Cricket Concert

Move over, Rover. This six-footed pet is absolutely free and fabulously entertaining. With a little determination, you can catch yourself a field cricket and listen to the most famous sound of summertime. In fact, crickets are often kept as pets in Asian countries because their chirping is considered soothing and because they are great burglar alarms. Once a cricket gets used to family members, he'll keep chirping and only stop when a stranger enters. Here's how to keep your temporary houseguest happy.

WHAT ARE THEY?
Field crickets, or Acheta assimilis, are insects that live all over North America. They are brown or black and up to 1 1/4 inches long.

HOW DO I CATCH ONE?
Crickets hide under dead plants, rocks, garbage cans and leaves. To catch one, take a jar to a pile of leaves (or wherever you think your new pet might be hiding). Flip over the leaves until you hit the damp part and spot a cricket. Quickly and gently set the jar down over the cricket and slide a piece of cardboard beneath the mouth of the jar to trap the cricket inside. Cover the jar with a piece of mesh or cheesecloth (something ventilated) and secure it with a rubber band.

DO I HAVE A BOY OR A GIRL?
Female crickets have a long egg-laying "tail" called an ovipositor between their cerci. If you're looking for a musical pet, make sure you get a male (like the one shown). They're the only ones that sing.

WHAT'S HE SINGING?
Sorry, we don't know, but one message you can get from his song is the temperature. Crickets chirp faster in warmer temperatures, so count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 40. This will give the approximate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

HOW DO I MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE?
In China, crickets are kept in elaborate bamboo houses, but your pet will be just as happy in a ventilated jar or box. Spread sand on the bottom and include a rock or egg carton cup for him to hide under. Add twigs and leaves for aesthetic value and keep him in a cool, shady place.

WHAT WILL HE EAT?
Try small pieces of potato, carrot, apple, lettuce, Cheerios, or a piece of dry dog food soaked in water. Although crickets will get all the water they need from the fruits and vegetables, it's still a good idea to leave a damp cotton ball in the cricket house for extra moisture.

DOES HE NEED A FRIEND?
Probably not. If you put two male crickets together, they get very territorial.The original cricket will chirp loudly, then kick the other one in the face, wrestle him, or even kill him. If you add a female instead, the male will chirp more softly and rock back and forth looking desperate . . . and often the female will just back up and kick the male in the face!

HOW LONG CAN I KEEP HIM?
We recommend that these singing superstars be allowed to move on to their next gig within a day or two.

COST: $0

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