Only the male cricket chirps! There is a large vein running along the bottom of each wing with "teeth" much like a comb. The sound is created by running the top of one wing along the teeth at the bottom of the other wing. The LOUD chirping is a calling song that attracts females and repels other males. When a female comes hear the song softens to a quiet ballad.
There is evidence that the rate of chirping has a connection with the temperature. Cricket experts add the number 40 to the number of chirps produced in 14 seconds to calculate the temperature.
Crickets have "ears" below the middle joint of their front legs so they can hear another cricket's song!
There are over 900 species of crickets.
They are nocturnal. Well, NO KIDDING!
"Jiminy" started his love song outside my bedroom door last night at exactly 11:35p.m.. I know the time because this human female did not appreciate the serenade and my bedside clock is accurate. I'd only been asleep 35 minutes. The "rock band" continued until 6:55 a.m. this morning. The ONLY solution to gain any sleep at all was a heavy pillow over my head/ears with just my nose sticking out for oxygen. Honeybuns gave up at 11:45 p.m. and ended up in the guest room bed at the other end of the house. (His chirping tolerance is extremely low.)
It happens every fall. As the temperature drops and evenings become pleasant some adolescent cricket takes up residence right outside my bedroom door that leads to the patio. Why that particular spot is chosen is beyond my comprehension. Evidently it's the red-light district of cricketland. That young lonely bachelor sang all night long, hoping a beautiful young thing would happen by!
Today I'm not sure if I need to get a gun or a sweet little female cricket. How do you tell a male cricket from a female cricket? Do the guys at the bait shop know the difference? Dare I ask? Another problem!!
I'm planning to be grouchy ALL day today! And I'll be armed with SOMETHING that crickets FEAR by nightfall.
As Jiminy would say, "let your conscious be your guide." I WILL! I will have no regret!
Sharon, I love your cricket story....and read the car wash one too. I'm afraid to go to the car wash now...if it happened to you, it surely can happen to me! Keep writing, girlfriend.
ReplyDelete