England has 23 species of grasshoppers (11 species) and crickets. The most common garden and meadow grasshoppers can be heard chirping a ‘song’ for females, by rubbing their hind legs against their wings. The females then ‘listen’ with ears in their tummies!
The best way to help all crickets and hoppers is to garden organically, with native plants (learn how to make your garden safe for pets. Read about wildlife-friendly garden ponds.
Birds eat these herbivorous insects. To humanely deter them, solve humidity issues (grasshoppers and crickets love moisture) and turn off porch lights (switch to switch to amber-hued LED lights, for less chance of them gathering).
‘Hoppers’ are an ancient group of insects that use sound for courtship. That’s why you hear them calling at dusk. Most grasshoppers can fly (meadow grasshoppers can’t).
England also has 3 species of groundhoppers. These good swimmers are found near ponds and streams, or in less grassy areas. Most species can fly (apart from common groundhoppers). They mostly live on moss and algae.
The Wildlife Trusts has a good visual guide to know your grasshoppers, groundhoppers and crickets.
How Crickets Can Tell The Temperature!
Those little green insects you see are crickets. If you hear one on a summer evening, know they chirp in time with the air temperature. Count how many chirps they give in 25 seconds. Divide by 3 and add 4. And apparently this should give you the correct Celsius temperature!
