might consider placing small amounts of well hay under board to make attractive as feed as well as cover.

I have other crickets that are much more abundant than the camel crickets. Thus I attract to chickens at night using a low output light. Same light helps deal with predator issues.

Excellent idea!

 

[Biddybot]

Aww, I like camel (or cave) crickets! The only reason I've only kept them sporadically is because they don't sing. I do keep large terrariums full of pet house, banded, and the local fall field crickets, though...have kept them for decades. Makes for a soothing, chirping white noise in the house 24/7...

Anyway, about your wild camel crickets... One of the posters above already had the good idea of laying down boards to try and attract them as potential chicken snacks. I'll second that. Use broad boards, even pieces of plywood, and set them on little stones so that there's about an inch of clearance underneath--these crickets like to roost on the undersides of things. Dampen the ground a little if it's dry and sprinkle a little chicken chow or krums before you put down the board. Camel crickets are omnivores and thoroughly enjoy eating krums, and they like to rest where it's moist and dark and not too warm during the day. If you can get your crickets to start using your 'shelter' by providing just the right conditions and some enticing food, you'll have some nice surprise snacks to present to your chickens every morning...

You can also catch camel crickets by sinking a slick-sided plastic container in the ground in a likely place, but it'll have to be a pretty deep container--camel crickets can JUMP!--plus which this method has the bad disadvantage that it will also catch a lot of beneficial insects, like ground beetles, and if the container collects TOO many insects, you'll just wind up with a charnel house in miniature of disembodied bug parts and potential snacks that are already half-eaten. Also, a mouse or a shrew might fall in. I guess I don't need to describe what you'll find in the container in the morning when that happens...

Sign me, an orthopteran lover...(though not so much a one that I'm above helping someone catch 'em for their chooks!)...

 

[Geena]

We are having invasion of the camel crickets here as well. They don't bother me because they're mostly just in and around the outbuildings. But I did find out that they love peanut butter. Every night when I go to lock the chickens and turkeys up I see dozens of them on the mouse traps eating the peanut butter. So maybe you could bait them into a trap with some peanut butter?

 

[RoninStorm]

Thank you to everyone for their replies!
I normally wouldn't mind a few crickets in my backyard, especially camel crickets since (as Biddybot said) they don't chirp...
...but it's just the sheer number. I wish i could videotape them, when I say hundreds I'm not exaggerating. A sweep of the flashlight is like watching football fans do 'The wave.'
Between the area I live in getting a lot of rain this summer and the mixture of droppings, chicken feed, and the remains of table scraps I give the chickens for treats, I think I've created the perfect environment for these guys to thrive in.

I am going to try the wood idea and leave a few hiding spots for them that i can uncover for my birds. They should love that!

(I'll try and remember to update this post in a week or so with any success or failure stories.)