Crickets test patience of residents

The extensive presence of crickets in the central Greek city of Trikala and its adjacent areas has been a source of intense irritation and unrest among locals in recent days.

"We can't sit outside because they are everywhere. We can't open a window if we don't have screens, because they come inside the house. It's not pleasant at all in this heat," Katerina, a Trikala resident, tells Kathimerini.

"The other day we went for a walk and we didn't know where to put our feet, it was so dense. At first we mistook them for cockroaches," she adds.

Argyro Karakousi, from Trikala regional unit's Directorate of Agricultural Economy, said their offices are inundated with phone calls from irate people, some in a state of panic. 

"We understand this, but crickets do not cause any damage, and we expect a decrease in their population in the next period," she told...