Camel Crickets
Summary: Camel crickets do not chirp so you do not know they are present. They like to linger in dark, damp places. If they are in your home, your clothes and carpets may be at risk.
Camel crickets derive their name from the humpback appearance of their bodies. They have long antennae and long, thin legs, similar to those of a daddy longlegs spider. They are usually light tan to dark brown in color.
Camel crickets, also called cave or humpback crickets, are typically ½ inch to 1-½ inches long. The main difference in appearance between camel crickets and other types of crickets is that adult camel crickets do not have wings.
How can you tell if the crickets in or around your home are camel crickets? Well, camel crickets do not chirp. So, if you are hearing chirping
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from the crickets, you most likely have been paid a visit by field crickets. You are unlikely to know you have camel crickets until you uncover one while searching the depths of a seldom-visited basement room. Camel crickets enjoy spending their time in dark, damp places and do not chirp, so they can live in a house unnoticed for long periods.
Camel crickets inhabit moist areas outdoors in places like stacks of firewood, stones, logs, and caves. They will also hide under places that provide good coverage such as beneath porches, inside sheds, and in patches of ivy.
Camel crickets cannot reproduce indoors unless they are exposed to moisture for a significant period of time. Female camel crickets lay their eggs in the soil in early spring. These eggs hatch into nymphs.
Camel crickets feed on leaf debris, paper products, and even fabrics like linens and furs. They will typically eat any kind of decaying organic matter. They become pests to humans in times of extreme weather conditions such as excessive rainfall or long periods of hot, dry weather. Because they love moist and humid areas, you can expect to see them any place where moisture is available.
Camel crickets will not cause much damage to your home unless they are permitted to live inside for long periods. If you do not act quickly to get rid of them, they may feed on clothing or linen stored in boxes in garages or basements. Camel crickets cannot bite or sting, but it is always best to deal with the infestation problem sooner rather than later.
Here are some tips for keeping camel crickets out of your home:
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Seal any gaps or cracks in windows, doors and the foundation of your home.
Tightly apply weather-stripping to the bottom of garage doors and entryways.
Keep boxes off of the ground and away from corners to make inspections easier.
Eliminate moisture inside as much as possible, especially in humid areas such as your garage, crawlspace, basement or other storage areas.
Make sure water flows away from the outside foundation of your home. Water accumulating against foundation walls may allow water to seep through foundations providing the necessary moisture and humidity required by these crickets. Installation of drainage may be required to achieve this.
Keep mulch at least one foot away from the foundation of your home.
Avoid putting shrubs or ground cover near the foundation of your home.
Avoid storing firewood against your house or underneath decks.
Place glue boards in corners and behind appliances to trap camel crickets.
If you discover camel crickets inside your home, any of the common aerosol insecticides can be used on baseboards or behind appliances. If discovered outdoors, insecticide granular baits can be used around the perimeter of your home. Chemical sprays are useful on the foundation, vents, and door thresholds. Handling pesticides is always an issue. A licensed pest control company can provide this service and eliminate the need to store unused pesticides.
Comments
courtney
16 Oct 2009, 12:48
16 Oct 2009, 12:48
we have these things in our trailer park i never seen them anywhere else i
hate them they jump on me and im afraid they are gonna jump on my son he
seems pretty intrested in them of course hes a boy and he has no fear but i
am terrified i have tried everything i can do to keep them out but they
always seem to make it in im just really frustrated i want to move everyday
this week i have had at least one sometimes two at a time and they are so
hard to kill
Loni
19 Oct 2009, 11:17
19 Oct 2009, 11:17
We have these guys in our basement and garage, and they can be HUGE!
Luckily, one of our cats LOVES to play around with them until they are
dead. Whenever I see one, I refuse to go anywhere near it. Instead, I get
my cat (the hero) to come in and get them! We live in New York and usually
see the camel crickets in the winter time. We have an exterminator who
comes regularly put the sticky pads down and this bait that will usually
lure the crickets onto the pads. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I
just want them gone!
