Camel crickets invade DC

by Jacob Grier on October 16, 2007

The Washington Post ran an article today on these guys, some particularly “sketchy” insects known as camel crickets:

Sketchy bug

I had the bad luck to be rudely awakened by one of these guys in my bed on my first night sleeping in my previous apartment. The article captures their weirdness well. They don’t just look ugly; their tendency to jump far and erratically adds a whole new level of creepiness to these buggers, especially when they’re invading your bedroom.

Fortunately I only saw one other indoors for the rest of the year I spent in that apartment, but they were numerous outside it. One of them caught me by surprise making its home beneath my bike seat. As if I needed another reason to be glad to have moved, the Post story on how the drought is sending these crickets into houses in search of moisture has neatly provided it.

Even so, I think camel crickets pale in comparison to the weird centipedes I’ve often come across in Virginia. When will the paper cover that menace?

[Photo from the Flickr stream of AlbinoFlea.]

Permalink - Share/Save - Comments (148)

Mike 10.17.07 at 10:00 am

Our basement usually got one or two a week when I lived in Virginia. I became an expert at catching them. Still weren’t as bad as gypsy moth caterpillars, which got so bad in the summer of ‘89 that we had to burn trees in the neighborhood.

Reply to this comment
Michelle Frost 05.06.08 at 12:09 am

UGH - so THAT’S what we keep finding in our house! My god they can jump a mile and they are just hideous to look at. It’s been keeping me up at night!

Reply to this comment
Tammy 07.11.08 at 12:25 pm

I had them in my house when I lived in Arkansas in 1999-2000. They are huge, ugly and I swear they can’t be killed. I would stomp them with my ex-husbands workboots and them for him to scoop up but they would be gone when he got home. I know it sounds crazy.

Reply to this comment
Jasmine 07.16.08 at 11:18 am

oh my goodness! They are so scary and disgusting! What makes them worse for me is that they look spider-ish and but jump so far and fast! Even the baby ones are hard to kill. I have come across one that was literally the size of my palm! And yes…I too have had them somehow disappear on me after i thought i just smashed it. I looked everywhere in the bathroom and i couldnt find it. I started checking my hair and the back of my shirt haha.

Reply to this comment
Latiffany 07.22.08 at 5:49 pm

i did not know what those where i thought it was a mix breed btween spiders and crickets cause they are in my basement and i called them spider crickets

Reply to this comment
Amber 07.25.08 at 4:23 pm

I live in TN and they are all in our house but you can never tell where they actually come from one second and you look over and its in the middle of the floor I hate them they scare me!

Reply to this comment
bob 08.03.08 at 9:50 pm

I found the best way to kill them is with wasp killer spray. I use the foam type. Shoots 10 feet.They will die within a few minutes after shooting them with the spray. Works great.

Reply to this comment
abbie 08.08.08 at 12:59 am

omg!! i hate these things!!!i just moved to virginia and i freaked out whenever i first saw them! they look like a cross between a spider n grasshoper. they are n the bathroom n laundry room.well im glad i found out what they were so i can tell my husband!

Reply to this comment
Jennifer 08.13.08 at 12:34 am

i nicknamed them SPIDERMONKEYS! theyre sooo annoying and i feel that i can never get rid of them no matter how many i kill one night, then next night there are two more~ =(

Reply to this comment
TP 08.14.08 at 3:33 pm

Come on! Though they have an unsettling appearance, these buggers don’t do any real harm. They don’t sting or bite. Everyone needs to relax and go after mosquitoes, fleas or ticks.

Reply to this comment
kris 08.18.08 at 9:36 pm

OMG!! I have bee searching to find out what these are! We had 2 in our bedroom (month ago) .. which i sucked up in the vacuum!
then last night my dog was playing with something as i shut the lights out.. I turned them back on and there were 2 not as big as the ones last time.. but it freaked me out!.. got out the vacuum again.
So this morning i tore apart our bedroom and out 1 jumped from underneath the bed… i could find it.. i continued to vacuum and clean.. nothing.. so now i’m so freaked out to sleep tonight.. i feel like i things crawling on me!!! yuck

Reply to this comment
Melissa 08.26.08 at 8:47 am

I recently moved to Maryland for my job and the first time i saw one it jumped off the stairs and landed directly at my feet, needless to say i freaked out cause it looked like a spider but the more i looked at it from a distance and it sat there i kept thinking but it only has 6 legs not 8 it cant be a spider from everything i learned back in school. So i too chased it around with the vacuum. And i have also had one that could easly wrestle my hand it was so big. I just keep woundering how they are getting in the house.

