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What Do Field Crickets Eat?

Field crickets (Gryllus Pennsylvanicus) are a small insect found all across North America. They are between 15 and 25 millimeters long, black, red and brown in color and prefer habits with plenty of vegetation. Crickets of all kinds are omnivorous, so they are willing to eat anything they can get, which is a major factor for large population across America.

Vegetation
- Cricket's main dietary source is from vegetation such as crabgrass and ragweed. This will be eaten fresh from the plant, as rotting organic matter or dried leaves. The preferred plant depends entirely on what vegetation is available in the habitat and at the specific times of year.
Fruit and Seeds
- Fruits and seeds fallen from other plants are also a good source of food for crickets. Again this depends on what plants and trees are in the habitat and will be eaten fresh, dried or rotting.
Insects
- In extreme circumstances, crickets will even eat other insects, normally those a lot smaller than them. They will also eat the discarded pupae cases and even the insect pupae themselves. Crickets will also scavenge for feeding rights on dead insects.
Crops
- Crickets are seen as a pest by crop farmers as they can do a lot of damage to agricultural land. Any crop being grown, corn, wheat, barley, rapeseed, or vegetables, are all at risk from crickets that eat the stems and seeds from the plants.

Animals & Science