Cricket Chirp Converter

A Cricket Chirp Converter is a device or software that translates the chirping sounds of crickets into temperature readings, as the frequency of cricket chirps is correlated with ambient temperature.

This is because each of these animals is an ectotherm — their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. As crickets warm, they can rub their wings together faster, which is how male crickets make the nightly repetitive chirp they use to attract mates.

For example: (1) crickets generally do not sing at temperatures below 55 F or above 100 F, (2) some crickets do not chirp in discrete bursts, they utter a more continuous trill, (3) chirp rate is affected by other factors such as the cricket's age, mating success, hunger, and with competition from nearby males.

The frequency of chirping varies according to temperature. To get a rough estimate of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37. The number you get will be an approximation of the outside temperature.

The chirping starts in late July when the crickets are old enough to mate. Crickets are born in the spring, mature in late summer and die in the fall. And, that's when the summer insect concerts end.