Reply to this comment
Paige 09.05.08 at 2:17 pm

These are the nastiest things I’ve seen! Found them at work in a grooming salon. They look like a giant flea-cricket to me! I hope I never find another one!

Reply to this comment
Bethany.m 09.17.08 at 5:56 pm

I’m only thirteen and i founf this in my house it really scared me there are going to invade our insects if they keep coming to england!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111

Reply to this comment
Marilyn 09.20.08 at 7:28 pm

I live in Virginia, too, and I have them in my basement. They are disgusting! I found that the sticky paper (smells like peanut butter) that is available for catching mice works great on the crickets… and other little critters! I seldom see any now except on the paper DEAD. When it gets full, my husband picks it up and replaces it with another sticky board.

Reply to this comment
bobbie jean 09.21.08 at 4:39 pm

just reading all of these entries makes my skin crawl. i lived in virginia for 20 years and never got use to them. they are the scariest alien/predator bug i have seen ever. i also noticed the bug disappearance. i started thinking there sinister buddies came and picked up there dead bodies up after i killed them. another thing i noticed or maybe just imagined is that the nasty little sprickets would jump at you or towards you instead of away from you. glad to know im not the only one terrified of them.

Reply to this comment
Todd 09.24.08 at 10:16 pm

How do we get rid of them???

Reply to this comment
Daisy 09.26.08 at 7:15 am

I live in Virginia and have to kill at least three a day…The dead bodies have disappeared on me too. The wikipedia article says they will eat their own limbs to avoid starvation- I’m wondering if the live ones are eating the dead ones! I’ve decided they are the earth embodiment of the Alien Sigorney Weaver destroyed.

Reply to this comment
Heather 10.02.08 at 12:12 am

OMG! im so happy i finally know what those are. these things are the reason im not afraid of bugs. my dad and i used to go hunting for them in my basement. well, not hunting. we would just chase them around cuz they would jump so high they would hit the ceiling! but yeah they are very very hard to kill cuz i swear they have bodies of steel!!! ive always called them sprickets(hald spider half cricket) lol. my boyfriend calls them death crickets. lol. they are creepy but now that i know what it is, i wont be so hesitant to throw them outside!

Reply to this comment
Wendy 10.02.08 at 8:35 pm

I live in Maryland and noticed them in the basement when we moved in 6 years ago. One of them jumped up and right at me. Scared me to death! I had never seem them before. I thought they were spiders, but I knew that spiders didn’t jump that high. After trying a few ways to ger rid of them, (spraying, letting the cats attack them, vacuuming them up) we tried the plug in insect repellers. It cost us a little bit of money, but they worked! We have not had any more in the basement since. We only see them occasionally in the garage now. (There’s no plug in repellers in the garage.)

Reply to this comment
Kelley 10.03.08 at 11:03 pm

I have killed camel crickets and noticed that they do disapper. I have found other camel crickets eating the dead ones.

Reply to this comment
Chris 10.15.08 at 12:44 am

I’ve seen two of these in the basement which is pretty much where I spend most of my time, so I’m lucky to have not seen more. I just saw one earlier today but it was the first one that I saw that wasn’t injured. I thought it was the offspring of a spider and a cricket but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a species I had never seen before. It was really kind of scary because it started jumping at first away from me the first two jumps but then backwards right towards me. They are truly a very creepy insect. Luckily I now know what it is and can maybe keep an eye out for any more before they get near me.

Reply to this comment
John Steele 10.15.08 at 9:07 am

I live in nw suburbs of Chicago and I have seen these ugly creatures 3 times since I’ve lived here. I know they’re “harmless” but whenever i have seen them, I didn’t sleep until I killed them.

