How Long Do Crickets Live?

Perhaps nearly everyone has been annoyed by a cricket at some point, whether it was by their chirping noises in the morning or a personal fear of all bugs. Maybe many individuals do not care about the life of a cricket, but indeed they should. Every organism in the world has its own niche, particularly in the food chain. For those who still do not care about the life of a cricket, maybe the answer to the question will still be of some interest to them, since crickets do not live particularly long.

The life of a cricket is generally less than one year. For those fearful of bugs, this may be good news. For those who genuinely appreciate all of creation, this statistic may be rather sad. However, remember, crickets have a different sense of time than humans do. Human beings feel that a year goes by so quickly, particularly as they get older. However, for a cricket, a year is literally a lifetime. Those lucky crickets who live more than a year defy the odds.

Life Cycle of a Cricket

The life and death of a cricket is intrinsically related to the creature's life cycle. Once winter approaches, female crickets begin to look for places to lay their days. They generally tend to stay toward the ground. When the spring comes, the baby crickets are born. They are often called nymphs.

When they are born, they look very much like an adult cricket, except they do not have wings. Within the next few months, the wings will develop and the adult cricket will start the cycle all over again.

Notice how the cricket knows to lay her eggs before she dies? It seems that crickets themselves are almost aware of the answer to how long do crickets live. Perhaps the cricket is aware that her life is coming to an end, and knows that she must continue her species. Such an examination of the cricket's life is truly bittersweet.

Exceptions to Expand the Lifespan

Friends of the cricket need not fear, as there are exceptions to this rule of living only a year. Crickets will often seek out warmth and shelter in human homes, and if they are able to do so, their life span will be extended.

In fact, in some countries, the cricket is regarded as a sign of good luck! In these countries, if people find a cricket in their homes, they do not stomp on them or shoo them out of the door. Some individuals will put them in small cages, and feed them and give them water on a daily basis. These people believe that the longer the cricket lives, the more good luck they will have. Others allow the cricket to stay in the house, but do not take any extra measures. This group believes that by doing so, their household will fall into a great deal of money.

Considerations About Crickets

Animal enthusiasts will be happen to hear that they are some crickets' rights movements occurring in different countries. However, it's also important to remember that crickets living in the home can cause some serious problems.

Crickets will still lay their eggs inside, and the home can quickly become infested with many crickets come spring time. The cycle will repeat year after year, and anyone can see how such conditions could rapidly become unsanitary and unhealthy. Also, if the crickets are not watched, (and who can really keep an eye on crickets at all times?) they may begin destroying clothing and other fabrics in the home.