The PU is in need of advice. A house-invading cricket has turned our typically quiescent James into Carl from Caddyshack.The other night, I woke to find the panels from the baseboard heat removed, the furniture moved away from walls, and face down on the floor -- James with a giant flashlight, was mumbling to himself: "Where are you, you little bastard."
Between the cricket and Vito's earth-shaking snoring, James is on little-to-no sleep. I'm under the influence of sleep aids so it's not bothering me so much. But, believe me -- a louder chirping cricket you will not find. The thing must be huge. I don't know how it's stayed hidden for so long.
I found a few cricket ejection strategies online earlier. One involved duct tape and dog food, where you place a few kibbles on a piece of duct tape, sticky side up, to attract and trap the little bugger. Unfortunately, Vito keeps eating the kibble. Therefore, any other advice on cricket removal is appreciated.
13 comments:
KJ - We had a similar problem last year. The cricket finally came out from under he baseboards. But I was like James - I would crawl around with my ear to the ground trying to find it's hiding spot.
It could be worse. We have a stinking bird stuck in our wood stive pipe.
That is just awesome. I don't know if I'd give a strategy if I had one. The mental images of this are so funny, they wouldn't allow me to help stop it...
You're going to have to move back to the city, I'm afraid. :) No crickets, just car alarms.
I have some neighbors that could smoke him out.
Is it a ground hog, rat, mouse? What's a cricket?
BG-What the devil?
Cricket (n)
1) a leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together. An entire chorus of which can be heard in the ABHam woods.
2) a dart game played in ABHam basement.
The former has been dogging Jimmy all week.
Hey, KJ. I have two hungry 9 inch leopard gekkos I could lend ya. We have to feed them crickets weekly or they start charging the glass. They creep me out, but are quite effective cricket-catchers. (Oh why did I have to give birth to Jeff Corwin?)
Kate,
Are you sure that James was not talking to Vito and he told you that he was looking for a cricket?
Sorry, KJ. I think the Caddyshack pic clouded my head to think that you had rodent problems. Damn acid.
Def (1): a leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together.
...so that's what that noise was coming from downstairs. Is it some sort of mating call?
OMG, my father was just like Jamie, unable to rest knowing there was a cricket in the house. The little buggers stop chirping the minute you get close to them and silently move to a new location, making it all but impossible to find them. Perhaps if James reads "A Cricket in Times Square" he'll learn how to tame the creature and lure it into a cage to keep as a pet.
Other than that, I have no useful advice whatsoever. I think my dad used to give up and wait for the cricket to die come wintertime.
UPDATE: The cricket has been removed. While James was playing hockey this evening, the little bugger started up again. I tip toed over Vito's bed to the window where the sound was coming from and spotted the little light green (not black) critter in the folds of the curtains. Carrie, Paulie, Vito and I trapped it in a paper towel and then set it free on the front lawn, to which Paulie remarked "Go see your Mom and Dad! They miss you. Bye!"
Let's all pause a moment and envision how different the scene would've been had Jimmy found "the little bastard."
SPLAT!!!!
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