How long does a cricket live? field cricket
In fairy tales, crickets are always positive heroes; many good omens are associated with them. That is why in life a person’s attitude towards these insects is good-natured and condescending.
What does a cricket look like, photo
Once insects become people’s neighbors in an apartment or house, everything changes. Not everyone likes the night trills, and in appearance the insects are more reminiscent of the less pleasant cockroaches.
House cricket looks like a Prussian cockroach
House cricket - small size insect. The body is slender, slightly flattened. It is covered by a hard shell ranging from grayish-yellow and straw-fawn to fairly dark shades of brown with specks, streaks and spots.
On the sides of the ovoid, flattened head are small eyes. Long antennae often exceed the size of the owner himself. The insect has well-developed wings. There are 3 pairs of legs. Thanks to special structure With their hind legs, crickets can jump well. Feature insects - the ability to produce specific trills and crickets.
Why and where do these insects appear in an apartment or house?
In nature, crickets live close to humans, preferring old buildings with many cracks, old rugs and high humidity. As the weather gets colder, insects move into new buildings, even found on the upper floors. The reason is renovation or complete reconstruction of the house.
One of the reasons for the appearance of uninvited guests in multi-storey building is the breeding of “night singers” by one of its inhabitants and the escape of crickets from the place of detention.
Insects can be brought in both as part of the product and in things from the previous home.
In human homes, insects need warmth and food. Favorite places For crickets, damp, warm rooms with plenty of food became available. Therefore, the lack of cleanliness, a considerable amount food waste in undisguised trash cans are perceived by insects as invitation cards.
House crickets have chosen warm basements, warehouses, industrial premises, and heating plants as habitats. The “night musician” also settles in people’s homes. Crickets move indoors when it gets colder.
Insects are omnivores. IN natural conditions they prefer plant foods. But the diet is diversified by eating other insects and even young individuals of their own species.
In human homes, crickets prefer leftover food: pieces of fruits, vegetables, bread crumbs. Crickets eat cockroaches, moths. The “singers” like drops of drinks, excluding alcoholic ones.
During the day, uninvited guests hide under baseboards and lurk in dark secluded corners.
You can detect “neighbors” only after dark by sound.
How to get rid of crickets (with reviews)
Not all people like night singing. Therefore, they try to evict the night singers, the cause of sleepless nights, from the house, despite good omens associated with these insects.
There was one cricket living with us, first under the stairs, then he moved to the toilet. We sealed the cracks in the toilet through which he could pass, and from the heat generator side we gave him a ride against cockroaches and crawling insects with a lavender smell. A few minutes later I found him dead on the way to the air - apparently he came out to catch his breath, but he still died from the aerosol. Another one was killed by his mother in the toilet. And I vacuumed another one with a vacuum cleaner when he crawled into our house from the street. In the cold they become less mobile and are easy to catch. You can't let him warm up - his blood will warm up and he'll start jumping - no big deal. And only males cricket mating season-attract females, who then lay 100–300 eggs. Crickets hatch from them and begin to scream the same way after a month (at puberty). So you need to get rid of them as soon as possible, because you will never understand whether the females have come or not, they are quiet, or maybe they have already arrived, been fertilized and laid eggs. Briefly speaking. destroy immediately upon discovery.
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If there is a cricket in the house, it is important to get rid of the restless neighbor immediately, before several individuals have settled in the room: the cricket attracts females by chirping. After the “performers” reproduce, it will be necessary to treat both the workers and the workers with insecticides. special services Call for disinfestation.
To rid your home of uninvited guests, they use traps, “grandmother’s” products and chemicals.
However, the most safe method All that remains is to dry and ventilate the premises. If there is a lack of humidity, crickets die or leave the apartments. And this option does not harm the health of the inhabitants of the house.
Traps
Feeders are one of the simplest methods of controlling crickets. A little molasses is mixed with water, the finished mass is placed in a deep vessel. Sweet insects will certainly go for a treat and end up inside the container. They won't be able to get out on their own.
