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October 06, 1994 - Cricket Chorus Performing Nightly6A • The Suffolk Times • October 6, 1994 Cricket Chorus Performing Nightly By Paul Stoutenbutrgh "Where are all the crickets coming from ?" people keep asking me. I know just what they mean, for at the cottage each evening as we sit about reading or writing, one invariably hops across the grass rug. So common have they be- come, the cat doesn't even pay any at- tention to them anymore. Outside under everything left on the ground -- a board, shoe or slipper, etc. — you can find one or two or more crickets. These are all this year's crickets and so perhaps our dry weather was just what they needed to develop. The chirp- ing sound, so familiar to all of us, is emitted only by the male cricket. They produce the familiar chirping sound by scraping one wing over the other, like the bow of a fiddle. This chirping is of- ten the cause of a battle between two ri- val males and, if witnessed, will prove to be a fierce contest as to who wins the female. Usually before being killed, the weaker will pull away in defeat, some- times minus a leg or wing. Stubborn ri- vals can even die in the battle of selec- tion. The female is doomed to silence all of her life. She's attracted to the male by his song. I chuckled at one scientific writer when he referred to the fact that the female has no voice — for he stated the lack of voice in the female cricket might be the one, shining quality of the species. Ha Ha. After mating, she de- posits about 300 eggs in small groups in the ground with her long ovipositor (which identifies her). The young will stay in the ground all winter long and hatch out in the spring. Focus on Hatuv0 Each young (nymph) molts or sheds his skin eight to 12 times during the summer until it is finally grown. Not un- til the last molt does the cricket don its wings, which, in the male, make the music. After securing the future for her species by laying her eggs, the female and her mate have served their purpose and await their demise by the first killing frost. Cricket Lore Crickets have played an interesting role in past and present civilizations. They were written up in books in China as early as the 13th century. Crickets have been kept in cages as pets and used for fighting since 650 A.D. Some of the more recent encounters where crickets were put up against each other drew bets in the thousands of dollars. Elabo- rate means for enticing crickets into singing have been developed and fancy cages have been built to house a favorite cricket. Even today, young boys and girls can keep crickets as pets in little "bug boxes" and watch them feed and clean and occasionally see them sing. They make excellent pets and are easily fed a few grains of oatmeal, bits of lettuce, meat, or dog food. Crickets aren't par- ticular as to what they eat, which is one problem with them in your house. Al- most anything satisfies Mr. Cricket. CUTCHOGUE HARDWARE NEW LOCATION: MAIN ROAD (across from -t1) ��� SENTRY CUTCHOGUE, NY 11935 Hardware 516.734.6584 40= Storm Windows and Screens Repaired LAWN BE I ' t 1 12699 4 Cu. Ft. Steel Wheelbarrow I (09- 03.007A)(24- 310).( 09- 03- 007B)(5W- 30).(09- 03- 007C)(77112) L-- - - - - -- - - - -J r — — — — — — — — - — — — — � I I I I I 1 1 Ames ' rrrueTempeP /Union• 49CO! W24 -In. Poly Leaf Rake Polypropylene head is rustproof and molded in one piece. WHILE SUPPERS LAST 1 4 -n. wood handle. (09.03 -oo6A) (19 -200). ( 09- 03- 0088)(FS24),(09.03- 008C)(64193) L- - - - - -- - - - -J r------- 1, - - - -, I Tumsale 444 33 -Gal. � COUPON 1 Trash Bags WHILE SUPPLIES EAST 1 40 count roll. (09- 02- 003)(DISISTL40) L-------- - - - - -J r ------ sue - - - - -, o t �" I I o I I - 65 or 120 -Watt i 499 Miser'"' Outdoor oh 1 Floodlights WRN 65 -Watt. (09 -22 -094)(12807) COUPON 120 -Watt. (09- 22 -093) (12360) WHILE SUPPERS UST L -- -- - - - - -J r--------- - - - --1 I 1 I 1 Ames'rrrueTemper'/Union' ,99 Better Quality Wrtx Round Point Shovel COUPON 1 Blade has turned step, 1 4 -h. hardwood handle. WHILE SUPPLIES UST (09- 03- 006A)(15 613). (09 -03 -00681 (PSLR). (09- 03- W6C)140191) L-------- - - - - -J r-------- - - - - -� I I I 001! I SOAP, WITH 1 69COUP90N Anvil Pruner 1 Cushion p handles WHILE SUPPLIES EAST (09-04-011)(19T) 1 L-------- - - - - -J Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh FIELD CRICKET —You can tell the difference between the male and the female by the female's long ovipositor, which enables her to lay her eggs in the ground. As to his song, the warmer it gets the more chirps you'll hear. Actually, for the house cricket, which is brownish in color in contrast to the black field cricket, it has been determined that one can actually determine the temperature by the number of calls it makes. Crickets are not only good songsters but their powerful hind legs make them excellent jumpers, as anyone can vouch who has tried to swat one as it hops across the floor. It seems just about the time the rolled -up newspaper is about to hit one, it jumps to safety, where a now newly determined swat or series of swats follows it. Having a tough outer shell, they're hard to put out of commis- sion. Even after the best, desperate swat, Mr. Cricket slips into the wood basket by the fireplace and his pursuer gives up. Beside the battles between them- selves, crickets, like all plants and ani- mals in the natural world, face a multi- tude of events that can often bring them to destructign. I've often said the world is made up of the "eat or be eaten." From the earliest eggs that are deposited in the ground through the various stages of molt, the cricket faces a tough world of survival. Then, to add to it, the prob- lem of weather can often play havoc with plants and animals in untold and unseen ways. September Storms Just this week we had one of those famous September storms, this one from the southeast. Winds to gale force and rain over two inches made it a pretty unusual weather pattern for those who cherish the beautiful fall weather we've all been looking for. I was told by Don Tuthill and Estelle Evans, both of whom were brought up on a farm, that in olden days these September storms were called "line" storms and farmers knew them well. My first experience with them was one September day in 1938 when the terror of all hurricanes ripped through our East End. Since then we've all watched the weather channel during these stormy months for the menacing line storms. Often we only get a brush- ing as the storm sweeps out to sea, but even then the rains and winds are sub- stantial and I'm sure play havoc with the dwellers of the natural world. Think how our delicate monarch butterfly must fare in one of these stormy times. Yet, today the sun is out and the bay is sparkling. The seaside goldenrod is past its prime but still the monarchs pass by on their endless journey south. It's truly remarkable how most survive, but then that's what makes some years good and some years bad "for all God's children." And so, Mr. and Mrs. Cricket, your days are numbered, along with the katy- dids and other sounding insects that sing at night. One of these October nights a white coating of frost will creep into our yards and fields and quietly it will be all over until next summer when there will be a renewal of the insect world. Rabies Clinics Set PECONIC —Two free rabies clinics will be offered at the Southold Town Animal Shelter this month. The sessions are set for Oct. 14 and 21, and the free inoculations will be given by Dr. Elizabeth Hartmann. To avoid skirmishes, dogs should be brought in between noon and 2 p.m., and cats between 2 and 3 p.m. All dogs must be on leashes, and all cats in carriers. Call the shelter at 765 -1811 for details. Long Island Consumer -AG., INC. 1241 OLD COUNTRY RD., ROUTE 58 • RIVERHEAD 727 -8700 Call for service specials.