Sharon
19 Oct 2009, 16:13
19 Oct 2009, 16:13
I killed around 5 in the past week. I also have a crawl space. They are
mainly in my bathroom and laundry. I've been living here for 19 yrs,
justed started seeing them around 4 yrs ago when I put a edition on my
house. Could we have distrubed a nest of them. They are the uglies thing
I ever saw. How can I get rid of them. I have been spraying them with
raid and hot shot. If I put raid bombs in my crawl space and bathroom will
that get rid of them? Please help!!!!!
Kristina
22 Oct 2009, 21:54
22 Oct 2009, 21:54
Glad to know that I am not alone. I have seen approx 15 in my basement this
week and have been spraying them with Lysol bathroom cleanser. I have a lot
of children's toys down there, so don't want to spray any pesticides. I
wish I knew how to attack them at the source. I need to access my basement
for laundry and I am terrified of those things.
Peter
23 Oct 2009, 16:59
23 Oct 2009, 16:59
Our terrier loves to help us get rid of these -- she is fascinated by the
way they jump and eventually kills them enough so they can be vaccuumed.
One other method is to put bowls of water in corners and put just a drop of
laundry detergent, like Tide, in the water. For some reason, the crickets
die immediately when they hit this water, whereas with plain water they can
swim for a while. Also, the glue traps work well. Just tuck them behind
your appliances, around sump holes, and underneath radiators.
Kristy
25 Oct 2009, 00:24
25 Oct 2009, 00:24
We call them jumpy bugs and these things are ridiculous. I live in WV and
they are in my basement year round, although in the fall and winter they
are in excessive amounts. A few nights ago I counted 18 and tonight I
counted 10 or more. My cats love to kill them, but even they can't keep up
with the multiplying. We've tried to get fix the dampness of the basement,
but even that doesn't work too well. Someone needs to create something
specifically to kill those suckers!
Mike
25 Oct 2009, 00:37
25 Oct 2009, 00:37
I live in a basement apartment and these things are a nuisance. I just
squashed my fifth one this week. Though I can't stop them completely, I
found the best way to exterminate them is with my broom: good reach and
they can't jump away from it.
Jae
25 Oct 2009, 08:25
25 Oct 2009, 08:25
I'm glad I finally figured out what these are. They are primarily in my
basement but I have started seeing them on the main and upper levels as
well. I dont like using pesticides and I dont want to get too close to them
so I was sucking them up with my vacuum hose. That doesnt stop them from
coming out - but its cleaner/easier than me trying to smash them to death
with the broom. I think I will try the water with laundry detergent to see
how that works. Is there a way of finding the actual source or main base
to kill them off in one shot?
davis
27 Oct 2009, 19:37
27 Oct 2009, 19:37
i REALLY hate these things...
we call them sprickets or grickets...and i am just now finding out that they actually have a "real name" i am terrified of them, those suckers are crazy!!!! they CAN jump and they just freak me out to no end. i turned the light on in my kitchen and saw three on the floor, i swear i had an anxiety attack. I have a cat and a dog...so i am scared to put bug stuff down...what do i do?!?!? is there anything pet-safe? i dont feel so alone now at least!!! ICK!!
MAYDAY MAYDAY!
we call them sprickets or grickets...and i am just now finding out that they actually have a "real name" i am terrified of them, those suckers are crazy!!!! they CAN jump and they just freak me out to no end. i turned the light on in my kitchen and saw three on the floor, i swear i had an anxiety attack. I have a cat and a dog...so i am scared to put bug stuff down...what do i do?!?!? is there anything pet-safe? i dont feel so alone now at least!!! ICK!!
MAYDAY MAYDAY!
LISA KELLY
29 Oct 2009, 10:31
29 Oct 2009, 10:31
PLEASE HELP!!!!! I found one of these disgusting creatures in my basement
and I didn't at first get that freaked out being that is was down there,
but now almost every night I go down to the basement there is one there, as
if it's waiting for me and now today there was one in my KITCHEN!!!!!!!!
Please how do I get rid of these things??????
Maddie
29 Oct 2009, 23:25
29 Oct 2009, 23:25
This is amazing. I am laughing so hard because of all the similarities in
these posts. We've all done the same things...bathroom cleaner, vacuuming,
etc. to get rid of these insects! When my husband and I first saw them we
thought we had a new mutation on our hands. Like other writers, we noticed
the "jumpers" as we call them, coming into the house after we took down our
cedar deck. It is unbelievable how they appear quietly in groups after dark
and jump towards you when you try to smash them! I'd like to know of anyone
who's had luck with getting rid of them once and for all. They don't die
easily either. I trapped one under a bowl and it was still alive after
four days! I heard a couple of them jumping around in my vacuum after
sucking them up. These things are scary!