The “catching pit” is more difficult to manufacture. For it, take a two-level container and place it on a bowl. Mix sweet corn flakes with milk, add sugar and place the bait in the lower container, pouring alcohol into the upper one.
The aroma of food will attract the attention of crickets. They will begin to fly over the container. Alcohol fumes will kill insects.
It is important to use alcohol: only it is harmful to insects.
A trap with a sticky surface will catch the cricket. The tape is hung where uninvited guests were noticed. It is recommended to purchase several sticky traps.
Duct tape helps get rid of house crickets
Folk recipes
Use wormwood infusion to repel crickets.
- Pour 2 large spoons of chopped herbs into a liter of water.
- Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, cover with a lid, remove from heat and leave for 2 hours.
- The product is filtered and poured into a container with a spray bottle.
- The composition is sprayed on all surfaces, including baseboards and window frames.
The powder of pyrethrum and Persian chamomile helps a lot in the fight against insects. Crickets cannot tolerate the characteristic aroma. That's why natural remedy used to scare away night “singers” and keep them out of the home. The powder is scattered in areas where restless neighbors appear.
Wax helps a lot. They light it, fumigating the apartment. Insects cannot stand the smell of such smoke and leave the room.
It is more troublesome for people to hunt. Since crickets are awake at night, you have to try to destroy the enemy with the lights on. You have to focus on the sound made by the insect. Having determined approximately the location of the singer, they light a flashlight and show dexterity. Fly swatters and slippers are also used.
Insects have excellent hearing and reaction: they do not allow you to get closer than 3 meters to themselves.
For private houses there is the old way. Sweet bait is prepared for crickets, leaving a sweet fruit in the place where uninvited guests are concentrated. At night, insects go for a tempting treat. This is where they are caught.
The cricket's habitat is filled with boiling water. This method works in a private house, but the method is unacceptable in an apartment.
If a cat or dog lives in the house, then catching a cricket will not be a problem for the owners of the premises. The animal catches the “night singers” and eats them. Insects are especially loved by more exotic pets, lizards, for example. It is for their feeding that insects are bred specifically.
It is good to hang feeders near the house so that birds catch crickets.
Chemicals
If the nocturnal performers managed to lay eggs, then more serious measures will be required. Among toxic drugs, products based on Dichlorvos are suitable. The drugs “Super”, “Varan”, “Neo” are effective.
The Domovenok gel has a detrimental effect on adults. The drug is used to treat the habitats of uninvited guests. The procedures are carried out over several days. The universal aerosol preparation “Prima-71”, “Neofos-2” works well.
More effective aerosol products.
Repeated insecticidal treatment will help get rid of young individuals hatched from eggs. It is carried out in compliance with safety precautions.
- Be sure to wear a protective suit, plastic goggles, and a respirator. To protect your hands - gloves.
- The doors and windows of the premises are closed, people and animals leave their homes. They even take out an aquarium with fish.
- The can of Dichlorvos is shaken several times and spraying begins. Treat all habitat areas in which crickets have been spotted. The composition must be sprayed onto all surfaces, not leaving the corners of the room without attention. It is optimal to do this from a distance of 25–30 centimeters.
- All areas are carefully treated, the composition is sprayed into the cracks, behind the baseboards that lag behind the walls. The container is held from the face at arm's length to protect it from toxic fumes.
- The premises are left after completion of disinfestation for 6 hours.
- After the specified time, the windows are opened, ventilating the home for half an hour. Remove dead insects using a vacuum cleaner. Be sure to throw the filter away from your home. They pass with a vacuum cleaner near the corners, near the baseboards, in the corners.
- Afterwards they do wet cleaning.
- After 40–70 days, repeated treatment is carried out to destroy adult insects that emerged from eggs that were undetected during the first treatment.
Traps alone will not cope with the proliferating “singers”. It is impossible to do without aerosols and mechanical destruction of egg clutches.
