The Cricket: Plague For The Fields Or Blessing?
We all know the saying “too much is good”. If you observe a cricket on your window, with its characteristic chirping to the moon, obviously it is something nice and pleasant.
But if a swarm of crickets infest the garden, eating all the plants, your point of view will certainly change. In this article we will try to understand how to consider this nice and particular orthopter, the cricket.
The cricket as a sign of good luck
Crickets have played a very important role in Asian cultures – especially Japan and China – and in North American cultures.
They were often regarded as a symbol of good luck, abundance, prosperity and vitality.
There are many songs and stories related to the cricket as a talisman of wisdom. Their verse (the “chirp”) was revered and often in Asia people placed them in small cages, as is done in the West with canaries.
It was also said that this insect was an excellent guardian for the house, even better than a dog, because when it detects something “strange” it immediately stops chirping.
For this reason, artisans carved wooden or stone amulets depicting a cricket, with the aim of protecting those who wore it.
Of course, we cannot ignore the fact that we anxiously awaited the arrival of the crickets before the rains, a positive sign for the crops in the fields.
Some farmers even waited to sow until they heard the famous verse of these Gryllidae.
Do you know how this green animal chirps and emits its typical sound? Rub its wings. This call is used by the male who wants to impress a possible partner . Or even to indicate that this is his territory, if a possible opponent approaches.
In turn, they are known as a symbol of prosperity because females lay thousands of eggs each season.
In Native American peoples, the cricket represents faith, joy and intuition. Due to the ability to jump very high (thanks to its long legs), it is also said to be related to the ability to get out of any situation, even the most difficult.
One legend holds that the gods sent crickets to earth to remind us that, despite everything, we must be happy.
If you see a cricket in your kitchen, it will bring good luck to your home. But be careful, because if you kill him, you will attract bad luck for an entire season.
Believe it or not, you might as well be careful: you never know!
The cricket like a plague
Let’s leave traditions and legends aside for a moment to move on to something a little more concrete.
For example, the fact that crickets can be very dangerous pests for any garden, orchard or cultivated field.
Thanks to their great ability to reproduce and feed, from one day to the next they can become a nightmare, even inside homes.
It is good to know that they prefer warm and humid places, where they lay their eggs and can feed without problems.
While they do not pose a health risk to people or pets, it is true that crickets can be very destructive to crops and gardens, as well as in flour, grain, paper or fabric stores.
You can prevent crickets from appearing by sealing windows, doors, or any other space they can use to enter.
In addition, we recommend that you mow the lawn around the house, clean the gutters or drains, avoid the piles of wood and check the drains.
Since crickets, like other insects, are attracted to lights, use less bright lighting.
Such as LED bulbs with ‘warm’ light. Don’t forget to carefully close the shutters and windows when you go to sleep.
