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| From In the Garden |
Mr. Fix-it helped me to identify these crickets. At first he thought they may have been mole crickets; which would have been just as bad. Upon further research we have identified them as cave/camel crickets. Cave/camel crickets like dark and damp areas. They do not chirp and can barely see-figures since they live in caves. My outdoor building is similar to a cave since it is dark and damp due to all the recent rains. In fact the shed was so dark I did not know what kind of insects these really were until my flash caught their mugs. The cave crickets must find the area to their liking because there were quite a few of them. Each time I would open the shed door I would hear a rustling and some movement-creepy. I just chocked it up to the field mice because we also have them in the shed. Nope, not on this day. It was the crickets and my oh my do they ever scuttle and make some intimidating noises! And don't disturb them-if you do be prepared to shriek and run because it is not a pleasant sight to have these ugly things jumping at you....
in the garden....I'm still shaking from my encounter! Grasshoppers have nothing on these fellas! But hubby says they would make good fishing bait. Perhaps he'll go take them away?? Nah, he's busy in his gargage-no crickets there:)
This past weekend was my houseplant-return-to-the-house day. It is not a chore I look forward to. In years past I always brought a cricket or two in, the kind that keep you up chirping at night until the cats find it. This year I did a much better job of cleaning out the pots and no annoying chirps. Have a great day and don't let a little bug(s) bother you!
ReplyDeleteTina, it doesn't matter where you have been or what you have endured, TOO many of anything like this cannot give you a good feeling. By the way, we may have heard you shriek!
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty creepy looking, what's that point on the rearend for?!? Hard to believe such a little creature can make so much noise but I'm sure together it is most unpleasant.
ReplyDeleteVile, Vile bugs! In Nashville we had a cricket in our bathroom, never did find that blasted thing! Cave crickets are scary, even if they don't chirp! That story about Iraq, Tina, wow. I saw a show on TV where they sold scorpions in matchboxes for competitive fights, come to think of it they might have done it with crickets too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_fighting Very popular in Asia.
ReplyDeleteWe had them, too in our shed! There is something REALLY creepy about them! I think I might turn the portable dehumidifier on to dry out the space and see if they go away! gail
ReplyDeleteIck, I'd be screaming, too! In fact, I probably wouldn't go back out to the shed until winter! Anything that jumps on me gives me the creeps. Hope you don't need anything out of that shed for awhile:)
ReplyDeleteThey do look like creepy little alien bugs don't they! They probably would make good bait.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Tina. I have ants that build up through the wall & floor of my shed. Gross!!! Yea, grass too.
ReplyDeleteThose sure look alien. I don't think I'd like them around.
Hi Dawn, hope you aren't too cold. Snow--nasty stuff after awhile.
Morning Jean, how are your doing. Do you have any flowers left?
Hi Skeeter, guess you are about wet by now. Hope you have a nice Fall.
Hi Anonymous, I guess the kiddies are keeping you pretty busy. Lil Bundle must be growing like a weed.
Hi Nina, I guess you have repaired your garden already. That sure was strange.
I've been out due to virus in puter. Hope all is ok now.
I hope all have a wonderful day.
Les, Good job on cleaning out the pots. That is a toughy getting all the bugs gone.
ReplyDeleteDarla, I was a bit embarrassed by the shriek I tell you but when they started jumping-yikes!
Dawn, I am not sure what the pointy thing is and hadn't even noticed before you pointed it out. They are harmless to humans though so don't sting to the best of my knowledge.
Lzyjo, I can tell you first hand these matches do take place. The guys put the insects in a round plastic bowl. It was sickening but provided great entertainment for them in the desert. People will do anything for entertainment.
Gail, I have eliminated them from my shed. I left the door open and cleaned out the shed and removed the tarp and axe and other habitats in there for them. I am so glad no rustling anymore. Good luck with the humidifier. It should work but I think just adding lights would be helpful too.
