I just smashed a camel cricket with my fly swatter and was totally and completely disgusted with the result. That's my excuse reason for this post.
You may ask why I didn't catch it and return it to the outdoors...well, have you ever chased a cricket?? It ain't pretty when I do it. Crickets are one of the super men of the insect world, cousins to the grasshopper, with their leaps and bounds. Their evasive skills put them in the intelligent category for me. In the past when I have chased a cricket it is running and hopping in sheer terror from the stumbling giant hot on its tail. Most chase and catches always ended badly for the cricket not on purpose but it happens. So I don't think of good luck when I see one. I think of the poop he is leaving as he travels through the house.
I remembered many people believe crickets bring good luck. Mashing one brings misfortune. So now I'm in deep doo-doo and await my fate. Hey, that could be my problem...all the crickets I have mashed with an almost grateful joy after chasing them in, under, and over household items...a triumphant end to them, a deletion of fortune for me.
I'm sorry but one of my childhood chores was catching camel crickets for fish bait. When they invaded the storm cellar I was sent in to catch them all in anticipation of fish for supper. Those suckers can jump. And they did. All over me. But I persevered and came out with a cage full of crickets. I secretly thought no one liked them or me since I was the assigned catcher. No one said that and they said all the right words when I emerged victoriously from a cleared cellar..
Brown crickets do not affect me as badly because those can be caught under mowed grass quite easily and are not as prone to jump into my hair, onto my face, under my shirt, up my shorts leg and onto any spot they think is safe.
To this day if I hear a male "singing" his mating song, I track him down! The songs of crickets don't put me to sleep, quite the opposite. I don't have a fear or an aversion to crickets just no affection for them.
At least I know now why I'm not the next candidate for the presidency, I've killed my good fortune.
