Central Texas Swarmed By Mating Crickets
For a lot of people, seeing one bug crawl around is bad enough. Seeing hundreds of them at once shuffling about is the stuff of nightmares, no matter how small they might be. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often in the average neighborhood — but unfortunately, it’s become unnervingly common in central Texas. There’s a serious cricket problem that needs tending to, and it’s all thanks to the weather.
The unusually low temperatures and rainfall that’s hit Austin and nearby areas has left the cricket population convinced that it’s mating season. As a result, they’ve begun to appear in droves to get in on the action — even if it means hundreds or thousands of them scrambling across buildings. There’s a chance that it could get worse; the trigger for their forced mating was a weather shift that could match the fall weather. As the days go on, they could have even more of a reason to congregate — and spend a full month or more doing their business.
Killing the crickets isn’t recommended, since their cannibalistic nature may only draw more of them out. The natural counter is to reduce their field of movement; getting rid of wood and debris and liberally using aerosol bug spray can keep them from finding a place to call home. The other alternative is to wait them out, but it’s a safe bet that only the bravest can withstand the horrific sight of a swarm.