Of the modern insecticides, the drug Tarax is recognized as the most effective.
- It is diluted with water in the ratio recommended in the instructions; it is diluted with water and the room is treated.
- The insecticide forms a film when it dries. After contact with it, insects die.
While the premises are being processed, the occupants will have to leave the premises.
Negatively affects the effectiveness of the drug sunlight and fat.
Most often, oviposition is found in the carpet pile. If there is already a family of rattles in the room, then it is best to purchase a special filter for trapping the smallest particles for a vacuum cleaner.
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the masonry area, seal the bag hermetically, and pack it in plastic bag and throw it away. This will help get rid of house crickets forever.
In the absence of special insecticides, hairsprays and deodorants are effective. It is important to choose a product with a strong aroma. The aerosol is sprayed into the crack where the night troublemaker is hiding. The insect climbs out. Here you will have to show miracles of dexterity.
Comparative characteristics of methods of combating crickets
Way | Advantages | Flaws |
Sealing wax | Effective, drives away insects. You won't have to leave the apartment for a long time. Just carry out the processing yourself. |
Smoke irritates the eyes. Care should be taken when fumigating. |
Wormwood infusion | Natural, does not contain chemicals. Harmless to people and animals. No pungent smell. |
Cooking takes time. |
Pyrethrum | Naturalness of the product. Simplicity of application method. There is no need to prepare the drug. |
You will have to clean up traces of the powder after the uninvited guests are evicted. The powder spreads throughout the apartment. |
Adhesive tape | There is no need to catch insects. | Tapes stick to hair and skin, leaving unpleasant marks. |
Hunting with improvised means | No harm to health. | It is ineffective if there is more than one cricket in the house. |
Chemicals | Effective. Destroy all insects. |
The processing will have to be repeated. You must leave the house while work is being carried out. Great care is required when working. |
Ventilation, reduction of humidity | Safe for animals and people. Effective. There is no need to kill insects. |
You can cool the room and dry out the air excessively. This is harmful to the health of the inhabitants of the house. |
If no action helps and the crickets become annoying at night, you need to contact a specialist.
Professionals will carry out disinfestation. During their time, however, they will have to leave the premises, and then carry out cleaning, clean textiles, furniture, and ventilate the home for a long time. But it’s worth it: the night guests will stop disturbing you.
However, in order not to have to re-experience all the “delights” of the struggle, it is advisable to carry out prevention.
How to prevent guests from returning
Sealing all cracks and cracks through which crickets can enter the house will help prevent re-infestation. Insects can enter a room if it is close to sewer pipes There are cracks and holes in the floor and baseboards.
- Mosquito nets are attached to the windows so that insects cannot get into the home.
- The corners near the batteries are also treated with special sprays to effectively destroy the larvae.
- Be sure to close the trash can tightly so as not to attract the smell of crickets.
- It is important not to leave crumbs on the table and immediately remove leftover food.
- Dampness in the premises is unacceptable. Be sure to warn employees management company or sanitary service employees about the accumulation of water in the basements.
- Residents of lower floors or private houses require special attention. In the evenings, it is necessary to close the curtains and lower the blinds so as not to attract uninvited guests from the world of insects with bright light.
- To illuminate the yard, it is recommended to use medium-power lamps, preferably yellow light.
- Ventilation grilles are covered with fine mesh.
- Compost heaps should be located at a distance from private houses, in the far corners of the plots.
- Greenery near the home is trimmed regularly; climbing plants are not recommended to be planted close to the home.
If night trills do not cause insomnia, and the appearance of insects does not seem repulsive, then the neighborhood can be quite pleasant. However, there are ways to get rid of restless guests. And they should be used so as not to turn life into constant stress.
Admin site10/08/2016 at 16:40 Moscow time 5,059
Crickets are insects that belong to the order “Orthoptera”, which are related to the family “True crickets”, and to the species of Orthoptera insects.
The insect prefers to live away from human habitation, but only when weather conditions and the seasons may allow it.
