When someone says they hear "crickets," they're likely referring to silence. Like, when I ask my oldest if he did his homework or made his bed, and he responds with a blank stare and a "cricket filled" silence that betrays him! For me, though, crickets conjure up memories of being a scrappy kid in Ohio in the '80s and '90s, when I'd run around our yard, barefoot, catching lightning bugs and playing "kick the bottle" with my brothers and the rest of the neighborhood. These summer nights had a soundtrack -- a symphony of cicadas, crickets, and katydids -- and for me, it's the most delightfully "Ohio" sound you'll ever hear.
For me, summer nights conjure up deep-rooted nostalgia, bringing me back to a simpler time where my biggest worries were skinned knees and itchy mosquito bites.
The humid air, smells of distant cookouts, and taste of melted popsicles all play key roles in this throwback, but nothing puts me back in Ohio in 1989 quite like the sound of chirping katydids.
I'm sure you've heard them, too -- these "singing" insects in Ohio include cicadas, crickets, and katydids.
These insects create marvelous melodies by using a “clicker” to make their vibrating sounds.
For all the other science nerds out there, grasshoppers and katydids belong to the insect order Orthoptera. Grasshoppers belong to the suborder Caelifera, while katydids belong to the suborder Ensifera and are sometimes called Long-horned Orthoptera for their long, thread-like antennae.
The sound of the katydids is wholly unique and wonderful; truly some of Mother Nature's most marvelous music.
When accompanied by other "musicians" native to Ohio -- cicadas, spring peepers, American toads, and even barn owls -- katydids become part of something larger that's truly sublime.
Doesn't this glorious symphony take you back? This Ohio sound is soul-soothing and never fails to invoke a dreamy sense of comfort and nostalgia.
Of course, if you want to really embrace the sounds of nature at night, these charming Airbnbs offer amazing getaways in Ohio!
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