Evening star., 1946-10-05
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trace,ceH.
SILVER SPRING, Md.


Dear Sir:
your column Is always a source of
enjoyment to me. and while you touch
on so many varied subjects, cannot
recall having read anything from your
pen on the common house cricket.
IT have this little visitor in my home
now, first noticed his chirping by the
fireplace, but having no fire there he
has taken up his quarters in my bed
room and along about by bedtime he
begins to tune up.
IT haven't seen the little creature, al
though he has been in the home for
almost a week; however, my son has
seen him on one or two occasions in
the bathroom.
what can he feed on? I wonder!
Perhaps You will be kind enough to en-
tighten me, for I should hate very
much to have him starve right on my
doorstep. as I am rather fond of him,
If the truth be known.
Sincerely, F. J. D."
~ +
The cricket has been written about at
length here on several occasions, but
not recently. We welcome the oppor-
tunity. for this is q misunderstood in
sect. Many persons fail to welcome
them. Infestations of crickets, as in
apartment houses built ON former mea-
dows, often prove bothersome, but one
or two crickets are good to have around.
A few scraps Of lettuce and bits of
bread, left for the cricket every night.
viii go long way toward making him
happy.
He Is neat, clean insect, with q musi-
cal way about him. He Is so regular In
chirping that some persons have claimed
him. We have forgotten the formula
to be used In order to do this, but 1t
makes no difference, since We doubt any
one ever tried to work It out except the
man who invented" it.
The regularity Of the cricket's chirp
makes some listeners frantic, but 1t will
put others to Sleep on the monotony
theory.
Even people who do not care for in
sects, as class, can like this one, for
he minds his own business and usually
sticks close to one place.
Only the male cricket sings. The fe-
male is mute. It is generally believed
that the cEirping is done to attract the
lady crickets.
The house cricket generally the Euro
pean house cricket-sings by rubbing q
file-like ridge Of one wing against q
scraping surface OF the other.
These crickets are classed as herbiver-
GUS, so anything along the herb line
might be tried on them for food.
Crickets, as Is well known, like fire.
places.
They seek water, however. and foD this
reason a small dish OF It should be
placed nearby, to prevent them from
wandering to the bathroom, where they
might be trodden on.
1t is an interesting fact that this
creature is subject to q wire-worm infec-
ton. It secures the first stage Of the
wire-worm through some food 1t may
have eaten, outdoors of course.
Then the parasite lives the life OF
Riley in the cricket for the entire winter.
and, because Of the cricketas fondness
for the warm indoors, is kept warm
itself. Nature indeed, is wonderful.
When spring comes. the matured wire
worm wishes release, and when 1t senses
that the cricket has gone near stream,
it bores Its way out. much to the dis
tress of the host
The wire-worm drops into the water,
ready to begin the life cycle all over
again, but whether the poor cricket will
live depends upon a variety Of circum-
stances.
Since most people do not care for In
sects in their home land, of course, they
are right they often get rid of the in
offensive cricket before they have had
time to find out what 1t is.
Never be In . hurry to get rid Of a
cricket, for he has been regarded for
centuries as bringing good luck to the
home he adopts.