Crickets: noisy neighbours, minor nibblers

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The chirp of a cricket on a warm night is the soundtrack of an Aussie garden. The black field cricket is the one you'll usually meet. For the most part, they're harmless background players.

What they actually do

Crickets are omnivores — they eat decaying plant matter, other insects and insect eggs, so they do a little clean-up and pest control on the side. They're also prime food for the lizards, frogs and birds you want patrolling your patch.

The catch

In big numbers — especially after rain that follows a dry spell, when populations boom — they'll chew seedlings, leaves and low fruit at night. It's the numbers that matter, not the odd cricket.

What to do

Tolerate the occasional one. For a boom, clear the hiding spots they love (long grass, boards and debris) from right around the bed, and lean on their predators — a garden that suits frogs and lizards keeps crickets in check for free.

Not sure whether the bug you've spotted is friend or foe? Our Garden Trouble Calendar shows the pests and diseases that are actually active in your area right now — everything else is usually one of the good guys.

Image: Ghouston, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.