![]() ![]() The formula (count + 40) is a close approximation because it reflects the temperature-dependent behaviour of crickets. When it's warmer, crickets chirp faster, and when it's cooler, they tweet more slowly. The trick works because temperature and cricket metabolism are linked. This simple calculation will provide you with an approximate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure you count only one cricket's chirps, not the entire ensemble.Īpply the formula: Once you have your chirp count, add 40 to it. You can use a watch or a timer app on your phone.Ĭount the chirps: During the timed interval, count the number of chirps the cricket produces. Start your timer: Begin timing for a set duration, ideally around 14 seconds. That will make it easier to count its chirps. Crickets are most active during the evening and night.Ĭhoose a cricket: Select a single cricket to focus on. Listen: Find a quiet spot outdoors where you can hear the cricket chorus. As the temperature changes, so does the rate at which crickets chirp. It apparently originated in the Farmer's Almanac and is explained in an old article by Scientific American (SA).Īccording to SA, the key to using cricket chirps as a thermometer has to do with the relationship between temperature and chirping frequency. The old wives tale that you can predict the weather based on a cricket's chirp may have some truth. ![]() And they can definitely get loud, with some species capable of producing noises over 100 decibles, not that far off from the levels produced by a honking car horn. Mating happens in the late summer and early fall, so the crickets have turned up the volume. Like another noisy summer insect, the cicada, male crickets chirp to attract females, who will go on to lay up to 700 eggs. Male crickets produce their characteristic chirping using a scrape-like structure on the left wing against a file-like system beneath the right wing. But first, how do crickets produce noise? If you've noticed them getting louder in recent weeks, there's a reason for that - and experts say it has to do with the weather. The steady hum of crickets is a near-constant during the summer. ![]()
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