⚡ TL;DR: Quick Summary
- Our countdown of the noisiest insects runs: Cicadas, Flies, Crickets, Bees, Katydids, and Longhorned Beetles at number one.
- Insects make noise in three main ways: vibrating a body part called a tymbal (cicadas), beating their wings rapidly (flies and bees), or stridulating, which means rubbing two body parts together (crickets, katydids and longhorned beetles).
- The loudest insect ever recorded is an African cicada, Brevisana brevis, at 106.7 decibels, according to Guinness World Records.
- Cicadas are loudest on hot afternoons, while crickets and katydids do most of their singing after dark.
- Several of these noisy insects, especially flies, crickets and bees, can become genuine indoor pest problems in Perth homes, particularly as the weather cools.
Do you hear that? That music being broadcast outside your window of chirps, tweets and thumps is a full-on symphony of insects belting out their own unique tunes. Some are peaceful and serene; others are loud and boisterous. No matter the melody, we’re counting down the loudest insects in this month’s Top 6: Noisy Insects.
How Do Insects Actually Make These Sounds?
🔊 Tymbal Vibration
Used by cicadas. A drum-like membrane called a tymbal is rapidly buckled in and out to produce that unmistakable rattle.
🪽 Wing-Beat Buzz
Used by flies and bees. Rapid wing beats vibrate the surrounding air, creating the buzz we hear as they fly past.
🎻 Stridulation
Used by crickets, katydids and longhorned beetles. One body part is rubbed or scraped against another, like a bow across a violin string.
Cicadas
The sound of the cicada is highly recognizable when summer rolls around. Sounding like a high-pitched rattle, this mating call sung by the males is the result of vibrating a part of their body called the tymbal. By doing this, cicadas are able to make loud noises, and groups of them can be heard from more than a mile away. Wow.
Important: Cicadas hold the official record for loudest insect in the world. According to Guinness World Records, the African cicada (Brevisana brevis) produces a calling song measured at 106.7 decibels from 50cm away, roughly as loud as a chainsaw. Cicadas are also most active, and loudest, during the hottest part of a summer afternoon.
Flies
You know the sound. It’s common and all too annoying: you’re enjoying your favorite television show, and a fly buzzes past your head like a fighter pilot. The sound, like a miniature airplane propeller, is from the beating of their wings. These fast flappers can beat their wings about 200 times a second, allowing them to fly up to 4.5 miles per hour.
Related: Flies | How Do Flies See the World?
Crickets
Another common sound of summer is that of the cricket. They’re even named after the high-pitched chirping sounds males make to attract females. When crickets rub their front wings together, this long chirping sound is amplified by the wing’s surface. What’s even more interesting? Cricket chirps can be used to calculate temperature by the number of sounds they make in a fifteen-second period, making them the weather forecaster of the insect world.
Related: Crickets
Bees
Everyone knows bees buzz. You can hear when they’re zooming overhead looking for a flower to munch on, or when they congregate into large groups in hives. Just like flies, they rapidly beat their wings — creating vibrations in the wind. This is the buzz humans hear when they fly by. Some bees — namely bumblebees — can also vibrate their bodies. They do this when visiting flowers to shake pollen off. Pollination occurs when the pollen is disbursed by vibration at the next flower the bees visit.
Related: Bees
Katydids
Not only are they masters of disguise; they also know how to sing quite the tune. The song of the katydid is one that can be heard outside of any household. Almost like an increasing static resonance, katydids are able to produce this sound on a broadband level by rubbing their forewings together. This rubbing vibration has been compared to sounding like “katy did, katy didn’t,” hence their name.
Longhorned Beetles
Claiming the top spot of our noisy critter rundown is the longhorned beetle. With a hefty appetite for hardwood trees, this beetle’s noisy demeanor results from scraping the ridges on their head against their bodies. This produces a truly creepy, static-like squeaking sound that can only be described as rubbing two pieces of styrofoam together, which is like nails on a chalkboard for some people.
