Cricket Facts & Information

Adult crickets are typically black and range in length from 1/2 to 1 1/8” long. Nymphs are smaller and have no wings. They are usually found in mulched areas, around woodpiles, and in gardens that haven’t been weeded. They prefer moist areas and are attracted to electric lights. They have large back legs and are powerful jumpers. Adults’ wings lay flat against their back and are bent downward on their sides. Despite being winged, not all field crickets are capable of flight.

They are often mistaken for grasshoppers. The main difference between a grasshopper and a cricket is that crickets tend to have long antennae, grasshoppers have short antennae. Crickets stridulate (“sing”) by rubbing their wings together, while grasshoppers stridulate by rubbing their long hind legs against their wings. Not all cricket species sing, but boy when they do. It can be loud and annoying! These insects are mainly active at night, which doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep. They can also be identified by their large, powerful, back legs and long antennae.

Their singing is more than just annoying. Winged male crickets initiate the reproductive process by with the distinctive chirping noises that attract female crickets. Females use their ovipositor to lay eggs primarily during the autumn season. Cricket eggs mature during the winter and hatch in the spring. Baby crickets emerge from the eggs as nymphs with underdeveloped wings before gradually evolving into adults. Crickets produce just one generation of offspring each year. Crickets rarely breed indoors. A cricket exterminator may not be necessary unless you’re seeing a large infestation.

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