Seasonal · 5 min read
When Do Crickets Come Out in Salt Lake City? A Seasonal Pest Calendar
The month-by-month pest calendar for Salt Lake City homeowners, with a focus on when field crickets start showing up indoors.
If you've lived in Salt Lake City for more than one summer, you've had the experience: a hot night in late July, you open the sliding door for ten seconds, and suddenly there are three crickets in your kitchen chirping loud enough to wake the neighbors. Cricket season along the Wasatch Front follows a pretty predictable pattern, and knowing it makes the difference between a peaceful August and a house that sounds like a rainforest.
The Salt Lake pest calendar, month by month
March–April: Early ants and boxelder bugs
As soon as afternoon temps hit the mid-50s, pavement ants start trailing along driveways and foundation cracks. This is the ideal window for a preventive perimeter treatment — before things get out of hand in June.
May–June: Earwigs, silverfish, first spiders
Wet mulch beds around Sugar House and Holladay foundations become earwig factories. Silverfish start appearing in basement bathrooms. Spider populations are still low but building.
July–August: Cricket surge
This is the answer to the question. House crickets and field crickets are most active in Salt Lake City from mid-July through early September. Peak indoor pressure typically hits during the first prolonged 95°+ heat wave, when crickets look for cooler basements and garages. Homes near open fields, canals, or unmaintained lots see it worst.
September–October: Spider peak, rodents start
The big spider season. Also when deer mice and house mice start scouting entry points — pantries, laundry rooms, and any gap under 1/4 inch.
November–February: Rodent season
Cricket problems are effectively over by the first hard freeze, but mice and rats are inside for the winter. This is prime rodent-exclusion season for Salt Lake Valley homes.
How to get rid of house crickets in Salt Lake City
- Turn off unnecessary exterior lights after dusk in July and August. Crickets are strongly drawn to porch lights.
- Seal garage thresholds, dryer vents, and utility line entries — the top three cricket entry points.
- Reduce watering along the foundation. Crickets need moisture; a dry two-foot perimeter helps.
- For homes near fields or greenbelts, a July preventive perimeter treatment from a licensed local exterminator is far cheaper than dealing with a full August infestation.
When it's time to bring in a pro
One or two crickets a week is normal. If you're hearing chirping from inside walls, finding them in multiple rooms, or losing sleep over it, a residential pest professional can do a same-week treatment that shuts things down fast. Call the referral line and we'll match you with a local provider who's been running cricket routes in your neighborhood all summer.