Reply to this comment
John Steele 10.15.08 at 9:19 am

One time while looking up camel crickets, I ran across websites about camel spiders. They come from the Middle East and are larger, more hideous and ARE venomous unlike these things.

a

Reply to this comment
anna 10.15.08 at 4:01 pm

OMG… I live in Locust Grove, Va… and my hubby and I just bought our first house 2 months ago. and wow let me tell you theses jumpy crickets are invested in our down stairs.. they only come out at night time and i see any where from 10 to 20 of them a day in my house!!!!! I DONT KNOW WHERE THERE COMING FROM.. HELP!!!!!!!!
Anna

Reply to this comment
Denise 10.18.08 at 8:43 am

These disgusting creatures, which we refer to as “HOPPERS” are are always spotted in the middle of the night and they jump so high! We are petrified to get up in the middle of the night and awake to one jumping on our feet or legs.

Reply to this comment
Tom 10.18.08 at 8:30 pm

They’ve hit NY. I kill these nasty little critters all the time, and I swear they multiply like Gremlins after I go to sleep. Harmless but Hideous and they keep coming there’s one now!!!

Reply to this comment
Dave 10.23.08 at 7:52 am

I live in central Illinois and these things have infested my garage and I have seen a few in my house. As was mentioned before the best way I have found to get rid of them is with the sticky mouse paper. You can catch several at a time. Hope this helps those of you with real bad infestations.

Reply to this comment
jake mance 10.23.08 at 2:11 pm

omfg
i live in long island ny and i have those in my basement
im telling you there is nothing i fear no person or any bug except those freakin crickets

it made me more scared of them when i saw one walking up a wall in my moms office

Reply to this comment
Amber 10.23.08 at 5:26 pm

I live in Texas out in the country and we are infested with the nasty little suckers! I call them Prehistoric Crickets because they look like something from when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth! I think they could scare T-Rex! The stick traps are working but they are still everywhere. Do NOT watch TV in the dark, they will jump on you! It has happened to me 2 times and one it got stuck in my hair! When you smoosh them they “pop” because of their had outer skeleton. I do not sleep at night and we have done everything there is to do! They have become my biggest fear and I am terrified of them because they are so freaky looking and they always jump on me! I would be very happy if they would become extinct like the dinosaurs! I am glad I am not the only one out there that is freaked out by them!

Reply to this comment
Mike D 10.27.08 at 6:47 am

My first thought when I saw about a hundred of these things in my upstate South Carolina crawlspace was that my house was built on top of a toxic dump site, and I had discovered some radioactive, mutated form of insect. In any case, now that I know what they are, it’s not QUITE as bad. I placed about 2 or 3 cans of bug “fogger” under my house, and it seems to get rid of them (for about a year, then I do it all over again).

Reply to this comment
Sheila Hill 10.29.08 at 10:30 pm

I lived in Northern Virginia for 20+ years, and had these horrible things in my basement all the time. When I went down to the laundry room and turned on the light, these hideous monsters would jump right at me. Needless to say, I usually ran upstairs to get away from them. And yes, they were very hard to kill. Foggers and wasp spray worked for me too. But the sight of them always creeped me out. About a decade ago, we moved to Nebraska and, so far, have not seen one “spricket.” It’s been wonderful to go to the basement and not have this ugly surprise waiting for me. — Sheila H.

Reply to this comment
Mo 11.02.08 at 12:48 am

THis is my first year of seeing these after living in the same house for 34 years. I have lost lots of sleep over them. I guess I will try the fogger along with the sticky paper. They are really creepy thing. One thing I have found is that at night they come up into the kitchen from the basement I think. I take a long handled brush like a swiffer and can kill them but I won’t pick them up and leave them for my husband in the morning. I have noticed some have been gone in the morning leading me to believe that others carry them away. UCK!!

