Usually when I mow the grass for the last few times in the fall, I see lots of crickets scattering ahead of the mower, trying to dodge the blades. But not this year. On my last two cuttings, I saw only three or four and this has me a bit concerned.
Crickets are rich in nutrients and help birds go into the winter with extra energy. In many societies, people eat crickets (and grasshoppers) as they are rich in protein. I have never tried one, but they say that they taste pretty good. In Mexico, they are toasted and seasoned with garlic, lime juice, salt, and chili and eaten as a snack.
Crickets are generally abundant going into fall. Now in the adult stage, they lay their eggs that over-winter and hatch in the spring. Crickets typically live up to a year, then the cycle renews. The little fellows (it’s bad luck to ever kill one) are mostly nocturnal and they’re not picky about what they eat – plant material, fungi, seeds and small or decaying insects.
I did hear a cricket yesterday evening as I was coming inside and that’s a good sign. Only the males make that chirping sound with their front legs to attract mates and deter other rivals.
Here’s hoping there are enough of these interesting insects to go around for my backyard birds – the bluebirds and mockingbirds that feed almost exclusively on insects.
Hearing crickets is a good thing.
