For those who think that cricket isn't popular in Bulgaria, this is not the case. Many have been stumped as to why this year in particular many Bulgarian homes have been bowled over with the invasion of this cricket. 
The cricket field is to blame as the hard and cracked surface without any signs of greenery have led to a very attacking formation all closed into the defense of the batmen on guard. It really has turned into cricket in the Bulgarian home.
Let me make this more clear.......
Many areas of Bulgaria and certainly, rural homes in the southeast of Bulgaria have been swarmed with black field crickets.
Many people including Bulgarians have been deep in talk about the problem and many are forced to spend out, (a rare occurance in villages) on poison to control the numbers that invade their homes. Literally bucket fulls of these creatures make their way int the home and buildings making it a nightmare for those who fear these relatively harmless insects.
This started around the beginning of July and has been caused by the very poor season of sunflowers, sweetcorn, and many other crops that should have been in their prime at this time. The poor field crickets, aptly named, now find themselves without their normal source of food such as seeds, plants, or other smaller insects. They are known to feed on grasshopper eggs, pupae of moths, butterflies and flies, even stealing webbed spiders' meals. This is conclusive evidence that crickets have a positive affect in the field of action.
So a lack of natural diets lead the Bulgarian field cricket community to find other sources of food and inevitably the homes and buildings are a rich alternative source for them where so many other foods supplies and insects hang out.
If you can imagine the areas of agricultural land surrounding tiny villages, especially in southeast an region of Bulgaria. The southeast of Bulgaria has the least density in population in comparison to other regions added to which being the most industrious in agricultural activities. These facts are a double whammer with the cricket problem creating an unprecedented situation where literally swarms of Bulgarian field crickets now have no option other than to look for other sources of food to survive.
Where does this leave the country dweller? Well the vast majority of these invaded household just sweep them away every few hours, cats, chickens, other wildfowl and mice love them for food so the outbuilding are pretty much taken care of themselves. The biggest problem is actually in the living area where of course in Bulgaria no livestock or pets or otherwise are allowed. This is a human problem and as far as the Bulgarian dweller is concerned just another chore to deal with as part of the daily routine. This has happened before in poor seasons and is accepted as part and parcel of country living.
The ways into a home include open doors, gaps in poorly fitted doors, windows and cracks windows and window frames, through the foundations or siding. Other entry points are from attics and light fittings, chimney vents and poorly fitted ceiling coving. The typical Bulgarian home have many access points in the nature of their Bulgarian build therefore gifting their homes to these invading field crickets now making their way to the crease.
It has to be said that well renovated homes built to western European standards have much less of a problem and the only real prevention to be made is keeping the doors windows shut. This is not really any hardship it fly screen are part of that renovation and most fitting and fixtures should be relatively water tight against the straight walls and ceiling built with plumb lines in place. What these crickets have done is become a barometer as to how well your house have been renovated!
Other preventions can be put in place of course. The only really affective one laying powdered insecticide around the perimeter of the home and just sweeping up the remains each morning scattered around. Inside the house I don't like using poison so on the odd occasion I see one I use a rechargeable hand hover and give the contents to the chickens in the morning.
Fortunately this is a game of limited overs and the cricket season ends basically with the first cold night, the numbers will decrease leading up to this and all will eventually die with the first frost. Next year is another season where hopefully the popularity of cricket int Bulgarian homes will stay firmly on Sky Sport TV. Mind you, some prefer the Bulgarian insect type to the actual game!
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