Outdoor insect sounds at night - in the winter?

The other day when the sun was out, and it got above freezing, several insets came out at my house.

could be a bat…

There are several insect varieties that appear and are active during winter time. Tell me, what part of the world are you in?

I live on the Swedish west coast and here, I’ve been hearing something similar to what you describe; tiny high-frequency noises, very fast chirps or buzzes. I believe they must be coming from some kind of insect, but I’m not sure.

These sounds don’t seem to occur during summer, though. They start sometime early fall and end sometime mid–end November. Very few people seem to be able to hear them, as most of the people I’ve been talking to haven’t heard them (and no, I don’t think I’m insane).

It could be crickets or whatever in your basement.

This is in the country, mountain-top—woodsy area, greater Washington DC area. It really does sound a little like crickets, I don’t happen to have a basement, just a crawl space. The sounds seem more to be coming from higher up – in the branches of the trees.

There are definately bats in the area Candide – I don’t see them this time of year, but they are around. Thought they would be hibernating too.

Global Warming…

The Polar Crickets have arrived!

I knew they would.

Sorry. But yeah, I’ve never heard of any insect that was active during the Wintertime. Most insects that live longer than two months of Summer usually migrate or hibernate when the cold sets in. Chirping sounds, from crickets, cicadas and such are mating calls, which happen during designated periods of warm weather, so if they wake up from the cracks of your basement or from within their hiding spots beneath tree bark and all to make said sounds in the dead of Winter, that’s pretty damn abnormal.

It’s either the end of the world, or some damn stoned bugs.

@citygrlincountry I think that crickets would be what you are hearing, this is the time of year when they should be re-emerging.

Could as well be some sort of alien species playing us a prank.

Well, I have lived in High Point, North Carolina for the past 10 yrs… coming from Connecticut where even the mild fall weather makes all insect life hibernate until the next 50’s plus weather I have noticed this is not so in NC. I was freaked out to see that even bees are out in temperatures above 32 Celsius! just last winter I noticed that there are many species of bugs that are adapting to the colder temperature as each decade goes by.. right now we are in full fall close to winter and the bugs have not ceased their lovely pestering while you are outside..actually they are even more aggressive in this particular time of year since vegetation is following the rules of climate and their food sources are diminishing. I have to keep my screens up year round because of the bugs here.

Interesting – I’ve noticed this Fall too that the chirpers were still chirping even after a few frosts. I enjoy listening to them – but I do admit there was something very peaceful too deep in winter when it was so quiet at night.