Crickets are a group of insects related to grasshoppers and katydids. You can identify them from their long antennae (as long as their body or longer) and their large back legs, which they use for jumping or hopping. Adult females have a conspicuous sword-like ovipositor or egg-laying device extending backwards from the tip of the abdomen. Crickets are famous songsters. Male crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together. Crickets are usually active at night. While crickets are common outdoors, they may accidentally enter homes or businesses. Crickets only have one generation per year and seldom reproduce indoors. They enter buildings through open doors and windows, cracks around poorly fitted windows, in foundations, in siding, and spaces under doors, so it may be difficult to find the exact point of entry. In our area, the most common crickets found in homes are the field cricket and the house cricket. (more…)