Crickets

Fall has almost fallen. It's hard to believe summer was in full swing when you last read a fresh Nature Minute blog. Internet issues and life in general kept me from my regular schedule. Maybe where you are, the leaves are starting to turn, there's a bit of crispness in the air, mornings are full of fog, and nights are longer and full of chirping crickets.

Black field cricket Gryllus assimilis (Texas A&M) 

Here in Pennsylvania, crickets typically begin their nightly serenades in the late summer, continuing through the fall. Only the males chirp. They do so by rubbing their wings together, as a mating call for the females. They are most active at night, and even during daytime are hard to find. If they notice you getting close, they'll stop chirping so you really need to look hard if you want to find the source of the chirp. Warmer temperatures will produce more chirps, and the number of chirps drops with the temperature. I never counted chirps before, so I never noticed this.

Northern mole cricket Neocurtilla hexadactyla
(University of Florida)

Many people consider crickets to be a pest because the chirping gets annoying, but they are generally harmless. Since crickets favor loose soil, they are frequently found in flower beds, which are usually right under your bedroom window, giving you a front row seat. At the bottom of the food chain, in large numbers they have the potential to attract other unwanted guests to your home such as raccoons and spiders.

Carolina ground cricket Eunemobius carolinus
(Oklahoma Panhandle State University)

Nature Minute will return in October with more autumnal awesomeness. I'm taking a much-needed vacation. Until then, relax to the sound of the crickets. Don't let them drive you nuts. They'll only be around a few more weeks, and then it will be too cold to keep the windows open at night. This week's cricket facts come from Terro.