Are the noisy boys on tour in your town? You bet! And kids make great grigologists (grih-GOL-uh-jists, people who study crickets, katydids, and cicadas). That’s because kids can hear high-pitched insect sounds better than adults can.
What You Need
- net for scooping insects
- flashlight
What You Do
- CREEP CLOSE
Pick one song, cup your hands behind your ears, and turn your head back and forth to pinpoint where it’s coming from. Start inching toward the sound. If it stops, wait until it starts again. Then move closer. If you’re lucky, soon you’ll be near enough to see the insect musician. - SHINE A LIGHT
After dark, try a different trick. Grab a friend and a flashlight for each of you. From different places, head toward the same song. Then shine your lights in the direction the sound is coming from. The insect should be where the light beams cross. - WATCH AND WONDER
Once you have a singer in your sights, sit quietly and watch it. Can you see it singing? Scoop it up with a net for an even closer peek. Then let it go, of course. The show must go on!
To listen to some katydids, crickets, and cicadas, go to songsofinsects.com.