Les
29 Oct 2009, 23:34
I have them in my basement and garage. Failing general extermination, the fastest way to catch them is to swat them with a long wet (or very damp) towel in a swift swatting action. That way you can swat them against appliances, on walls, windows (carefully) and in corners or under furniture without leaving stains. Often the first swat will knock them out. Thin I finish crushing them under the towel with my foot. Sticky boards work fine too, but there seems to be an unending number of those critters in and around the garage and boiler room.
29 Oct 2009, 23:34
I have them in my basement and garage. Failing general extermination, the fastest way to catch them is to swat them with a long wet (or very damp) towel in a swift swatting action. That way you can swat them against appliances, on walls, windows (carefully) and in corners or under furniture without leaving stains. Often the first swat will knock them out. Thin I finish crushing them under the towel with my foot. Sticky boards work fine too, but there seems to be an unending number of those critters in and around the garage and boiler room.
Allison
30 Oct 2009, 15:11
30 Oct 2009, 15:11
The camel crickets are living large in the stone foundation basement of my
1904 Victorian. I call them my "aliens". Get used the idea that they ARE
HARMLESS though they will startle you. The dog has great fun dispatching
the occasional cricket that hops upstairs. A shop vac works well to keep
their numbers down during these damp fall months.
Bugged
30 Oct 2009, 19:20
30 Oct 2009, 19:20
Found 1 in basement, then 7 . Then in front doorway-living room, then one
was on my daughters neck IN HER BED !!! ( no one got any sleep that night)
Sprayed entire house along walls and baseboards and basement, still MORE
showed up. Put glue traps by a door in basement, caught 15 in one day. I
give up. ORKIN MAN HELP !!!!!
stephanie
31 Oct 2009, 16:52
31 Oct 2009, 16:52
just started seeing them a few weeks ago, they are absoluetly nasty. never
seen anything like it in my life and they are everywhere, first just the
washroom, then the bathroom, now the living room i think i will die if i
see one in my bedroom, how to kill these nasty creatures???
Cameron
01 Nov 2009, 19:37
01 Nov 2009, 19:37
We have had then for a long time in our basement and they are really weird.
We actually have had then for a while and they are getting kind of
annoying. Sometimes they even get into the sink .
Argh!
Argh!
Matt
02 Nov 2009, 12:11
02 Nov 2009, 12:11
Our garage has been plagued with these pesky critters.
I purchased some glue boards from Home Depot ($4 for a pack of 4 in the insect repelant section), and set them overnight in my garage. The next morning I found around 30 of the bugs stuck to the 4 boards.
These glue boards are the cheapest and easiest way I've found of keeping these critters under control.
I purchased some glue boards from Home Depot ($4 for a pack of 4 in the insect repelant section), and set them overnight in my garage. The next morning I found around 30 of the bugs stuck to the 4 boards.
These glue boards are the cheapest and easiest way I've found of keeping these critters under control.
Ask the Exterminator
02 Nov 2009, 14:16
02 Nov 2009, 14:16
People! Listen to me! Pesticides, glue boards, magical spells. None of
these work. It's the moisture that's the problem. And, don't just look for
moisture on the floor. It could be coming from moisture collecting around
the outside foundation walls and seeping slowing through the foundations.
Go outside and look! If it's wet along the foundation, it is going to cause
enough humidity in the basement to support camel crickets. It may require
an in-ground trench to carry water away from your house, but if you don't
want crickets, do it!
Jessica!
02 Nov 2009, 18:53
02 Nov 2009, 18:53
OMG. They are nasty and huge and i cant even go down in my basement with
out screaming, they climb all up on the walls and then hop down at you. its
like they want to give me a heart attack. they aren't harmless i think they
are out to get me and i need a fast and easy way to kill them because me
being the baby that i am cannot kill this Jumpers.
help! i need a man!
help! i need a man!
