Invasion of the crickets

Our office phone has been lighting up like a pin ball machine the last few weeks due to insect calls.  A round of calls we have been experiencing, seeing and hearing has been the compliant of multitudes of crickets all around the county.   You see them everyone you go…on sidewalks, on walls, yards, etc. 

Cricket outbreaks are one of the most predictable pest events of the year in most areas of Texas. Late summer and fall are when adult crickets become especially abundant around homes and commercial buildings. Although the cricket species associated with outbreaks in Texas have not been well-studied, most belong to the Gryllus assimilis complex, and are collectively referred to as black field crickets, or field crickets.

Biology

Field cricket eggs are laid in the fall, approximately two weeks after females mature and develop wings. Firm, bare soil sites are preferred for egg-laying. A single female cricket may lay from 150 to 400 eggs. Eggs remain in the soil throughout the winter and hatch the following spring.

Cricket nymphs can be identified by the incomplete development of the wings. Immature crickets require approximately three months to complete their development and become adults. Once the cricket reaches the adult stage it is capable of flight and mating. Cricket outbreaks occur when large numbers of nymphs complete their development and embark on nighttime mating flights.

Fall cricket flights can be a cost for small businesses who lose customers and must pay for cleanup and disposal.

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