79K OtherDec 31, 2018 Man Accidentally Unleashes 250 Crickets In His House And People Are In Tears With Laughter Ilona Baliūnaitė BoredPanda staff Open list comments 64 Vote arrow up Vote arrow down 272 Open list comments 64 Checkmark Link copied! Share icon Share Checkmark Link copied! Share icon Share Modal close ADVERTISEMENT When I was a child growing up in rural Australia, there was one summer that was particularly memorable. A biblical plague of insects took over our small town, at one stage swarming so busily that a single air-swipe with a tennis racket left the strings oozing with smelly cricket carcasses. My friend and I would catch as many as we could and feed them to the blue-tongued lizards living around our houses, hoping that if we fed them enough we could make them grow into Godzilla-like creatures that we could take to school and scare our classmates with. Sadly, they simply got fat and lazy. But boy did they love eating those crickets! So when Washington Post reporter Christopher Ingraham and his family adopted a young bearded dragon lizard recently, the first thing he did was make a bulk order for live crickets. The crickets soon arrived by FedEx, and a mixture of Christopher’s naivety and inexperience combined to unleash his own personal plague on the family house, leaving his wife in despair and his Twitter followers in tears of laughter. Scroll down below to read the chaotic cricket catastrophe below, and let us know what you think in the comments! Share iconImage credits: jalexartis Share iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingraham “This was a conundrum. There was no immediate way for me to transfer 250 clearly active and ravenously hungry crickets from the box to the shallow plastic container we store them in at home. The only solution would be to grab a spare fish tank we had out in the shed, which would take a bit of time, requiring a trip outside in the deep snow and chilling cold. Back at my desk, after all, I had a nearly finished story that was due to my editor. Rather than upend my workday for the sake of $11.50 worth of Internet crickets, I decided to retape the box and store it in a secure location until I had time to deal with it”ADVERTISEMENTShare iconImage credits: _cingraham“Besides my wife, Briana, and I, our house is home to 5-year-old twins, a 1-year-old, three large cats, one beagle-basset mix and one lizard. There was only one place where I thought I could put the cricket box without it getting overturned or split open by a child or an animal: the bathroom adjacent to our kitchen. I put the crickets in the cabinet above the toilet and went back to work. For about 20 minutes, everything was quiet”Share iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: fotologicShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamADVERTISEMENTShare iconADVERTISEMENTImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconADVERTISEMENTImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: _cingrahamShare iconImage credits: Christopher Ingraham“Our dragon, whom we named Holly, eats a lot, and the thing she loves to eat most is crickets (typically about 10 a day, in addition to other things like mealworms and vegetables). Briana later told me that she first realized something was terribly wrong when one of the cats suddenly leaped on to a pumpkin pie that had been warming on the countertop. It was going after an unusually large cricket that was munching the filling. I’m happy to report that as of Saturday afternoon, I am alive. The lizard is well-fed. The cats are sleeping deeply. The Ingraham household is finally still. But something’s chirping in the bathroom” People loved the story:Share iconADVERTISEMENTImage credits: mbspinksShare iconImage credits: the_maddawgShare iconImage credits: DavidYarussoShare iconImage credits: Trumpet1984Share iconImage credits: ThisisHogShare iconImage credits: nycsouthpawHere’s what people had to say about the hilarious incidentShare iconShare iconADVERTISEMENTShare iconShare iconShare iconShare iconShare icon Ic_puzzle Games View all games Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Share on Facebook Ilona Baliūnaitė Author, BoredPanda staff View profile Read more » I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place Read less » Ilona Baliūnaitė Author, BoredPanda staff Read more » I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place Read less » View profile Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! What do you think ? Add photo comments POST brown_panda brown_panda Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report well, they should have just ordered another box of lizards. duh. Vote comment up 56 56points Vote comment down reply Xiaolaohu Xiaolaohu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Waste not, want not! Vote comment up 9 9points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I have a similar cricket related tale. We kept a tarantula, who lived on the things. We had a secure container of crickets. However, when going on holiday for a week we thought it was kindest to let them loose outside rather than leaving them to starve, assuming they wouldnt survive the cool evenings - wrongly. We returned to find there had been an unexpected heatwave and the crickets had thrived and multiplied, infesting a dozen or so adjacent gardens.they were driving the neighbours mad with the noise at night (Crickets are not native in the UK). We kept very quiet as to where this unnatural plague had come from. Vote comment up 31 31points Vote comment down reply Xiaolaohu Xiaolaohu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Fast forward ten years to documentaries about the deforestation of Britain and construction of cricket proof fence, like Australian rabbit fence or they bring in lizard predators that adapt to "island life" mutate, become Godzilla size and attack buckingham palace. Meanwhile, you all just keep whistling and looking the other way! Vote comment up 42 42points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... Biana Weatherford Biana Weatherford Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Oh, I need to be your friend!! That's almost as hysterical as the OP! Vote comment up 7 7points Vote comment down reply Louise Lloyd-Jones Louise Lloyd-Jones Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Crickets are native to the UK. Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Kept the Koi fed for a couple of weeks anyway Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply Debbie Campbell Debbie Campbell Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report There are at least 2 species of cricket that are native to Britain, as well as grasshoppers etc. Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report really - I thought theUK ones were more grashoppers types - lived from South Coast to Scotland and never heard one. Or are the UK ones a type that dont make a distinctive noise at night? Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply Troux Troux Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report She must have been hopping mad! Vote comment up 25 25points Vote comment down reply Load More Comments POST brown_panda brown_panda Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report well, they should have just ordered another box of lizards. duh. Vote comment up 56 56points Vote comment down reply Xiaolaohu Xiaolaohu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Waste not, want not! Vote comment up 9 9points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report I have a similar cricket related tale. We kept a tarantula, who lived on the things. We had a secure container of crickets. However, when going on holiday for a week we thought it was kindest to let them loose outside rather than leaving them to starve, assuming they wouldnt survive the cool evenings - wrongly. We returned to find there had been an unexpected heatwave and the crickets had thrived and multiplied, infesting a dozen or so adjacent gardens.they were driving the neighbours mad with the noise at night (Crickets are not native in the UK). We kept very quiet as to where this unnatural plague had come from. Vote comment up 31 31points Vote comment down reply Xiaolaohu Xiaolaohu Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Fast forward ten years to documentaries about the deforestation of Britain and construction of cricket proof fence, like Australian rabbit fence or they bring in lizard predators that adapt to "island life" mutate, become Godzilla size and attack buckingham palace. Meanwhile, you all just keep whistling and looking the other way! Vote comment up 42 42points Vote comment down reply Load More Replies... Biana Weatherford Biana Weatherford Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Oh, I need to be your friend!! That's almost as hysterical as the OP! Vote comment up 7 7points Vote comment down reply Louise Lloyd-Jones Louise Lloyd-Jones Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Crickets are native to the UK. Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report Kept the Koi fed for a couple of weeks anyway Vote comment up 2 2points Vote comment down reply Debbie Campbell Debbie Campbell Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report There are at least 2 species of cricket that are native to Britain, as well as grasshoppers etc. Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply diane a diane a Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report really - I thought theUK ones were more grashoppers types - lived from South Coast to Scotland and never heard one. Or are the UK ones a type that dont make a distinctive noise at night? Vote comment up 1 1point Vote comment down reply Troux Troux Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 Round attention Svg Vector Icons : http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon Report She must have been hopping mad! Vote comment up 25 25points Vote comment down reply Load More Comments Related on Bored Panda
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