Laurie
02 Nov 2009, 19:34
02 Nov 2009, 19:34
We've had the occasional cricket in the past but these critters! We call
them crickets on STEROIDS! They've jumped out at me as I was getting in
the shower, and for several nights I've been greeted by a group of them
waiting for me to step into the kitchen. So far I've caught all of them
under glasses, and released a couple outside (which is what I do with stink
bugs, another pest). But now I'm killing them, even if it messes up my
karma. I live in a house built on a slab, so I'm not sure how moisture at
the foundation could be the culprit, but I will check it out. And thanks
for this informative site, Rick.
Peyton
03 Nov 2009, 10:30
03 Nov 2009, 10:30
What really makes me mad is my mom will not get an exteminator. She doesn't
think they are a big deal, but she isnt the one who has to sleep in the
basement.
Maria
03 Nov 2009, 11:56
03 Nov 2009, 11:56
I have been told that if you have an exterminator come, you have to have
them come back a few weeks later to get the new ones that hatched since
then. I have these guys in my garage, and on occasions in the house, but
definitely around water sources. LISTEN TO THE EXTERMINATOR GUY. They
love water, so you have to remove this in order to make a dent in your bug
population.
Tiffany
03 Nov 2009, 23:26
03 Nov 2009, 23:26
I would take a spider over one of these gosh forbidden nasty creatures.
They are disgustingly big, they are not afraid of humans whatsoever-I am
almost convinced they are attracted to us. I've found them on the wall,
couch area, and in a shoe-and the final straw...on my head at 4am. I don't
know what mutated combination of creatures they are but they are by far the
worst things I have ever had to deal with. I am in the process of getting
the entire basement and outside completely exterminated to the most extreme
measure possible. Wish me luck.
John
04 Nov 2009, 21:13
04 Nov 2009, 21:13
Good luck, Tiffany. Let us know about success or failure. I hate these
things--I've lost a couple sweaters to them. I would gladly pay an
exterminator if they can eradicate them.
Ask the Exterminator
05 Nov 2009, 10:10
05 Nov 2009, 10:10
Read about Velika's adventures with her camel crickets. Go to the
"Crickets" category and find her story posted as "Camel Cricket Terror".
Krystal
05 Nov 2009, 11:19
05 Nov 2009, 11:19
We just recently moved from Texas to Western Kentucky. My husband and I had
never seen these creatures before. We started just calling them mutants
because we had no clue what they were. Thankfully I also have a cat that
loves to play with them. Last night I walked into the bathroom, saw one,
walked right back out and got my cat, sat him in the bathroom and said kill
him. Thankfully, two minutes later, the job was complete!
patty
06 Nov 2009, 10:39
06 Nov 2009, 10:39
We had never had them in the past but last night I saw two of them in my
living room. Is this just a fluke or can I expect more. Also, it seems
like they show up in pairs. We had them in my house when I was a kid. My
friend tried spraying pesticide outside her home and the next morning she
had like twenty inside her home (possibly trying to get away from the
poison)
Tayvon
06 Nov 2009, 18:20
06 Nov 2009, 18:20
I had seen 1 yesterday and it took me all night to kill it.....im asking if
they bit or not
allison rogers
08 Nov 2009, 20:12
08 Nov 2009, 20:12
Allison R.
07 Nov 2009 8:08
My husband and I have been dealing with these crickets forever, they do look like spiders and I can't stand them, I call them on the spot whenever I see them, where do they come from? I grew up with waterbugs and was terrified of them, I am getting to the point where I don't like being alone in the house during the day, it is me or them. We need our drywall in the basement done and the ceiling in there closed up. My husband says that because of the cold there are coming through the crawlspace. I did have one hop on me in the upstairs bathroom one night. I don't intend to sleep in the basement at night. I just want to slaughter every one I see. I almost want an exterminator to come.
