Jerseygirl

I'm planing to spend the summer of 2013 overseas.

Kaffy Mintcake

Lol - I got desensitized pretty quickly - but did freak out when I found one sitting on my skirt staring up at me.

snowbunny

Sounds like it... the downside to having a basement, especially if it can't be kept very very dry.

Read an interesting tip for controlling them.... a guinea hen!

Kaffy Mintcake

I'm kind of excited. A co-worker and I both have them in our basements, and are scared of them, but never knew what they were! The legs on these are distinctive, and the jumping is scary. The few times I've seen one it's jumped at me in the laundry room.

Now I just need a guinea hen eh? Lol.

Jerseygirl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

As far as Palmetto bugs are concerned...they are huge flying roaches...they generally live in palm trees. The only one I've ever seen was in our hotel room in Ft Lauderdale...we checked out the next day.

Kaffy Mintcake

Oh - I meant the cave crickets you talked about that I'm not familiar with. Did they have striped legs?

snowbunny

http://flickr.com/photos/mkullen/237129803/

This guy?

Jerseygirl

I think some do:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search


The first time I saw one I said...oh that's a strange spider. It was about 1 1/2" in size but somehow at first glance didn't look exactly like a spider. They appear to jump backwards.

jumping doris

I have just read the last few posts about bugs........my skin is crawling.

We have lots of cicadas in the trees and they drop down onto you if you sit underneath...so I never do.

Last summer I found an assasin bug in the front garden and that diminished my ability to go outside for a while.

We also get nasty things called house centipedes. They can be quite long and move very quickly.

Our house has a balcony at the front and on our first morning here, I stepped out onto it, full of anticipation of life in a new land, only to find a praying mantis the size of a small car looking at me from the balcony rail.
I don't go out there much any more.

Kaffy Mintcake

Okay - my skin is crawling now. That's exactly what it is. I'd recognize those legs anywhere.

Kaffy Mintcake

At least your praying mantis eats other nasties, but I agree - I'd rather not have to look at them up close.

snowbunny

Nah, they are cool to look at and unlike cave crickets they don't jump at you.




BOO!

Jerseygirl

One landed on my head whilst I was sunbathing...I shook my hair and it fell on the floor and slowly walked away. It was too bloomin' big for me to stand on...I've only got small feet.