Since scientists consider it a synanthropic species, it is still not averse to spending the winter in warm or heated buildings next to humans.
Appearance
Length adult cricket from 17 to 27 mm. Body color yellow with pockmarked brown spots. The insect's head has 3 dark stripes. The back part, also called the “ovipositor,” reaches from eleven to thirteen millimeters in females, and from 8 to 11 mm in males.
The paired appendages of its abdomen are of decent length, both in females and males. The wings of these musical insects are well developed, as they use them when flying over short distances. The eggs laid by the female have sizes from 2.6 mm, their color is yellow with a whitish tint, and their curved shape is similar to a banana.
Habitat
The habitat of insect crickets is very wide, it covers all of Europe, Asia up to the Himalayan heights. Let's list a few countries where it is most common:
- Kazakhstan;
- Kyrgyzstan;
- Russia, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions;
- Arabian Peninsula;
- North Africa, Sahara Desert;
- In some regions of Australia;
If we think logically, we can say the following: physically, crickets cannot migrate over vast distances.
Therefore, one simple conclusion needs to be drawn: the insect spread throughout the entire globe or a person who constantly wandered from islands to continents. Or birds that can carry eggs on their feet, but this is unlikely.
Nutrition
In summer, they feed on plant foods such as grass, shoots, roots, etc. In winter, they find refuge in people's homes or industrial premises, where there is a lot of food and water.
Was noticed interesting fact that insects of this species can eat the clutches of young relatives, which proves that they are cannibals. They can also feed on dead insects that are somehow found in the aisles of their home.
Reproduction
A female cricket can lay a colossal number of eggs, but this is directly related to climatic conditions and the environment in which insects are located.
IN best conditions it lays from 40 to 700 eggs in cracks formed in the soil, provided that the air temperature in the shade is at least 28 degrees Celsius. The incubation period takes from 1 to 12 weeks, then the pupae begin to appear.
The full development period from clutch to adult imago can take from 34 to 65 days. The pupa goes through more than eleven stages of development.
Signals
Our hero has amazing ability publish three types. But melodious sounds Only males can make noise. Let's take a closer look at each of them:
- The first type of sound that an insect makes is an indication that mating season is open and it is in search of a female.
- The second type of serenades is dedicated entirely to the female who responded to his call.
- The last type of melody tells potential rivals that this territory is occupied and everything that is on it belongs to the owner of the frightening sound produced.
Many people are interested in what exactly a cricket does to produce a melodic sound. Let us describe these actions to you in detail.
To make a sound, the male insect uses next steps, rubbing the funicular (conatic) at the end of one elytra against the teeth of the surface of the other. Based on these movements, the trembling bases of the wings lift upward, then a sharp movement with vibration occurs. It is this that causes the insect to emit serenades.
Lifespan
An adult insect lives a decent amount of time when compared with other insects. On average, its duration life period ranges from three to four months.
Breeding
In order to breed insects in large quantities is not difficult. It is enough to know which favorable conditions he multiplies. And so, everyone necessary information We already know about the reproduction and habitat of insects, now we just need to find out what materials to use to breed them.
To do this, we make a cage in which we need to put from 5 males and up to 15 females. Under favorable conditions, males are very active and quickly begin to mate. If you ignore the rules and put more than 5 males in one container, you may run into trouble.
They begin to arrange fights in which they maim each other, losing the most important organ that makes sounds. Having lost the advantage of producing melodies, they are no longer interesting to females.
In order to create all the conditions for reproduction, you need to use a container with a moist substrate (soil, soil). The container is located in the middle of the cage and must be closed on top with a wire mesh, which has cells not exceeding 2 millimeters.
This is done to prevent insects from digging the soil and eating the masonry. Next, the females lay from 300 to 600 eggs. They develop from 11 to 15 days at a temperature of + 27 degrees Celsius. Now if we know the incubation interval, for continuous reproduction we need to change the container from wet soil once every decade and a half. There will be no special problems with hatched young insects if you follow basic requirements.
