Why do crickets chirp at night?
Talk about it together
What sounds do you like to hear at night?
What about...?
Ask your child's own question
Transcript
Have you heard crickets singing when the sky gets dark? Why do they chirp at night?
As evening comes, many crickets wake up and rub their wings together. The rubbing makes their chirpy sound.
Most chirping crickets are boys calling to girl crickets nearby. Their songs can help the girls find them.
Cool, quiet nights help cricket songs travel through the grass. That is why we often hear a whole nighttime cricket chorus.
So that's why crickets chirp at night. They are rubbing their wings to call to other crickets.
For grown-ups: the science
Crickets chirp at night by rubbing their wings, mostly to call to other crickets.
Most cricket chirps are produced by males through stridulation: one wing is rubbed against the other. Calls mainly attract females and can also signal to other males. Many crickets are most active at night, and quieter nighttime conditions can make their calls easier to hear.