We used phenotypic manipulation experiments to test whether stridulation is necessary for effective parental care in two burying beetle species (Nicrophorus orbicollis and N. vespilloides). Our phenotypic manipulation rendered the both species silent; however, it had no detectable impact on parental performance in either species. Our results suggest that stridulation is unimportant for parental care in at least two Nicrophorus species, casting doubt upon a long‐assumed function of stridulation in the genus.