- If there is an abundance of protein feed, it is advisable to make a special feeder with minimal sides.
- Availability of water or wick drinker.
After 45-55 days you will receive an imago.
- As previously written, crickets are bred not only to feed other insects and reptiles, but also for consumption.
- In some countries it is used as bait to catch rare species of fish.
- Crickets are prone to cannibalism and can destroy clutches of eggs.
- Many people enjoy hearing crickets sing at night.
Cricket, perhaps rare example exceptions among insects, causing people not disgust (as, for example, the same ones), but on the contrary sympathy and curiosity. Since ancient times, his melodic singing has been associated with the hearth, coziness, and comfort. It’s not for nothing that the cricket is a favorite hero of many children’s fairy tales. The name of this insect comes from the Greek word for “singer”. If we resort to scientific classification, then crickets, like their relatives - grasshoppers, belong to the group of long-whiskered orthoptera insects, so named due to the possession of long mustaches and straight wings.
House cricket - description, characteristics, photo. What does a cricket look like?
House crickets are quite small in size; adult individuals can reach only 16 to 26 mm in length. The color of the domestic cricket is gray-yellow, also in different shades of brown, with streaks or spots of indeterminate shape.
The cricket's head is shaped like a flattened egg. Also on it (the head) there are three dark arcuate stripes. The cricket's eyes are located on the sides of the head; they have a complex facet structure. The cricket's mouth is of the gnawing type in structure. But the real pride of crickets is their large mustaches, which can sometimes be several times larger than the body of the crickets themselves. The cricket's whiskers serve a practical purpose - they are responsible for the sense of touch.
The cricket's wings are also well developed. The back pair of strong membranous wings helps them fly from place to place with ease. Crickets can also make relatively long flights. At rest, the cricket's wings are located along the abdomen; they look like sharp and long tails.
Like other orthopteran insects, the cricket has three pairs of legs. The back legs of a cricket with thickened thighs are the strongest; they are designed for jumping, because it is no secret that crickets (as well as their relatives, grasshoppers) are simply excellent jumpers. But the front legs of the cricket also perform functions that are quite unusual for legs—the hearing organs are located on them.
How a cricket sings
Sexual differences in crickets are manifested in the presence of a special sound apparatus in males, capable of producing “signature” cricket trills. Yes, only male crickets sing (or rather play) and in such a simple way attract the attention of females with the eternal goal of continuing their kind. The sound apparatus of crickets itself is similar in structure to that of grasshoppers, but it is even more complex. The sound of crickets is produced due to the friction of a special stridulatory vein, which essentially performs the function of a bow, on the left elytra of the cricket.
How long does a cricket live?
The lifespan of the domestic cricket is short - it rarely lasts more than 3 months.
Where do crickets live?
The habitat of the domestic cricket is very wide; they can be found all over the world, in many European countries(including our Ukraine), in North Africa, Asian countries and even in south australia. But crickets were once not found on the American continent, but they were successfully brought there by European settlers.
Their favorite habitats are human dwellings (hence the prefix “home” to the name of crickets), warm basements, warehouses, and heating power lines. IN warm time years, crickets can live outside human buildings.
What does a house cricket eat?
Crickets are omnivorous insects that feed on both plant foods and can attack small invertebrates and eat other small insects, thus satisfying their need for protein supplements needed in diet any cricket.
Interesting fact: crickets can even attack each other, eating their smaller relatives; as you can see, facts of cannibalism are very common in the world of insects. Now you know the answer to the question of what do crickets eat?
Cricket Reproduction
Crickets have polygamous relationships, each male is the owner certain territory, on which several females live, part of a kind of harem of this male. If another male encroaches on the territory of this male, fierce fights occur between them.
Required attribute mating games These insects are the famous trills of crickets, performing their musical serenades, the male attracts the female for mating.
Crickets breed throughout the year, but their peak sexual activity occurs in the summer. A fertilized female cricket prepares holes in the ground where she lays her eggs, somewhat similar to bananas. During one oviposition, a female cricket can lay from 40 to 179 eggs.