Rose, it was not a pretty sight that's for sure. I have cleaned it all up now and hope the problem has been eliminated.
Dave, I had never seen them before and they were really something once I calmed down.
Lola, Well hello! Welcome back!! Hope your virus is fixed and does not come back to the computer.
Good morning, I'm not real squeamish either but not happy about insects crawling on me. Ick!!!
ReplyDeleteLol Tina! We used to feed these to our frog. They are a bit creepy! But tasty little morsel for a fish maybe?
ReplyDeleteAll that chirping can be nerve wracking. Plus I would of been freaking out if things started jumping out at me in the dark too. ;)
ReplyDeleteTina, be glad they were not cavemen!
ReplyDeleteWe occasionally have crickets in the house. I will have to look up the difference between camel crickets and cave crickets. The cooler weather brings some bugs into the house.....ugh!
ReplyDeleteNope, I do not like those kind either, and we have had several types around. When we find them hubby opens up the place and lets the chickens go after them!!!!
ReplyDeleteTake Care!
Ulrike
ok, read it incorrectly--not mole cricket! We have camel crickets come in somehow into the downstairs bath. One at a time.
ReplyDeleteMarnie, They were pretty ick for sure.
ReplyDeleteRosey, Hubby says they'll make a great snack for some critter-frogs are welcomed.
Racquel, It was pretty scary for sure.
Tatyana, For sure!
Janet, I looked up camel crickets and I believe they are the same as cave crickets. They sure look the same. They are icky!
Ulrike, They would be great snacks for chickens-a perfect exterminator!
I don't picture you as the squeamish type so it's hard to imagine you shrieking :) . Although I know I would be running and tripping over tools on my way out of where those guys where. Hope they find somewhere else to live!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I've seen them before. I think I'm rather glad I haven't. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog recently.
ReplyDeleteI think the creep rustling sound would be the worst part of it... I hope they find a real cave to live in!
I would move out of the shed and let them have it. Those are some creepy bugs.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic you post on Crickets today Tina! Crickets were our main topic of conversation yesterday! It was a beautiful day and we took off to the lake for some fishing and relaxation. We found the bait store was empty of crickets so no fishing for a disappointing Saint and me. Sigh, Now here you go flaunting your crickets this morning! lol Ah, if only we had your crickets yesterday. But everything happens for a reason I always say. So with lack of crickets for fishing, we got off the lake early and were able to get to a sign-up for free tickets to a concert and my name was drawn and I won the tickets! No crickets got us off the lake and I won the tickets… See, everything does happen for a reason….
ReplyDeletenow that you know they are harmless, are you still scared of them?
Yuck! I hate crickets. We get some that look similar in our house. They sneek under the front door. ewewewew
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
ReplyDeleteI would have screamed alongside you!
Like you, I am not squeamish about bugs as long as I am not surprised by them jumping at me.
Oh Tina, there not that bad... I have never seen those particular crickets. Okay I don't know what I'm talking about. I have no idea how big they are. Oh, well, I am going to go for a run, so lets hope I don't run into any of these guys!
ReplyDeleteThey are creepy and I an usually not scared of anything but I don't like to have bugs on me. It is worse when it is unexpected.
ReplyDeleteEwwwww! Having something like that jump at me would freak me out. Of course once I realized they were only crickets I'd calm down. It's the surprise factor that always gets me.
ReplyDeleteOh my senior mind is good today. When I saw Lola on Dawn's blog I meant to say hi and that I have been missing her. Came here and did the same thing so had to come back. I hope the puter stays good now Lola. Yes I actually do still have some flowers. Mostly Cosmos but a few others. Not bad for nearly the middle of November in Maine. Can't complain. Hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteTina, they are ookier than the normal black crickets... it's funny what freaks one out. I was totally freaked out by that snapping turtle even though it never snapped at me. There was just *some*thing about its look that inherently freaked me.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, You are so right. I'm not squeamish at all but I did let out a shriek when they jumped. Not like that would've helped but it just slipped out.
