What is chirping at night?

If you hear chirping noises at night, especially during the spring and summer, it’s most likely coming from an insect or amphibian in your yard or nearby trees. Crickets, cicadas, frogs, and katydids are common nighttime noisemakers. Identifying the specific creature making the chirping sound requires listening closely to the pattern, pitch, and volume of the chirps.

Crickets

Crickets are probably the most familiar nighttime chirpers. They make their signature repetitive chirping sound by rubbing their wings together. There are many different species of crickets that chirp at night, each with a distinct song.

Some of the most common chirping crickets include:

• House crickets – Found around homes and make a constant, high-pitched chirp at night.
• Field crickets – Lower-pitched, intermittent chirping primarily in fields and meadows.
• Tree crickets – A more melodious, trilling chirp coming from trees and shrubs.
• Ground crickets – Fast chirp that sounds like a tremolo coming from the ground.
• Mole crickets – Very loud, piercing metallic chirps underground.

In most cricket species, only the males chirp. They do so to attract females for mating. The chirping reaches its peak in late summer when mating activity is at its highest. Crickets quiet down around the time of the first frost.

Cicadas

Cicadas are large insects that emerge only during certain years in the summer to mate. There are over 190 species in North America, each with a distinct chirping call.

Some of the most common cicadas include:

• Dog-day cicadas – Make a sharp, high-pitched “eee-eee-eee” call in trees during late July and August.
• Periodical cicadas – Very loud, buzzing drone that comes from millions of males in the same location.
• Conehead cicadas – Distinctive crackling or clicking call from treetops.
• Robust cicada – Makes a unique “Phaaaraoh” call.

Only male cicadas make the noise by vibrating drum-like tymbals on the sides of their abdomen. Their calls can reach over 100 decibels. The purpose is to attract females and repel other males. The males often form “choruses” that amplify the volume of sound. Cicada noise usually peaks by around 4 pm and lasts into the night.

Frogs

Many frogs also make distinct chirping sounds at night, especially during the breeding season in spring and summer. Each species has its unique vocalization to attract mates or defend territory.

Some frogs with loud, repetitive chirps include:

• Spring peepers – A small frog with a high-pitched “peep peep” call.
• Green tree frogs – Makes a two-part “eep ork” chirp.
• Cuban tree frogs – Very loud snoring or squeaking chirp.
• Gray tree frogs – Quick, bird-like trill.
• New Jersey Chorus Frogs – Raspy, rattling chirp.

Frogs call day and night but are most active after dusk when breeding activity peaks. Their calls can be heard from ponds, marshes, trees, or even rain gutters where they congregate. If you have standing water on your property, that is likely where frog chirping will originate.

Katydids

Katydids are another insect group known for their mating calls at night during summer and early fall. They produce sound by rubbing their forewings together to create a chirp or vibrating their wings to create a tremolo.

Common katydids with distinctive chirping include:

• True katydids – Loud, continuous buzzing or whirring.
• Fork-tailed bush katydids – Rapid, steady ticking sound.
• Greater angle-wing katydids – Harsh tremolo.
• Oblong-winged katydids – High-pitched zipper or sewing machine-like trill.

Katydids are masters of camouflage but can sometimes be spotted on bushes, grasses, or tree leaves. Their calls ramp up after sunset and continue overnight. The choruses can be quite loud, with overlapping chirps and trills from dozens of individuals.

Identifying Nocturnal Chirpers

Telling apart all the nighttime chirpers takes practice, but there are a few distinguishing features to listen for:

• Timing – Cicadas and katydids peak in early evening while crickets and frogs go all night.
• Location – Tree and bush chirps indicate cicadas or tree frogs while ground chirps signal crickets or chorus frogs.
• Pitch – Crickets and katydids produce higher-pitched chirps than the lower croaks of frogs.
• Pattern – Repeating chirps likely come from crickets while pulsating tremolo signals katydids.
• Loudness – Cicadas and Cuban tree frogs are among the loudest.

Here is a table summarizing some key features to distinguish common nighttime chirpers:

Dealing with Noisy Chirpers

For most people, the chirping of crickets, frogs, cicadas, and katydids is simply part of the natural soundscape on summer nights. But for light sleepers, the incessant noise can become an annoyance.

Here are some tips if noisy nighttime chirpers are keeping you up:

• Use earplugs or listen to white noise from a fan or sound machine to drown out the ambient chirping.
• Make sure windows are closed and sealed tight at night.
• Use window air conditioners or fans to mask outdoor sounds.
• Remove standing water sources like ponds or buckets where frogs congregate.
• Turn on exterior lights at night or use motion-activated lighting to deter chirpers near the home.
• Trim back vegetation and clear tall grasses around the home to reduce katydid and cricket habitat.
• Use traps around the home to catch crickets and cicadas.
• Apply pesticide sprays to vegetation as a last resort if noise is excessive.

In most cases, the nighttime chirping only lasts a few months until cold weather arrives. But taking some simple noise-blocking steps can help you stay sane even on the loudest summer nights.

Conclusion

Chirping noises at night come from a variety of insects and frogs advertising for mates or defending territories. Crickets, katydids, cicadas, and frogs are the most common culprits. Identifying the species comes down to carefully listening for location, pitch, pattern, timing, and loudness of the call. While the choruses can be annoying for some, for most the sounds are a reminder of the vibrant biodiversity on summer nights.