Reply to this comment
stan 11.04.08 at 1:47 pm

In the last month I’ve caught several of these ‘camel crickets’. The way to catch them is to lower a plastic cup above them slowly until you are a few centimeters away from the ground. At that point slam the cup to the ground. the bugger will be caught inside. They are harmless but will scare guests when they come over.=)…They usually come out at night and sleep during the day. I put the ones i catch into a tall jar. I had 4 and now 2. They eat thier own, they are carnivores. I am wondering what I can do to rid the basement of these critters. Mothballs??

Reply to this comment
Tonya 11.09.08 at 7:32 am

I have never in my life have seen these before and I am happy that I finally know what they r. It’s like after u kill one the whole colony of them want their revenge on the person who killed it. Today I woke up with one right above me. So I caught in a jar and got on the computer to find out what they were. THEY R CREEPING ME OUT!! I will try the mouse paper thing and other things. Happy spider cricket hunting!

Reply to this comment
mary 11.14.08 at 7:44 pm

My basement is crawling with them. We have had them in basement for years. They went away for a little bit but they came back with more.how do we get rid of them?

Reply to this comment
Lisa 11.16.08 at 5:44 pm

I’m from NJ & I just found one of these creepy buggers for the first time. It really freak the hell out of me. As you all are saying I thought it was a spider, then a mutation of some sort.IT WAS ON MY KITCHEN COUNTER, AAAHHHHH! My husband & I put a bowl over it & carried it out of the house. It was pretty big & I thought if we killed it, there would be bug guts all over. As I’m reading these other comments I’m getting more creeped out that there will be more soon. I’m not really wanting to turn the lights off & I keep thinking one is on me. I hope I never see one again,UGH.But it’s nice to know what they are, how to kill them & that other were as freaked as I was. I’m getting the wasp sray out!!!

Reply to this comment
Alecia 11.17.08 at 5:36 pm

These critters are discusting! I cant kill them fast enough. Every day I go down stairs in the basement to hunt them! What I’ve found that works better than my fly swatter and bug spray; place a small night light in the wall plug and leave it on, they are drawn to the light, then sneak down stairs and kill them little !#$#@! You can also place a sticky pad for bugs near the light too, but that takes away from the fun of KILLING THEM!

Reply to this comment
Ron 11.18.08 at 8:15 am

Long Island NY

Lots of these guys in my basement. Have been spraying and putting down “Duct Tape” where I know they move about (works great).

How can I get rid of them?

Catch at least 4 or 5 every night on the tape!

My wife freaks out and I have to go on a “Safari” every morning to the basement (laundry room) before I leave for work. Wearing me out.

Any ideas.

Reply to this comment
Mike 11.24.08 at 10:28 am

My basment is always invaded by them. I once caught one under a vase. 3 months later, I picked up the vase. Still alive! They are discusting creatures and always invade in winter and fall. During summer and spring, HUGE, black crickets invade. That’s what happens in my basement!!!

Reply to this comment
Angie 11.26.08 at 9:14 am

I just moved to Indiana from California. My husband found these creepy things in the garage (also where my laundry is…), but recently we have found two in the house now. They creep me out! I know they won’t hurt you, but the thought of them crawling around while you sleep, keeps me awake at night. I hate them! I have never seen anything like this in cali! I keep wondering also how they get in the house? I came across a web site that says to plug up all holes and openings, under the doors, vents, etc. So, I’m on a mission now to rid my house of them! They freak my kids out!

Reply to this comment
Janice 11.30.08 at 3:13 pm

I live in Iowa along the Mississippi River edge on the sand. I just found out what these hideous things were.
Damn they are creepy. The only difference I have from the rest of you is the ones I have don’t sleep in the daytime. I find them anytime in my bathroom. I will try the sticky paper for mice and see what happens. I have plugged holes but somehow they find a way in. Really freaked out with them. Of course the hubies always think it is funny. The only thing worse here then the prehistoric crickets are the mormon(mayflies). They stink like dead fish.

Reply to this comment
Melisa Limon 11.30.08 at 5:55 pm

I live in Wichita KS and have had two of these critters in the last 2 days. The first one was on the floor. The second was on my daughter’s bedroom wall. I tried stepping on the first and it didn’t kill it. We ended up drowning them both in bug spray. Disgusting. Nobody I have told believes me when I tell them how big they are. How can I get them to quit coming in my house??

