[greeneyes]

Say thanks! We get a cricket now and then in the basement. Annoying noise, that keeps me awake. LOL

[Daffynition]

They can be a pain. It's strange not to hear them this year

The frequency of chirping varies according to temperature. To get a rough estimate of the temperature in degrees fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37. The number you get will be an approximation of the outside temperature.

So, how do crickets make that chirping sound?

Usually, the males are the "singers." The male cricket rubs a scraper (a sharp ridge on his wing) against a series of wrinkles, or "files", on the other wing. The tone of the chirping depends upon the distance between the wrinkles. There are several reasons why crickets chirp. They may be:

• Calling to attract a female with a a loud and monotonous sound
• Courting a nearby female with a quick, softer chirp
• Behaving aggressively during the encounter of two males
• Sounding a danger alert when sensing trouble

Crickets are part of the family Orthoptera (grasshoppers and katydids).

[Elsie]

Annoying noise, that keeps me awake.

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.