I have crickets in my compost pile

[WhiteTara]

what's going on? Should I be alarmed? There are lots, dozens I would say.

[Denninmi]

1. Not a problem, They're a good thing in there.

They're scavengers as well as herbivores, and are just cleaning up debris and turning it into biomass. Their droppings will enhance the compost, and eventually they will be eaten by something higher up on the foodchain.

Now, in your basement, they'd be a problem. In the compost, they're a good thing. If you have any pets that eat them, or fish, it's like gold, you can capture them. I keep various kinds of birds, button and coturnix quail, chickens, ducks, turkeys, they all LOVE a nice cricket treat, as well as other bugs like Japanese beetles and grasshoppers.

[WhiteTara]

2. thanks for the input

it's good to know that. I've never had anything but worms in my compost before. Someday I'll have chickens to feed the beetles to!