Renowned for their loud and annoying chirping, crickets have the distinction of being one of the noisiest insects in the world. These creatures fill summer and spring nights with loud sounds that can deprive you of sleep. Crickets belong to the Orthoptera order and the Gryllidae family. Â
Although there are over one thousand species of cricket around the globe, only 100 of them can be found in the United States. Crickets are similar to grasshoppers, but crickets have longer antennae and tiny wings that don’t allow them to fly.Â
One interesting fact about crickets is that only the males produce that familiar chirping noise. Its purpose is to attract females and scare away predators. Many crickets are nocturnal, and that’s why they’re constantly chirping as the sun goes down. Something else you may be surprised to hear is that in some countries, like Thailand, Mexico, Japan and the Netherlands, crickets are eaten as a delicacy. Â
Keep reading to learn more about these noisy insects and what you can do to help keep them away!
Since crickets are distant cousins to grasshoppers and katydids, sometimes it can be challenging to differentiate between them. Like grasshoppers and katydids, crickets have long hind legs, which they use for jumping.Â
The primary distinguishing feature is the loud chirping. Although grasshoppers also make noise, they’re not as loud as crickets. Here are other features to help you identify crickets.
Color: Tan to dark brown, light yellow, green, or black
Size: .12 to 2 inches long
Bodily Features: Crickets have prominent hind legs and long thread-like antennae that can be longer than their bodies. They have short wings that lie on the sides of the body. Male crickets have soft leathery sound-producing organs in the forewings, which produce a chirping noise when rubbed against the opposite forewing. Females have a long tube-like structure at the end of the abdomen known as the ovipositor for laying eggs.Â
Habitat: Crickets can be found in almost every environment, from forests, caves, grasslands, marshes, and even your home! They’re especially prevalent in areas with decaying matter and seedlings but will settle down just about anywhere that has enough food and water for them.
Diet: Crickets are omnivores that can feed on leaves, fungi, nectar, fruits, seeds, smaller insects, and even the corpses of animals.Â
Cricket infestation can wreak havoc in your household. Field crickets will destroy seedlings, camel crickets will munch through paper, and house crickets will ruin fabrics such as clothing, carpet, and upholstery.Â
However, the damage they cause is not as serious as the chirping. These creatures make loud noises in the dead of night and can make sleeping a challenge.
Preventing crickets from infesting your home can be a bit tough since they are nocturnal and are surprisingly reclusive for such loud insects. They’ll often stop chirping once they notice your presence and can hop very far with just one jump, making them hard to catch. Instead of catching them as you see them, help keep them away from your property in the first place by:
If you are dealing with a cricket infestation, you’ll need to seek help from experienced pest control services. The friendly professionals at Domain Pest Control have the skills, tools, and knowledge to help keep crickets away from your property for good!Â
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