Further from one to two months (depending on the temperature and in general on environment) larvae begin to emerge from the eggs. Larva with his appearance resembles an adult cricket, but in order to become one, it will have to go through 10 molts, occurring over 7 weeks, during which the body undergoes restructuring. After the last molt, the larva produces a normal, mature cricket.
Breeding crickets at home
In some countries, cricket breeding even takes on industrial proportions, for example, in China they are bred specifically for the purpose of subsequent use as food (Chinese gastronomic traditions are known for their originality). And some people raise them simply as unique, original pets. Below we describe some recommendations for breeding crickets at home.
- No more than 15 females and no more than 3 males can live in one container.
- Containers made of glass, plastic or plywood can be used as insectarium for crickets, it is only important not to forget to provide them with proper ventilation.
- At the bottom of the insectarium, where the crickets live, it is worth pouring finely sifted peat mixed with sand.
- It is important to comply temperature regime. Since crickets are heat-loving insects to maintain optimal temperature In the insectarium you can use ordinary incandescent lamps with a power of no more than 75 W. Such heating is necessary around the clock.
- It is equally important to monitor the humidity in the insectarium. In general, the humidity there cannot be more than 40%.
What to feed house crickets
You can feed crickets in a variety of ways vegetable crops, so herbaceous plants. Carrots, beets, lettuce, and clover heads are perfect. It is also very advisable to add pork or chicken feed to the diet. It is worth feeding not in large portions, but often - at least several times a day.
- Since ancient times, crickets have been especially revered in China and Japan, in these countries they even organized special competitions for singing domestic crickets, and the rich people there were ready to give entire fortunes for the winners.
- Since ancient times, it was believed that having a cricket in the house brings good luck, prosperity, and well-being.
- According to recent research by scientists, the trills of crickets have a beneficial, calming effect on the human psyche. Only the purring of a domestic animal has a similar positive effect on a person.
Cricket, video
And in conclusion, we invite you to listen to the sound of a cricket in the video yourself.
Roman T. would really like to get an answer from us to the following question: “How long do crickets live? How can you lure them into the house in order to destroy them?”
To solve this problem we can offer several options.
Variety of species
On globe these insects appeared 300 million years ago. In Russia you can find 50 species of crickets. The most popular are field and brownie.
Inveterate music lovers get such an unusual pet to enjoy “vocals”, and consider its “singing” to be akin to that of a bird.
Cricket song
His chant is full of improvisation and can vary depending on the circumstances. He dedicates his most tender and “soul-touching” works to the female.
Several females are in the zone of close attention of one male: he controls their movements, not allowing them to leave the borders of his territory. But insidious “crickets” often strive to jump to another, more vocal suitor.
In crickets, only the male sings, raising the elytra and quickly rubbing them together.
For a long time in the East, cicadas and crickets were kept at home like birds in order to delight the ears of their owners with their singing.
And nowadays in China, Thailand and Malaysia they organize cricket fights.
Duelists
Crickets are not only excellent troubadours, but also notorious fighters: two males will never part without a duel.
To deprive an opponent of antennae or paws is the goal of the fight, the outcome of which is sometimes the death of one of them. The winner can immediately devour the defeated opponent.
But more often, a bitten mustache serves as a signal for the end of the battle: the loser flees the battlefield in disgrace. For a male, a mustache is a status attribute. An insect without antennae is “despised” by all its surrounding brethren.
Why are there a lot of insects in summer (video)
House cricket
This species is widespread and known to everyone. Prefers to live close to people. The house cricket is usually brown in color and grows up to 2 cm.
During the day, the insect hides from prying eyes by crawling into dark time days to search for food: remnants of plant food.
In modern apartment buildings The habitat of crickets is often the insulation around heating pipes.
The female of this species lays up to 180 eggs per season.
The house cricket tolerates captivity remarkably well and can be bred. The lifespan of a baked singer is short - about three months.