Warning: If you’ve ever wondered what bug makes that eerie squeaking or scraping sound inside a wall or roof cavity, the longhorned beetle is a common culprit. Because their larvae feed inside timber, a persistent scraping noise from structural wood is worth having checked, since it can point to hidden timber pest activity rather than a harmless outdoor insect.
Bonus: The Tarantula Hawk Wasp
Just outside our top 6, the tarantula hawk wasp deserves an honourable mention for its deep, low buzz, produced the same way as bees and flies through rapid wing beats. It is one of the largest wasps found in Australia and its buzz is often the first warning sign of its presence before it is ever seen. Read more in our dedicated article on the tarantula hawk.
Day or Night: When Are These Insects Loudest?
Not every noisy insect keeps the same hours. Knowing when to expect each one can help explain what’s making that racket outside your window, or inside your home.
☀️ Cicadas: loudest during hot, sunny afternoons in summer.
🌙 Crickets and Katydids: most vocal from dusk through the night, which is why they’re often the noise people hear once the house goes quiet.
🌤️ Flies and Bees: active during daylight hours when they’re out foraging.
🕐 Longhorned Beetles: can be heard scraping inside timber at almost any hour, since the sound comes from larvae feeding rather than daylight activity.
When a Noisy Insect Becomes a Pest Problem
Most of the sounds on this list are simply nature’s soundtrack. But a few of these insects, particularly crickets, flies and bees, can move from background noise to genuine household nuisance, especially as crickets seek warmth indoors during Perth’s cooler months, or when bees establish a hive somewhere on the property.
📞 When to Call a Specialist
Consider booking a professional inspection if you notice:
- Persistent cricket chirping coming from inside walls, closets, or behind furniture
- A cluster of flies indoors that doesn’t clear up with regular cleaning
- A visible bee hive forming on or near the home
- An unexplained scraping or squeaking sound coming from structural timber
Rockypest offers domestic pest control, bee control, and cricket pest control across Perth and surrounding suburbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the loudest insect in the world?
The African cicada (Brevisana brevis) holds the Guinness World Record for loudest insect, with a calling song measured at 106.7 decibels from 50cm away.
What bug makes a squeaking noise?
The longhorned beetle is one of the more common culprits, producing a static-like squeaking sound by scraping the ridges on its head against its body, often from inside timber.
What insects buzz?
Flies and bees are the classic buzzers, both producing sound by beating their wings roughly 200 times a second. The tarantula hawk wasp produces a similar, deeper buzz the same way.
What insect chirps at night?
Crickets and katydids do most of their singing from dusk onward. Crickets chirp by rubbing their front wings together, while katydids rub their forewings to produce a broadband, static-like song.
Why do insects make noise?
Most noisy insects are calling to attract a mate. Male crickets, katydids and cicadas in particular use their songs to draw in females, while the buzz of flies and bees is simply a byproduct of flight.
Are noisy insects in my home a pest problem?
Not always, but persistent cricket chirping indoors, unexplained scraping in timber, or an established bee hive on the property are all worth having inspected. See our guide above on when a noisy insect becomes a pest problem.
Sources:
“Why do bees buzz?” Scientific American
“Why are cicadas so noisy?” How Stuff Works Animals
“World’s Weirdest: Flies and Maggots” National Geographic
“Why Do Chirping Crickets Become Quiet When You Move?” About.com
“Insect Sounds: Telling Crickets, Cicadas And Katydids Apart” NPR
“The Asian Longhorned Beetle” The Nature Conservancy
Got a Noisy Pest Problem?
Rockypest has been protecting homes across Perth since 1988. We service Rockingham, Baldivis, Mandurah, Kwinana, Fremantle, Armadale, Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy, Canning Vale and greater Perth, WA.
Rockypest Pty Ltd, servicing Rockingham, Baldivis, Mandurah, Kwinana, Fremantle, Armadale, Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy, Canning Vale and greater Perth, WA, since 1988.