07 Nov 2009 8:08
My husband and I have been dealing with these crickets forever, they do look like spiders and I can't stand them, I call them on the spot whenever I see them, where do they come from? I grew up with waterbugs and was terrified of them, I am getting to the point where I don't like being alone in the house during the day, it is me or them. We need our drywall in the basement done and the ceiling in there closed up. My husband says that because of the cold there are coming through the crawlspace. I did have one hop on me in the upstairs bathroom one night. I don't intend to sleep in the basement at night. I just want to slaughter every one I see. I almost want an exterminator to come.
david
08 Nov 2009, 21:36
08 Nov 2009, 21:36
i sleep in the basement.....these things freak me out...one night i stepped
on one bare foot...i didnt even see it...i almost had a heart
attack.....and now that i know they eat clothes that finally explains the
holes in my NEW clothes.....i want them gone
sue
08 Nov 2009, 22:48
08 Nov 2009, 22:48
they are mutants, i swear they are a combo spider, cricket and frog, has
anyone else noticed they have what looks like a frogs belly,, i hate them
, i must see now at least 5 a day if not more in my house, please help get
rid of the mutant bugs
Robert
09 Nov 2009, 07:38
09 Nov 2009, 07:38
Moisture is sometimes a fact of life in some basements. I have a french
drain, good drainage outside around my house, No apparent cracks in my
foundation and basement walls which was just finished two years ago and I
still have moisture in my basement. Waterproofers have suggested that I
add another trench around the foundation at a cost of $26,000. Since I am
unconvinced that will correct the problem. I will live with a damp floor a
couple times a year. Are you saying there is no way to eliminate camel
crickets in this situation?
Wing
12 Nov 2009, 04:25
12 Nov 2009, 04:25
OMG, this is wild I thought I found a new insect. LOL,I just started seeing
them in my basement where I have a beauty salon at so needless to say my
clients and I are terrified they sits in the shampoo bowl like they want
there hair washed. They are in my towels they are taken over my shop i am
about to tell them they can have it. LoL. WILL THIS EVER END?
jessica
12 Nov 2009, 18:55
12 Nov 2009, 18:55
OMG!!!! I FINALLY found out what these disgusting things are!!! I
started seeing these things a few months ago in my basement, where the
laundry is and one jumped towards me and freaked me out!! I thought it
was a freaking spider and I screamed and ran upstairs and made my husband
go down and find it and thats when we discovered it was some weird mutant
spider/cricket thingy. We only saw huge ones and now my husband saw a
bunch of baby ones!!! I finally decided to look on line and try to find
out what the flip they were. At least I know we aren;t the only ones with
these freaky things!!
lindsey
12 Nov 2009, 20:45
12 Nov 2009, 20:45
Ok...I was laying on our couch in our basement watching TV and one jumped
on my face. They are gross and I want them gone!!! What do I do? Will a
dehumidifier help?
Brandy
12 Nov 2009, 23:07
12 Nov 2009, 23:07
I have these things in my home and they are gross!!! I had one in my coffee
this morning and that was the best part of wakeing up a camel toe in my cup
ARLENE
14 Nov 2009, 11:04
14 Nov 2009, 11:04
I LIVED IN THIS HOUSE FOR 45 YEARS AND JUST STARTED TO SEE THESE THINGS A
YEAR AGO.....WE CALL THEM KARATE BUGS BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE THEY ARE IN A
KARATE POSE.....I PUT GLUE PADS IN THE BASEMENT AND THEY ARE FILLED
UP..THREE CAME UP STAIRS IN THE LIVING AREA AND ONE TOOK A SHOWER WITH
ME..I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACH....WERE DID THEY COME FROM......ITS HAS TO
BE A NEW BUG
Carol
16 Nov 2009, 10:40
16 Nov 2009, 10:40
Are they good eatin'?
Alarieloe
16 Nov 2009, 18:16
16 Nov 2009, 18:16
I can't even stand cleaning up the dead bodies. Anything that is large
enough to be called a carcass should not be also called a bug.
tawnie burns
17 Nov 2009, 00:12
17 Nov 2009, 00:12
Eeeeeew!!! How disgusting! These camel crickets look like aliens and I am
so scared of them! YUCK! I have killed about a dozen now, just in the past
month!
Robert Hall
17 Nov 2009, 10:25
17 Nov 2009, 10:25
All of these stories are so familiar. Glad to know that we are not alone in
this. We have been dealing with them for several years now. Here in
Kentucky I use a fly swatter and glue traps. Most of the times you can
sneak up on them pretty easily but right now we are seeing two or three per
day in our half-finished (damp) basement but occassionally they are
upstairs which really scares everybody to death.