How to get rid of crickets
There are several ways to lure out the insect or destroy it:
- The trap is natural. Pour a little condensed milk into a container, mix it with water, and place it next to the insect’s habitat. Most likely, the cricket, attracted by the smell, will jump into the syrup.
- Chemical bait. It can be used if you do not have pets or small children.
- Adhesive strips. You can try them too. Place the strips near windows, on walls and doors.
- Insect spray. Suitable for this purpose.
- Vacuum cleaner. By walking with him through the most hidden corners of the apartment, you may be able to eliminate numerous cricket offspring at the laying stage.
Crickets are jumping orthoptera insects, they are also mistakenly called grasshoppers. Sounds are produced by rubbing the elytra. Moreover, only males emit them, scaring away other males or inviting females to mate. This type includes:
- Real;
- Field;
- Brownies;
- Stem Far Eastern;
- Ants;
- Common ant lover.
The tropics are considered the homeland of crickets. Although many species have adapted and can live anywhere. For example, the field cricket feels great in steppe or forest-steppe zone. This rather noticeable insect with a black, seemingly polished body can settle very close to human habitation. House view and may even live in artificial environment next to the person.
Picture
The most common type is this is a house cricket. It has more than 2000 varieties. The body length of an adult is about 2−2.5 cm, dense, brown or gray-brown in color. The elytra are short, the wings protrude from under them in the form of folded cords. Raising their elytra, crickets very quickly rub them against each other, emitting a musical trill. They have three pairs of legs. The hind ones are the most powerful, with their help the insect makes long jumps.
Crickets do not live long; on average, adults age and die at 2 months of age. To reach maturity, they need to survive 10 moults over 1-1.5 months. It all depends on the ambient temperature. The total is 3-4 months of life. Wild tropical species can live for about six months. The wild ones live the longest field species, about a year, and that’s due to the fact that they have to hibernate.
Crickets prefer humid climate And high temperature. Therefore, as soon as the outside temperature drops, they settle in more comfortable conditions, for example, in a house behind a stove or behind a heating battery. IN natural environment They settle in cracks, under stones, in secluded holes. To breed them at home you will need a terrarium.
The cricket allows only females to enter its territory. Usually one male invites 3-4 females with his singing. After the date, they look for a place to lay eggs. This is usually a soft, loose substrate. One female lays on average up to 600 eggs. The time of their development is affected by the ambient temperature. It usually takes from 2 to 3 weeks. Insects hatched from eggs resemble adults in appearance, only smaller in size and lacking wings.
What does it eat?
At home, they eat leftover human food and other insects. In nature, their food is varied: they feed on plants, more small insects, prone to cannibalism, eat young animals. Those who are interested in breeding these insects know that the clutch of eggs must be separated from the adults in order to avoid cases of cannibalism. IN natural environment crickets and themselves often serve as food for more large insects, amphibians, lizards, birds and other predators.
If a “baked musician” appeared in the house, it was considered a good omen, a sign of prosperity, a talisman against poverty and crop failure. It was impossible to kill the insect; on the contrary, it was necessary to feed it and appease it.
In China and Japan, they even built separate houses for them and hung them in the middle of the house so that they could enjoy their singing.
However, although the trill of a cricket in the house is a favorable omen, people are increasingly trying to get rid of the house musician by all means.
You can fight crickets, like other insects, with insecticides. This measure is suitable for rooms where large populations of crickets are observed. One “singer” can be caught using a cloth, a jar or a box. They begin to make sounds at dusk, so using a flashlight beam you can detect the source in the dark and cover it, moving it into a closed container.
Can be used sticky cricket trap. To do this, place it behind the radiator or under the window. You can lure and remove the insect using a special molasses syrup, leaving this product in the container overnight and often changing it to fresh one. The unique smell of this product attracts them very much.
If the owners of the apartment do not want the “illegal” residence of a musical guest performer again, some precautions against insects should be taken: