Return to the Carolina Gardening Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
Posted by sqftgarden_in_wnc 7a (My Page) on Sat, Apr 28, 07 at 22:07
| Just found these guys in my partially finished garage/basement.
Don't know if I should be more freaked out by the freakishly large Cave Cricket or the large spider. Probably the Cave Cricket. The Cave Cricket population reaches epidemic proportions in the summer in my basement. Apparently the spider has been taking full advantage of that along with, I'm sure, the rest of the spider's extended family. Try and smash the cricket and it flings itself at you. Makes me scream and jump around and go "EEK!". The spider bothers me less because it is not a nuisance that I know of and is there to do its job- keep the cricket population down. BTW, I had never seen a Cave Cricket before until moving to WNC from Indiana. I about had a heart attack the first time I turned on the lights and saw them pinging around the basement. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
*ACK*! That made my skin crawl.
When any sort of large insect jumps on me, I tend to scream things a bit more....ummm, colorful (hangs head in shame). Considering I have a fear of bugs in general - and BIG bugs like those in your photo, in particular - it's a wonder I enjoy gardening as much as I do. Renee |
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
| Looks like the cast for a horror flick to me. We get the crickets in our storage building, mostly on the inside of the door. When you open the door things start hopping. Glad you have such a rational approach to the spider. He looks good to me from a distance of several feet at least! Becky |
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
| The spider was gone this morning. Same for the crickets. Guess Mr or Ms spider got a belly full. Just makes me wonder where the spider is NOW. As for the Cave crickets, our basement is inundated with literally hundreds of them throughout the summer. THEY make my skin crawl, not so much the spider. Well, maybe the spider would if it were actually on me. I just think the Cave Crickets look like some radioactive mutant bug that should be glowing ultraviolet green or something. I have seriously seen some as big as 3-4 inches long. We need to find out what they could be eating, where they are breeding or something! |
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
| The best way to control camel crickets is to really change the environment so that there is no place for them to hide, and nothing for them to eat. You also need to begin the process of sealing your home against unwelcome visitors such as these. Outside, remove excess mulch and piles of leaves. Camel crickets hide under debris of any kind, as well as piles of rocks, bricks, firewood, etc. If you are storing a bunch of stuff in your basement, they will hide amongst it all as well as feed on the boxes! Both the crickets and the spiders are nocturnal. They and ALL of their buddies are sleeping all day long, ready to come out exploring and hunting at night. |
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
| I hate those camel crickets!!! We have them from time to time in our crawl space. On the rare occasion the gross guys will make their way into the finished basement. NO FUN! Scare the willies out of any full grown adult! |
RE: Cave cricket v. Wolf spider
| | |
| Many years ago we were renting a 1930's era home. My dh had to go into crawl space to run some wire and when he flipped his headlight on there were hundreds of camel crickets inches above his face. To this day he gets creeped out by them and incessantly cleans the garage when he sees one. Heather |
|
|
|
|