I'm just trying to learn to accept them as part of our family! lol.
I'm just trying to learn to accept them as part of our family! lol.
Erin
17 Nov 2009, 15:13
17 Nov 2009, 15:13
I am shocked to find out how many other families are suffering with these
disgusting bugs! I have had the exterminator out 3 times in the last few
months, the problem with that is for the few days after he treats, they
come back in full force and begin to invade my first & second floors
besides the basement where they began. I'm seeing a lot of you say you
"collect" them on glue boards. I honestly think I would gag to death if I
have to discard the glue board and there are a ton of these crickets on
it!! My worst fear is that they touch or "jump" onto my 20 month old son,
my husband or myself. What do we use to seal the foundation??? Silicone?
Something that can withstand rain/snow. Any suggestions??
dom
17 Nov 2009, 15:42
17 Nov 2009, 15:42
I have seen them for a year now they're the most scariest bugs ever seen i
am moving out of my apartment because of the bugs.
Trish
17 Nov 2009, 18:04
17 Nov 2009, 18:04
I just moved to Maryland and there are tons of these camel crickets in our
yard. We've been using the vaccume wand to suck up these critters & it
seems to be working rather well, not only does it catch them quickly, but
it also kills them.
Edwardo
18 Nov 2009, 02:00
18 Nov 2009, 02:00
I've read almost every comment here and I understand the exterminator's
advice. The only mystery for me is we have a very dry house. The basement
never gets truly damp, and there is a dehumidifier down there taking
moisture out of the air. We have forced hot air heat so if anything we've
always thought the upstairs needs a humidifier for the winter.
Anyway, this year I'm seeing these in the family room. There is an unused fireplace there and although no reason to think it is damp, I'm thinking that's the source. The family room is on a slab but I swear we don't have any water problem around the house. It's well drained sandy soil.
Are you saying a baseboard insecticide won't kill them? I seem to be finding one a night now.
The vacuum hose is a good way to catch them up.
Anyway, this year I'm seeing these in the family room. There is an unused fireplace there and although no reason to think it is damp, I'm thinking that's the source. The family room is on a slab but I swear we don't have any water problem around the house. It's well drained sandy soil.
Are you saying a baseboard insecticide won't kill them? I seem to be finding one a night now.
The vacuum hose is a good way to catch them up.
Ally
18 Nov 2009, 12:25
18 Nov 2009, 12:25
These bugs are the most disgusting, horrifying things I have ever seen. My
parents have them in their basement, mostly the laundry room (moist, I
suppose.) They actually jump AT you. I killed a huge one with a mop (like
someone else said, mop or broom, had a good reach, they don't see it
coming) and one of it's legs popped off. It was 1 inch long- just the LEG!
So gross, left a huge gushy mess on the floor. We put down glue traps last
night, already two in it this morning!
Garland
18 Nov 2009, 13:26
18 Nov 2009, 13:26
I have read every comment here and I am so glad to find that I am not alone
with my feelings towards these bugs! I have water that collects under my
deck and I believe these monsters have found a breeding spot. I found one
in my laundry room two days ago and then another headed up my basement
steps this morning. I AM DECLARING WAR ON THESE HIDEOUS CREATURES!!! I'm
double sealing the walls in my garage, spraying my baseboards and carpet
corners, laying down sticky traps, spraying outside poison, and working on
eliminating my sitting water problem! These things are nasty looking and
if they're not going to help with the mortgage, then they have to go!!!
Charlie
19 Nov 2009, 09:45
19 Nov 2009, 09:45
I live on Long Island and like everyone else I have just started with these
freaks of nature in my basement. I have come to really hate these aliens
and use my hockey stick to kill them when I get them in open space. They
have turned me into a crazy hunter in my own house and I not only kill them
I squish the hell out of them. Anyone come up with a good poisen??
