Hobbies And Interests
Plant Diet
Crickets have a high metabolic rate and must eat their body weight in food each day to sustain themselves. The exact composition of their diet varies by species and habitat, but most crickets feed primarily on dried organic matter in the landscape such as grass and flower seeds, plants and fruits. In most habitats, plant matter is readily available and easy for crickets to eat during the day and night.
Animal Diet
Crickets are opportunistic feeders and sometimes will eat small insects. They have powerful jaws that allow them to capture and subdue their prey. Not only do they hunt down other insects, but they are cannibalistic and will eat other crickets. They are also scavengers and feed on dead insects as well as fungi that develops on decaying animal corpses.
Ecosystem Benefits
Crickets play an important role as decomposers in ecosystems, and they help recycle nutrients as they consume dead plant and animal matter. Crickets speed up the rate of nutrient cycling in ecosystems through their feeding habits. Crickets are also an important link in the food chain since animals such as birds, reptiles and small mammals feed extensively on crickets in the wild.
Negative Effects
In high populations, crickets feeding on plants can cause significant damage to some agricultural crops. Some species that burrow through the soil also damage turf grass and garden plants by disrupting the plants' root systems. Crickets that enter homes searching for food can damage rugs, clothing and furniture, in addition to being a nuisance pest as they chirp indoors.