Crickets

The lovely song of the field cricket is heralded this month and its melodic symphony can be heard everywhere each evening. Fall is the time for cricket mating and the male, who is the only voice of the cricket, is singing to potential sweethearts. Although the female can not sing, she can hear the song through her ears which are located on her front legs just below her knees. A shy and reclusive little insect, the cricket rarely makes a public evening appearance until the urgency of mating begins.

Cricket eggs are deposited in the soil in the autumn, soon after the rains begin. They will rest there until time to hatch in the spring and once they are born, baby crickets hide during the day. They eat in the evenings and enjoy grasses, pieces of grain, wool and their favorite snack… book bindings.

Apparently the darling cricket will sing, mate, then come inside to eat a good pair of wool pants or a book or two before its life cycle ends. In China and Japan, singing crickets are kept as pets in special cages as they are said to bring a household good fortune. Luckily for them, the Asian fabric of choice is silk…not wool!