Susan
20 Nov 2009, 01:51
20 Nov 2009, 01:51
I havent stopped cracking up yet!! Like everyone else here I am freaking
out!!! I have most of my clothes hanging in the basement,so I am very
worried about that, now that I hear they like to eat clothes!! When I first
saw one I had a Heart Attack!! I thought it was a HUGE SPIDER at first
glance!!! I have many kitties, so if and when one of them thinks about
venturing up from the deep deep dark dark deep dark basement they have a
Big Surprise!!! LOL.. however, I am very disappointed that there is NO EASY
WAY to kill and/or get rid of these creatures!! I currently rent, so good
luck trying to get the landlord to spend a small fortune to get rid of
bugs.. If I ever find something that works I will be sure to share it with
my fellow heart attack victims!!!
pat
20 Nov 2009, 12:43
20 Nov 2009, 12:43
i have these gross bugs in my basement too! i have a crawl space under an
existing part of the house. the hose is on the outside in that same area.
what i have decided to do is close up this small window hole and get one of
those fog bombs and put it in there. hoping that will do the trick and then
to deflect the hose drippings away from the foundation. also i heard here
that ant spray helps , i am going to spray that on the affected area. i
dont care if it kills the grass, i just want to get rid of these bugs. the
cat catches them and she tortures them by pulling off 2 legs so they cant
walk and guess who has to clean them up.:) oh by the way, dont squish
them, they stain the carpets. i have noticed these things the past 2
winters.
Les
20 Nov 2009, 14:07
20 Nov 2009, 14:07
Hope this helps:
In our house, when these critters which were initially only in the garage and basement started migrating upstairs into the house (kitchen, living and bed rooms), I carefully analyzed all possible entries and concluded that it must be the air conditioning (and heating) floor registers (vents). I was right. I lifted the floor register in the kitchen and found a couple lurking there. I covered all the registers with mosquito netting. I cut the netting and taped it neatly it to all the registers (netting on apparent side and duct tape on the underside) so it is practically not noticeable. Before I put the registers back in place, I sprayed each opening with Raid. I no longer find the buggers upstairs, especially since I emptied, fogged, aired and re-installed the bedroom as well.
If taping mosquito netting to the registers is too much work, it is possible to buy "air filters" (from Lowes, for example) that fit in the registers. These filters are meant to clean the air entering the room, but also block the passage of any beasts, so you kill birds with one stone as they filter the Raid you may have sprayed into the opening and you won't need netting.
By the way, I also fogged and aired the garage and basement. I'm sure I haven't elminated the problem entirely, but at least I hope to keep them from visiting upstairs again.
Good luck.
In our house, when these critters which were initially only in the garage and basement started migrating upstairs into the house (kitchen, living and bed rooms), I carefully analyzed all possible entries and concluded that it must be the air conditioning (and heating) floor registers (vents). I was right. I lifted the floor register in the kitchen and found a couple lurking there. I covered all the registers with mosquito netting. I cut the netting and taped it neatly it to all the registers (netting on apparent side and duct tape on the underside) so it is practically not noticeable. Before I put the registers back in place, I sprayed each opening with Raid. I no longer find the buggers upstairs, especially since I emptied, fogged, aired and re-installed the bedroom as well.
If taping mosquito netting to the registers is too much work, it is possible to buy "air filters" (from Lowes, for example) that fit in the registers. These filters are meant to clean the air entering the room, but also block the passage of any beasts, so you kill birds with one stone as they filter the Raid you may have sprayed into the opening and you won't need netting.
By the way, I also fogged and aired the garage and basement. I'm sure I haven't elminated the problem entirely, but at least I hope to keep them from visiting upstairs again.
Good luck.
Debi
20 Nov 2009, 19:00
20 Nov 2009, 19:00
This is too funny and I'm glad I'm not the only one! No one around here
hasn't a clue what I'm talking about! I've tried describing them as a
frogs head with cricket legs, all that I got was strange looks, until I
found them on the web about a month after they invaded my basement about 2
years ago. My daughter discovered one taking a ride on our printer catridge
while fixing a paper jam...oh the shrill! The usually stay in the basement
but every now and then they must hitch a ride upstairs. As I was preparing
to exit the shower one day I got the surprise of my life when one was
looking right at me sitting beside my towel..my husband thought I was being
murdered..I don't know about you but creep crawlies are one thing, but
creepy crawlies when naked is a total different ball game! Too funny..I'm
not afraid of them anymore, they're just annoying. Oh and my youngest uses
the broom method of terminating these ugly buggers! Going to try the Tide
and sticky traps, will let you know how it goes! Good Luck everyone...