Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Crick! Crick! Cricket!

A few weeks ago I wrote of a cricket who had taken up residency in my garage. Grandma J told me it was good luck and at least it was in the garage. Well, so much for the good luck because his girlfriend (or boyfriend) has moved into my house. I've only included this picture as a reference because in all reality it is impossible to see a cricket when it is in your house. IMPOSSIBLE. I hear it, but I can't find it for the life of me. It all started with the "crick! crick! crick!" coming from, what sounded like, behind or under my fridge. That first night I moved the fridge, looked behind it, and made lots of noise hoping it would scurry out into the open. No such luck, but I thought, "I can't hear it upstairs," so I went to bed and hoped it would be gone in the morning. It was gone, the chirping sound that is. It was as quiet as can be the next day when I went downstairs to make some breakfast. Phew!

Well that next evening, and every evening since, it has continued its song to its boyfriend who is still in my garage. It moves on a daily basis though. Sometimes it sounds like its coming from under my sink, sometimes it sounds like its coming from my dishwasher, sometimes it sounds like it coming from the pots and pans cupboard. I say "it sounds like" because I have no idea where it's coming from...once I crawl into one cupboard the sound bounces somewhere else. I have found myself standing in the middle of my kitchen, with my feet planted and my arms stretched out, just listening, hoping to locate where the sound is coming from.

To make matters worse, this seems to be a two-timing cricket. It not only has the garage boyfriend cricket to talk to, it is also talking to another cricket on my back patio. The triangular pattern of "crick! crick! crick!" is driving me mad. More than once I have whined, "Stoooooppppp iiiittttt, please just stoooooopppppp iiiiittttt."

I don't know what to do and I don't know how much longer I can stand it. "How to" articles on line say that your best way to catch a cricket is to know where it is. No, duh! I need a "how to" article on how to know where it is at this point. Do exterminators deal with this kind of thing? Do they have special cricket seeing powers that I don't have? I'm going to have to research that and get this problem solved. Any ideas?

8 comments:

  1. Get a lizard...remember the one that lived in my house for at least a year? Never had a cricket problem here :)

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  2. OH, I wish I could help you. But M is right...just to be sure, get a bunch of lizards and let them run freely throughout your house. That'll solve your problem.

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  3. So which is it? Live with a little chirping cricket that doens't bite or poop anything noticable, or lizards!

    Pretend the cricket and it's friends in the garage and patio are little birdies chirping. Of course birds do poop....and bite sometimes.

    If I could come get that cricket I would. Of course Jason is much closer, so maybe he'll volunteer.

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  4. I have to say that crickets chirping (especially from within the house) are very annoying indeed.

    I don't have any advice, I think the exterminators just spray EVERYTHING and hope that the pest crosses paths with the poison. No hunting needed.

    Good luck!!

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  5. I have a cricket in my classroom. One stinking little cricket. Harmless? Makes the voices of many first graders welcome. :)

    (P.S. I tried to email you, but don't have your address...)

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  6. Dang girl, I never knew crickets were soooooooo ugly and nasty. Worse than a roach. Ick. Good luck with that.

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  7. I know the solution to you cricket problem!

    Get earplugs.

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  8. This is so funny! I wish I had some helpful tips but I don't have any idea : )

    Do you want to set up some insect video monitors? Kaish saw some on national geographic once and he wanted us to buy them. Oh yes he did : ). They were a little pricey though, so I talked him out of it.

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