By: Kristel Usener
Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners
Crickets, crickets, crickets! The bug of the month is the cricket. Crickets are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Orthoptera. This is the time of year (late summer and fall) that adult crickets become especially abundant around businesses and homes.
The species common to our area and most other areas is the black field cricket or Gryllus assimilis. Crickets are found all around the world, and not found only in the cold regions at latitudes 55° or higher.
Crickets are pretty much defenseless, soft-bodied insects. Most are nocturnal and will spend most of their day hidden in cracks, under rocks or other objects. Some crickets will excavate their own burrows by loosening the soil with their mandibles and then carrying it with their limbs and using their hind legs to flick the soil. Generally, these burrows are temporary shelters, used for a single day, but others serve as a place for mating and laying eggs.
Male crickets make a very loud chirping sound by scraping two specially textured body parts together, also known as stridulation. The stridulatory organ is located on the fore wing. Male crickets will sing to attract a female. Females lay eggs, approximately two weeks after maturity and developing wings, which is usually in the fall. A single female cricket may lay from 150-499 eggs and the eggs remain in the soil throughout the winter and hatch the following spring.
Crickets are primarily outdoor insects and do not lay their eggs inside. Usually, crickets are accidental indoor invaders. To prevent crickets from getting into your house, all points of entry should be tightly sealed. Installation of door sweeps made of nylon bristles or rubber seals can dramatically reduce the number of crickets getting in. When it is cricket swarming season, it is suggested to turn off outdoor lights as early in the evening as practical. Crickets are drawn to light.
Fall cricket outbreaks usually only last 1-2 weeks, but they can last longer. Liquid insecticide sprays can be applied to outdoor sites near weep holes, doorways and windows. Just remember the potential harm to other beneficial insects when applying these products. The swarming effect will subside, and crickets will remain active until cold weather arrives.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit our website at bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