Reply to this comment
Linda 12.11.08 at 5:24 pm

“We actually came across this insect into our bathroom, and scared the crap out of us here in Harford Maryland!”. I actually took a picture of it thinking NO-ONE would believe me if I described it! Finally it took my little 11 year old to go online and come across it. Go figure? All us adults and a child found out what it was… I hope to god it was only one a no more to come…..These things are scary specially with the back end of the cricket spider that look’s as if it can seriously sting.

Reply to this comment
joy 12.21.08 at 10:11 pm

OMG!!! I cant believe I have found this site. I live in Delaware and have for 30 some years and had never seen these things I nicknamed spider crickets until 1 month ago and I have seen three so far. I have told people at work - they did not believe me. When i googled cricket spider - i was so surprised that i got a hit and that other people call them cricket spiders too!! I am so freaked out and scared to go in my basement. I have been making my boyfriend kill them…..i cant live with these nasty things. They do jump at you - it states on wikipedia that jumping at you is their defense - they purposely jump at you to scare you!! I am terrified more now after reading all of this….i hope I dont have an infestation…..does any body know??? if i see one or three will there be more??? Please comment…. so freaked out and desperate

Reply to this comment
Amber 12.23.08 at 8:07 pm

Hey I live in Indiana to and i have seen them In my tub I kill them but my dogs love to kill them to there was one on one of my bears i got from paoli peaks I screamed its nice to know these things dont sting or bite or are not deadly. cause Im offically scared of them and I am normally scared of snakes more than bugs. :)

Reply to this comment
Amber 12.23.08 at 8:16 pm

Then again when I was 3 I lived in Georgia and I was at a playground and feel in a nest of fire ants.

Reply to this comment
Elizabeth 01.01.09 at 11:58 pm

After an hour on the internet, thinking I have some unheard of freak only in my basement in Kansas, I do find some relief in reading the posts. I am not crazy, yet, though these things could push me to the edge. The jumping thing, combined with the nocturnal roach-like behavior is very disturbing. I am comforted to know that I am not alone! Tomorrow we will try the sticky paper in the basement laundry room, so far the only place we’ve seen them. For now, I’m NOT doing my part to help the planet — I am leaving the lights on all night!

Reply to this comment
Michele 01.10.09 at 5:18 pm

OMG! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was trippin’! I also called them a cross between a cricket, & a spider. I am just glad it is winter, and they are gone for awhile. They were huge, & disgusting to look @. Probably because I didnt know what they were. Now I do. I live in Illinois (the capitol), & we dont have to much big, abnormally, weird kind of creatures. I thought anyhow? Unfortunately we do….. I slipped upon this site looking for a certain spider I found in my daughters bed….ewwwww! Poor thing! I always worry about Brown Recluses!! I dont think this one was it… I hope, & pray @ least! Thanks for the relief, & insight!

Reply to this comment
Michele 01.10.09 at 5:29 pm

I meant to add we got rid of these so called “camel crickets”, & regular crickets (if there is such a thing)with those big green balls that come from trees I believe? They are about the size of a grapefruit, bright green, and bumpy. I know they come/grow from the outdoors. My dad gave me 2 of them, and said to try it. I did, and after a couple days I havent seen one yet! I wished I could tell you the name of these “green balls”, but sorry I cant remember. Like I said they grow outdoors, and if it’s any help my father got them down by the river somewhere?? Good Luck. Maybe you could ask someone @ a greenery? Not much help, hugh? I only stressed this because they really, really worked!!

Reply to this comment
Barbara 01.13.09 at 11:50 am

I live in North Brunswick, NJ where I have lived for going on 24 years. I live in a mobile home and recently encountered these alien creatures after two of my house cats found them in the hall and were playing with them. They do jump towards you and I was explained that they do this because they are blind. If they are so blind how the heck do they find their way into the house from underneath. I scoop them up in a tissue and flush them down the toilet.
I did have the underneath of my house sprayed and have only seen one since.
Good luck to all who encounter these aliens.