ReplyDeleteSweetbay, If you do you'll know them now for sure.
Jackie, You are welcomed! One of these days I plan to try a ground cherry.
Megan, Creepy indeed!
Skeeter, I had plenty-they've since moved on-hopefully to some fish? Congrats on winning the tickets! You lucky lady you! Still scared, nah, but I'd not like them jumping at me nonetheless.
Flwrgirl, They may be the same as cave crickets do come in houses but usually the basements. They are ick indeed.
AZ Plant Lady, You are so right! It was the jumping and the not knowing factor that got the reaction from me. I'll be prepared next time-if there ever is one.
Zach, Not so big but bigger than most crickets and there were a good 20 of them. Ick!
Mom, That was the thing-I couldn't even see them clearly. They made me jump for sure and run out of the shed. Too funny.
Jackie, So glad you are feeling better!
Monica, We never know what will get us until the unpredictable and unknown comes at us and this surely got me. Only one other thing got me as well and that was when a vole jumped on my pant leg trying to get away from BJ-I let out a whoop then too an kicked that thing off. Yikes!
I say I don't like too many of anything! Especially if they have many legs, can fly, bite, suck, crawl, jump... you get it! I'm glad you hubby can use them :-)
ReplyDeleteTyra
Scary! I can see why you got freaked out. I, too, would have shrieked if a bunch of those little critters jumped at me. Good idea to use them as bait for fishing.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina -oh what a boys dream you had there, hehehe. Sidekick LOVES to catch as many as he can -yesterday he found a worm while I was cleaning out the side flowerbed. Well....I didn't see it and swept it away -poor lil guy cried his eyes out looking for it. Oh my what a boy!!! Today I finished up around the house and pool -clipped everything back and cleaned out weeds -it felt good to clean it up:) I still have a ton more to do on the outer yards but eventually it will get done. This weather has been amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Skeeter -did you see my Halloween kiddos? Congrats on winning:)
Hi Lola -glad you are back up and running -it's crazy how much we miss these computers when they get all messed up on us. My Lil Bundle is growing so fast -it's incredible how they grow -super quick and always watching Sidekick to see what he is doing, lol.
Hi Jean -hope you are still having fall weather and none of that cold stuff yet.
Off to check on kiddos, pack up backpacks and prep for the morning, ciao y'all!
Oh Tina, I feel your pain...but I have to deal with these damn things INSIDE the house! They are a horrible pain...but we get them in our FINISHED basement. Even our pest control company can't completely eradicate them. We have sticky/glue traps hidden all around in the entire basement: bedroom, bathroom, exercise rm, kitchen, rec rm, etc. Don;t know how they get in down there but they do. I've even found a few upstairs on the main level. I've learned to sneak up on them with a shoe and wack them. They aren't pretty when they're squished but it's my way of getting them quickly. Ugly, gross and eerie, yes--that's how I feel about them!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, your photos of them are the same as our Camel Crickets. I hate them.
ReplyDeleteI call them hump backs. Found one in my living room last night...they jump straight up and I hate them. Get them every year plus the reg ones.
ReplyDeleteBomb those gross bugs !!!!
Oh, my! Look at those legs! I wouldn't want those jumping on me!
ReplyDeleteI just moved to Tennessee. Came home tonight to one of these creepy critters on the wall directly above my bed -- EEEEK! I am a total bug-o-phobe and this one nearly made me sick. I sucked it up with the vacuum and immediately dumped the dirt cup outside -- hopefully with a dead bug in it! A little nervous about sleeping now! I might try that dehumidifier idea -- and my new kitty's coming home soon. =) I hate to think that there might be _more_ of these things! Ugh! I've read that they do bite but are apparently not poisonous...
ReplyDeleteSissy, The cave crickets were easy to get rid of so don't worry. I'm sure once they are gone they won't return. Lots of light helps too as they prefer darkness. Good luck and welcome to Tennessee! I hope it goes better from now on!
ReplyDelete