Yikes!!! Spider? Cricket? Alien? Help?!?!

[gerberdaisy1234]

A couple weeks ago I found this creature in my basement that looked like a spider and a cricket's offspring. I killed it and told no one...who would believe me? But tonight I hear screams from the basement..."Get Mom, QUICK!" I run down to hear my kids calling out about this HUGE JUMPING SPIDER CRICKET thing. NO....not another one. Why do I have to be the brave one...I manage to squish it inside a bunch of paper towels. My DD wants to know if I can look closer at it to figure out what it is...I am going to have nightmares tonight.

I decided I should investigate this new intruder. I went to my Everyting Box and typed into it's all-knowing slot "spider cricket" and clicked the all-finding icon. AAAAHHHH!! Images of this creature came across the screen. I now know that it is called a CAMEL cricket or a CAVE cricket.

Has anyone had experience with this nightmarish creature? Can you give me advice? I NEVER want to see one of these in my house again. Field crickets have all gone away...until next year. Are these winter creatures? We have lived here over 11 years and have never seen them before. PLEASE SAVE US FROM THESE SPIDER CRICKETS!!!

Warning: Do not type "spider cricket" in your search engine before going to bed...you will have nightmares!

 

[cakesnkids]

Funny, we just spent a week exploring in Tennessee and knew EXACTLY what you were talking about b/c a tour guide showed us some!!

 

[cglaura]

Oh my goodness, I think I know exactly what you are talking about. And they don't act like normal crickets, they actually jump toward you, kind of tan in color with brown spots?

Camel Cricket. WARNING ---> picture on this link so don't look if insect squeamish.

I used Ortho Home Defense (they were in a shed attached to my house). You can get it at WalMart, Home Depot, etc for around $11. I also use this around all baseboards and windows inside and out. I only get 1 or 2 spiders all season, mostly after a big rain. And no ants at all.

Kills them and puts a barrier so they won't come back in. Spray every 3 months. They also like dark damp places, so if that is an issue maybe you can put a dehumidifier down there or something.

The ortho killed them for me and haven't been back in 3 years.

 

[lovetoscrap]

We call them sprickets. They have been a popular topic on the DIS in the past!

 

[monkeybug]

Yes! We are in Maryland as well and are all too familiar now with the "Spider Cricket" Yuck!!!
We have been here for 2 years now and they still totally freak me out! My husband had one crawling down his back and almost fell down the stairs the other day, and when my brother came to visit, he woke up one morning with something strange looking on his pillowcase. A spider cricket leg! A huge disgusting spider cricket leg. On his pillowcase! Right next to were his mouth was! Guess one came up to cuddle and didn't make it out in one piece! My neighbor swept her kitchen floor the first week she moved here and counted more than 15 legs...no bodies! She stopped counting because neither of us wanted to know how many there really were, and we really, really didn't want to know what happened to the rest of their bodies!
There were no spider crickets in Oregon! Just rain, dungeness crab, wind, and warm lattes!!! (OK..and grumpy fisherman, one armed lumberjacks, and meth labs) But NO spider crickets!!!

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Funny, we just spent a week exploring in Tennessee and knew EXACTLY what you were talking about b/c a tour guide showed us some!!

LOL- maybe I could just catch, save for next Halloween, set up a haunted cave, and charge admission.

Oh my goodness, I think I know exactly what you are talking about. And they don't act like normal crickets, they actually jump toward you, kind of tan in color with brown spots?

Camel Cricket. WARNING ---> picture on this link so don't look if insect squeamish.

I used Ortho Home Defense (they were in a shed attached to my house). You can get it at WalMart, Home Depot, etc for around $11. I also use this around all baseboards and windows inside and out. I only get 1 or 2 spiders all season, mostly after a big rain. And no ants at all.

Kills them and puts a barrier so they won't come back in. Spray every 3 months. They also like dark damp places, so if that is an issue maybe you can put a dehumidifier down there or something.

The ortho killed them for me and haven't been back in 3 years.

Thanks for the info...maybe I will skip the haunted cave idea and try this instead. Our demumidifier died a couple months ago so maybe I should get another one ASAP!

 

[laurie31]

I also knew EXACTLY what you were talking about, and was almost scared to open the thread, because last time cave crickets came up, someone posted a pic in the thread! (thank you cglaura for the link with the warning and not an actual pic!)

Yes, I am TERRIFIED of those things! I'm not bothered by regular crickets, but these things jump as high as my head, and they jump TOWARDS you, like they are going to eat you up or something.

How to get rid of them? Ummm....move? Actually, cats do a decent job, and then there's boric acid. It's safer than most other insecticides, and will last for a year.

Good luck!

<shudders and runs out of thread>

 

[Disney Commando]

A couple weeks ago I found this creature in my basement that looked like a spider and a cricket's offspring. I killed it and told no one...who would believe me? But tonight I hear screams from the basement..."Get Mom, QUICK!" I run down to hear my kids calling out about this HUGE JUMPING SPIDER CRICKET thing. NO....not another one. Why do I have to be the brave one...I manage to squish it inside a bunch of paper towels. My DD wants to know if I can look closer at it to figure out what it is...I am going to have nightmares tonight.

I decided I should investigate this new intruder. I went to my Everyting Box and typed into it's all-knowing slot "spider cricket" and clicked the all-finding icon. AAAAHHHH!! Images of this creature came across the screen. I now know that it is called a CAMEL cricket or a CAVE cricket.

Has anyone had experience with this nightmarish creature? Can you give me advice? I NEVER want to see one of these in my house again. Field crickets have all gone away...until next year. Are these winter creatures? We have lived here over 11 years and have never seen them before. PLEASE SAVE US FROM THESE SPIDER CRICKETS!!!

Warning: Do not type "spider cricket" in your search engine before going to bed...you will have nightmares!

Ah yes the camel cricket, I never saw one before this year, I've lived in my house for almost 20 years now and they only popped up around August and are still around. My 4yr old calls them Megatrons. From what I understand they like cool,damp, dark areas.
I have noticed they are not afraid and stand thier ground, (makes it easier to step on them) but if they jump they will jump right at you, and they can jump far.
I'm told they do not bite, and if you put down some of those sticky mouse traps where thet hang out you will catch a bunch of them.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Yes! We are in Maryland as well and are all too familiar now with the "Spider Cricket" Yuck!!!
We have been here for 2 years now and they still totally freak me out! My husband had one crawling down his back and almost fell down the stairs the other day, and when my brother came to visit, he woke up one morning with something strange looking on his pillowcase. A spider cricket leg! A huge disgusting spider cricket leg. On his pillowcase! Right next to were his mouth was! Guess one came up to cuddle and didn't make it out in one piece! My neighbor swept her kitchen floor the first week she moved here and counted more than 15 legs...no bodies! She stopped counting because neither of us wanted to know how many there really were, and we really, really didn't want to know what happened to the rest of their bodies!
There were no spider crickets in Oregon! Just rain, dungeness crab, wind, and warm lattes!!! (OK..and grumpy fisherman, one armed lumberjacks, and meth labs) But NO spider crickets!!!

I am going to buy some pixie dust...i mean ortho...TOMORROW!!!!

 

[momof1princess]

oh yes, i live in NE alabama and we are very familiar with camel crickets. they give me some serious heebie jeebies and they're the devil to catch too! i'll chase them all over the place, shoe in hand, but i don't stop til they're dead!

 

[marymouse]

I have them sometimes also. It seems like I read somewhere that they are blind and aren't really jumping toward you they are just jumping. That didn't make me feel any better. I find legs all over too. I used to think the cat was killing them then I realized the cat was alseep on the bed with me and can't get down. Do they just fall off? Yuck!

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

I also knew EXACTLY what you were talking about, and was almost scared to open the thread, because last time cave crickets came up, someone posted a pic in the thread! (thank you cglaura for the link with the warning and not an actual pic!)

Yes, I am TERRIFIED of those things! I'm not bothered by regular crickets, but these things jump as high as my head, and they jump TOWARDS you, like they are going to eat you up or something.

How to get rid of them? Ummm....move? Actually, cats do a decent job, and then there's boric acid. It's safer than most other insecticides, and will last for a year.

Good luck!

<shudders and runs out of thread>

If you manage to run back in...is boric acid a powder instead of a spray? I would prefer something that is not airborne. I really never want to see another one again. And somebody has to pick up and throw away sticky traps and I am afraid I would be the designated picker upper!

Thanks for everyone's advice. It is good to know I am not alone but scary at the same time to hear what could happen.

 

[JessicaR]

They are harmless. They like warm, dark, and damp. Thats why they are commonly found in basements. I make the kids carry them outside.

My water main (in the basement) had moisture and thats why I think we had these creatures visiting. Glue traps in the corners of the basement can help.

They remind me of the men in black aliens so much.

 

[momof1princess]

If you manage to run back in...is boric acid a powder instead of a spray? I would prefer something that is not airborne. I really never want to see another one again. And somebody has to pick up and throw away sticky traps and I am afraid I would be the designated picker upper!

Thanks for everyone's advice. It is good to know I am not alone but scary at the same time to hear what could happen.

boric acid is a powder. it comes in a plastic bottle with a nozzle so you can point and shoot it where you want-cracks and crevices and such. just don't use it in places small children or pets can get to.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

Goodness, this reminds me so much of the WPASADI days... all those sprickets...

 

[lovetoscrap]

Goodness, this reminds me so much of the WPASADI days... all those sprickets...

and so little bug spray!!!!

HI NP!!!!

 

[Sparx]

we call them cave crickets.

i have an extreme phobia of crickets/grasshoppers (a real phobia with the screaming and the crying and the disturbing my daily life) and those are so common this time of year. they come up drains, through doors and stuff into the warmth of the house.

if you have cats, they LOVE to hunt them. just let the cat into the basement for awhile.

i hate those little dinosaurs.

 

[Nancy]

Goodness, this reminds me so much of the WPASADI days... all those sprickets...

exactly what I was thinking of too...I never want to see those things in real life...yuck.

 

[Abbie]

I don't know what that is but I am NOT reassured to see that you live in Maryland!!

 

[Narnian_Princess]

and so little bug spray!!!!

HI NP!!!!

Hi LTS! LTNS.

And Nancy, too.