Reply to this comment
Lois 01.21.09 at 8:26 pm

Can someone tell me how to get rid of these nasty things please???

Reply to this comment
David R Sommers 01.26.09 at 1:13 pm

Glad to know what they are, i live in indiana, & we have them. i use my dust buster to suck them up

Reply to this comment
Lara 02.07.09 at 10:53 pm

Im SO glad to finally know what these spider demons are!!! we have them in our garage/laundry room. we call them spider crikets. or demon crickets. everytime we go out in the garage to do laundry we see one and we freak and run in the house till it goes away then we search heavily through the screen door and walk back out. but then the cricket brings his 15 friends and they swarm around you and your scared crapless and want to run back inside but they hop very very high in the air and keep you from going anywhere. if you get ready to spray RAID on them they get smart and creapily all hop at ur face as high as they can. i sleep in the living room sometime and i saw one crawl in the living room on the floor and i got scared and instinctivly screamed and it ran quickly toward me so i jumped on the sofa. it was gone and i never saw it again. i have been in the dining room which is next to the garage/laundry room late at night after everyone is sleeping and seen one crawling on the ceiling and i walked up about 8 feet from the wall and it hopped off the wall on the ground toward me and chased me i cried and ran away from it but it chased me. im just glad to know now how to kill it. cuz one of you said to use foam wasp killer that its the only way. i got brave and stood on a stool and took a pic of one on the ceiling up in its face quickly to have pic so i could research it on the internet better and it jumped off at me. i just wanna get rid of it NOW! all of them.

Reply to this comment
SjayahG 02.09.09 at 8:37 pm

Whoa. Guys. I saw this sucker when I was taking a shower today. There I was, minding my own business and then i saw it on the wall while showering and said “Oh my God”. I casually got out and found my boot and stomped the wall, put it in the toilet. I kept checking my bathroom periodically to see if it comes up. I read that it likes, cold, damp places with moisture. Perfect. Sounds just like my bathroom. I read from one of these posts that spraying beneath your house and plug in repellent work so i bought the latter of the two. two cost 119.90. Pretty costly but I’m pretty sure they’re expensive bc they work. I’ll keep you posted. I have never seen anything like it in my life and it was the first time I saw it. :(

Reply to this comment
mark elliott 02.14.09 at 8:35 pm

Yes i understand about those, i just went outside in the basement to take a smoke in the backyard an there it was that camel back cricket. i saw 2 last year, my wife is… lol very scared of these things we have a cat now so meow :)

Reply to this comment
Brandy 03.10.09 at 4:13 pm

I hate these blame things! I am absolutely terriffied of them! If I see one, I run off screaming and crying! They are positively dreadful little beasts, and I wish they would all just die! I despise them with a fiery passion!

Reply to this comment
Wendy 03.28.09 at 3:38 pm

These comments are hysterical. I grew up with these critters in my basement - where my bedroom was when I was a teenager. I lived in a Chicago suburb. I was equally creeped out by them, but learned to “coexist”. The worst times were when I would have to go upstairs, and there would be one on the wall in the staicase between me and the top of the stairs. I would close my eyes and run up the stairs. Other times when they were in my room, I would throw things at them until they bounced out of sight. That was better killing them. The only way to get one is with a fly swatter (because if you get close they would jump AT you), but then you have to crunch them to really kill them. And it’s pretty messy. And like everyone else - nobody else would believe us about these things until we showed them one. Thanks for the childhood memories!

Reply to this comment
Carl 03.31.09 at 9:33 am

well i was walking out of the bathroom when i stepped on something squishy so i turned the light on and found one of these things, it was quite dead, but to make sure i put it in an empty holder from acne pads, figured if it wasnt dead the fumes would kill it, decided to look it up and found this, but they are kinda cute in a weird way, completely harmless now i see, wont worry about em anymore

Reply to this comment
AJ 04.23.09 at 11:15 am

I used to get them all the time in my apartment in Virginia. Thankfully I had three cats that loved to eat them. I would usually know the cricket season had started when I would find legs here and there, but no bodies. I rarely get them in my house, but when I do, the cats are right there jumping after it. The crickets never live very long. Emma is the best cricket and fly catcher of the three. She’ll leap up, catch it mid-flight and then mash it into the carpet. Poor bug never stands a chance. Good kitties.

Reply to this comment
Bob Bugman 05.18.09 at 7:08 pm

Get some demon Wp and kill those suckers!

http://www.allpestexpress.com/cricket-control-products.aspx

Reply to this comment
Chase 05.18.09 at 10:20 pm

Ugh.. i just saw one probably 10 minutes ago. i had just went a brushed my teeth, then returned to my room only to see one sitting in the middle of my floor. My first experience battling with this creature. Obviously he won, because as i swung the shoe he jumped under my bed. Unusual as it may sound, i sleep on my bed. Soooo i decided to come check for any reported bites or stings. i knew exactly what it was because my brother had talked about ‘em all the time, and he called them camel crickets as well. Ha, glad to see i won’t be bitten or stung tonight :) Thank you internet! :P

Reply to this comment
Karen Bradley 05.20.09 at 7:26 am

My family has battled these things for years. They come around when the weather warms up. I used to gross out very badly but now I just kill them and move on. I used to sleep with a sheet over my entire body because I was so scared of them jumping on me while I slept. WELL, IT HAPPENED! One jumped on my head and I reacted while I was waking up, taking it and throwing it against the wall. DISGUSTING. I am embarrassed when people come over because you never know when they will appear. HATE THEM!!

I am so tired of sharing my home with them. I will try those green ball things the lady spoke about earlier in this blog.

Reply to this comment
shawn bromley 05.29.09 at 2:39 pm

they hatch like crazy! attracted to wet,dark areas. The green thing talked about in above texts are HEDGEAPPLES out of trees. Get a good fogger and release them under your house! Does a really good job on them for awhile!

Reply to this comment
Amanda S 05.30.09 at 8:25 am

These are all over my basement. They are pretty much the deffinition of a nightmare.

Reply to this comment
Dixon 06.01.09 at 10:19 pm

Lived in a rental house with five friends in Charlottesville, VA. Coming from Texas, I was well-versed in huge roaches/waterbugs.

These camel crickets were something new and horrible.

A buddy and I decided to get rid of them. We went around the house and sealed any cracks with duct tape. They were clearly coming up through the basement…and we didn’t want any to be able to escape during the “death battle.”

Then…like a guy above mentioned…we used four indoor foggers in the basement. A full-on nuclear attack.

Never saw another one again.

Do this…and you can get rid of them.

Reply to this comment
Basement 06.10.09 at 1:13 pm

I ought to live 2 years in a basement in Annandale VA. Here is what I learned:
1) CAMEL CRICKETS ARE CARNIVORES - they eat each other, my wool sweater, and my skin. One day I woke up because of tickling sensation in my hand. I opened eyes and noticed a small camelback cricket on the outer side of my finger gently biting the skin. After I had killed it I saw a pink trace of removed epithelium, approximately 1/8 inch. I saw this mark before but never could suspect the crickets!
2) CAMEL CRICKETS TRANSFER VIRAL DISEASES. Before that event I was wondering were in the world I could catch a flu even if I do not go outside. Now I had an insight: they travel from unit to unit in my townhouse block, bite infected people or animals and bring virus to me.
4) If I new their behavior like I know cockroaches I could find how to exterminate them, but, strangely, neither of entomological sites could tell anything useful.
3) Now, with the threat of swine flu it is getting important…
BEWARE PEOPLE!
Brought to you from the dark basement

Reply to this comment
brandon 06.15.09 at 9:48 am

how do you kill this things because i have alot of them in my basement

Reply to this comment
raquel t 06.15.09 at 11:12 am

hardware stores sell sticky traps great for these things and i also use Raid. i love to see them jump once after you spray them and no more after that blast of Raid.

Reply to this comment
Chandra 06.15.09 at 12:30 pm

OMG!!…It is a relief and unnerving at the same time to find out I am not alone in this situation. These have to be the creepiest things since the cicadas. I’ve been in my home for about 14 years and I just noticed them last year!! They appeared in my basement and in my bathroom upstairs, which actually sits right over my basement/washroom, and from what I hear, everyone else seems to have the appearance in the same places.

