Cricket Temperature

Have you ever listened to the chirping of the crickets on a summer evening? Did you know that the cricket’s chirp can help you determine the temperature outside?

Crickets are black or brownish insects. They are cold-blooded, which means their body temperature is the same as the temperature of their surroundings. If the temperature outside is warm, then the cricket’s body temperature is warm.

During the hot summer months, the crickets are more active. You can hear them chirping or “singing.” This noise is made when the cricket rubs the bases of its back legs together. The hotter it is, the faster the cricket will rub its legs together.

You can figure out the temperature outside by following a simple formula using the chirps of the cricket. First, you count the number of cricket chirps per minute. You divide that number by four. Then you add that number to 40. Surprisingly enough, the answer you get is pretty close to the actual temperature outside. It is usually only one or two degrees off. Try it sometime!