# Do Crickets Sychronize Their Chirping?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 2, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119 "2013-08-02T00:27:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119/1 "2013-08-02T00:27:01Z")

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I love the sound of the crickets-its one of the sounds of a summer night. Just now, i notice that the crickets seem to chirp in synchrony-…at least those closest to my house. Do they do this? If so, why?

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**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119/2 "2013-08-02T17:14:52Z")

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This summer is supposed to be the end/beginning of the 17 year cicada cycle. So maybe you’re confusing crickets and cicadas? And aren’t most insect sounds mating calls? I can’t see doing that in a chorus if you want to attract a mate. Wouldn’t you want to stand out? Unless you’re trying to muck up the other guy’s chances. I lean toward it being more of a random thing.

Remember, the sounds of nature are the sounds of millions of insects, birds, and animals desperately trying to get laid.

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119/3 "2013-08-02T18:28:56Z")

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> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> This summer is supposed to be the end/beginning of the 17 year cicada cycle. So maybe you’re confusing crickets and cicadas?

He probably IS talking about cicadas, but not the 17-years whom I believe are all dead by now. He’s talking about the annual cicadas. They come out in the midwest in late July and August. I have a deafening chorus serenading me outside my condo every night.

> [@Ranger Jeff](#):
>
> And aren’t most insect sounds mating calls? I can’t see doing that in a chorus if you want to attract a mate. Wouldn’t you want to stand out?

Male cicadas most definitely aggregate when singing, probably for the same reason that guys hang out with other guys at bars. Women are more likely to show up if there are lots of guys than just one.

However I have no idea why from time to time they will all stop singing at once.

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**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crickets-sychronize-their-chirping/665119/4 "2013-08-02T18:37:11Z")

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> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#):
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> …However I have no idea why from time to time they will all stop singing at once.

Something - raccoon, possum, etc. - came wandering by and they shut the hell up to avoid giving away their location and being eaten.