What is the deal with crickets

[LoveTrains]

So I live in the city, but its an area with mixed SFH and multi-families and small, city size yards. My lot is perhaps 5000 square feet.

The crickets are OUT of control with how loud they are, and just now, there were a boat load of them scurrying about int he yard while my dog was trying to pee.

WTF. I have had my windows closed all summer with the central a/c and I wanted to open them tonight to get some fresh air in while I slept. But there is no way I can sleep with how loud they are. It sounds like I am in the boonies. How do they live in the city? Where do they live? What do they do? Why are they so loud?

[agnes]

I love the sound of crickets!

When we lived near a nature preserve, we had crickets and frogs chirping all through the night. LOVED IT.

Also, they're an added treat for my cat. If one is in the house, she'll bat it around for a good 30 minutes and then eat it. Free toy and extra source of protein. Yum.

[Deleted]

We have crickets and lightning bugs in my neighborhood, but where I live is the boonies by Manhattan standards.  I love the sound of crickets.  That was my white noise machine growing up (except for when they got in our house, which was annoying).

I saw a praying mantis at 44th and Madison yesterday at around 12:15.  That definitely made me 

[LoveTrains]

Sept 4, 2013 20:37:18 GMT -5 @peggyolson said:

I love the sound of crickets. Nature's white noise!

Haha I am just so used to city noises. I can sleep through sirens and traffic noises now. But not these effing crickets. 

[sa]

I love the sound of crickets too. I love that sound on a nice summer night. But I need to sleep with ear plugs all the time, so I feel you on the noise.

[matildasun]

Sept 4, 2013 20:42:06 GMT -5 v said:

I saw a praying mantis at 44th and Madison yesterday at around 12:15.  That definitely made me 

Right after reading this I went outside to bring my bike in and this was on my screen door (Sorry about the slightly terrible picture. It was dark out and the glass part of the window is over the screen). I live in a Baltimore City row house.

[Deleted]

Sept 4, 2013 21:28:56 GMT -5 @amydm said:

Are you sure ciccadas or locusts aren't making the noise? They are so loud in Missouri right now!

I was thinking the same. Our ciccadas while not as plentiful as 3 years ago are very loud.

[midwest07]

I don't find crickets too annoying, but I definitely can't sleep with the windows open when they are loud. And cicadas are out of control where we are right now and it's so loud when we are in the back yard in the evening.

I am not sure you can really cut down on them in the city given you only have so much control over your small lot, but a couple of things if you are serious about trying to limit the crickets and their noise - make sure you don't have tall grasses or lots of ivy, etc (they nest in things like this), and they are attracted to bright light. You might try switching out any lights you keep on at night to bug lights which are not as bright and bugs aren't as attracted to them. We have the bug lights on our back deck just so bugs aren't swarming there when the dogs go in and out.

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2013 5:52:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Sept 4, 2013 21:28:56 GMT -5 @amydm said:

Are you sure ciccadas or locusts aren't making the noise? They are so loud in Missouri right now!

I was thinking the same. Our ciccadas while not as plentiful as 3 years ago are very loud.

Ditto. They are extremely loud by me right now too. Like you have to raise your voice to speak to someone when you're outside. It's been like this for close to 2 months, I hope they die off soon!

[revolution]

Sept 5, 2013 9:03:57 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

Sept 5, 2013 5:52:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

I was thinking the same. Our ciccadas while not as plentiful as 3 years ago are very loud.

Ditto. They are extremely loud by me right now too. Like you have to raise your voice to speak to someone when you're outside. It's been like this for close to 2 months, I hope they die off soon!

My guess is also on cicadas.

[steph96]

We have been having major cricket problems in some areas for the past few years. Wait until they all start dying. They smell soooo bad.

[LoveTrains]

Hrmm I do have a lot of ivy in my back yard. That might explain it. I dont' think we have cicadas because the 7 year ones are supposed to be south of us.

[Deleted]

I've never heard large groups of crickets. It's maddening when one is chirping in the house though!

The cicadas are super load here, but I don't really notice them most of the time.