These critters have GOT TO GO!!!….I am soooooooooooo afraid of bugs, and these just really freak me out. I am afraid to sleep at night, go to the bathroom at night, etc. …Anytime I get up in the middle of the night, I turn on all surrounding lights in hopes to spot them before they spot me. Being caught off guard if the worst!!

After doing a tiny bit of research through friends to see if they have them also, I’ve found that Raid MAX, Foggers, and bleach works. I will definitely be trying it asap……the whole combo if I have to!! Either they go, or they pay some daggone rent!!! ….it’s obvious me leaving isn’t gonna fix the problem seeing that they’re worldwide connected and available in all area codes! lol

!!HELP ME!!

Reply to this comment
Jon 06.15.09 at 7:04 pm

i just killed one on my night stand 5 minutes ago, i live in the basement and i kill atleast 10 a month, i even woke up to one on my pillow…. im glad im not the only one who hates these stupid things

Reply to this comment
jennee 06.20.09 at 5:15 am

OMG!!!!! thank God i found this site! i thought i was losing it…i am a teacher so i know what i was looking as was not a spider, but gosh those things are awful! i am definitely going to try some of the things i saw posted…they’ve got to go!!!

Reply to this comment
Molly Stewart Medina 06.28.09 at 12:49 am

HELP! How do you kill these? We rent a townhouse in West Texas and our manager claims to have had our unit sprayed numerous times in the last few months (we just moved in). We’re in the process of moving in and we have killed atleast 100 of them in a 2 day time period. We bought ortho-max indoor/outdoor spray and sprayed all of the baseboards and foundation surrounding the perimeter of our home (inside & out!) and this morning, without luck, we returned to find numerous sprickets all over the place. Even upstairs! We move our bed and big furniture Monday and I would LOVE to be able to sleep after moving so someone please help. What kills these things? How much do these methods cost and where can I buy them?!? Is this something my manager should be taking care of? Will terminix or Orkin take care of these?! How much do they charge?? Help!! I’m a broke college student wanting to get rid of these asap!

msmollymac@yahoo.com email me!

Reply to this comment
Lori 07.02.09 at 6:49 am

OMG, just had my first experience. I think I’m going to get a cat. My friend said she used to have them, then bought a cat, and she doesn’t even get spiders anymore. Be sure you get a cat thats got hunting skills!!! Not the kind of insect you want to run into when you’re bug phobic, like I am!

Reply to this comment
Mark Lewis 07.02.09 at 12:09 pm

When I was a kid we lived in Colorado and had these nasty things in the basement where my room was. They’d only come out at night and walking down the stairs and accross the dark basement would wig me out because they’d jump up in my face if I stepped on or near one so I took to wearing shoes all the time. I tried all kinds of things to kill these little bastards and they seemed resistent to anything other than stomping directly on them. My kid sister woke up one night with about 30 or them on her bed when one ran accross her face and she went screaming down the hall…lol..they’re uglier than most bugs but anything that hops creeps me out anyway…I don’t see the comparison to spiders though.

Reply to this comment
jay 07.02.09 at 12:59 pm

the best way to get rid of these creatures is by fumigating your entire house, they seem to move throughout the entire house, also these are a favorite food of rats and mice so it will just be a matter of time before those rodents start to appear.

Reply to this comment
DANI.J. 07.02.09 at 9:47 pm

I have these mega monster crickets in my basement. I spend a lot of time down there doing laundry and writing. I see these critters all the time. I haven’t had one jump on me, I don’t think they fancy humans. I am NOT sure why they live in homes though. I, too, have noticed that these alien bugs dissapear after death. I once killed three with my shoe, freaked out, I ran upstairs. Once I managed/had to return down to the jumping bugs lare, two were gone. I’ve considered re-birth? Or possibly the other’s eat it? None-the-less, they creep me out. Harmful or not.

Reply to this comment
Dani.J. 07.02.09 at 9:50 pm

I hadn’t read the post by Mark Lewis, maybe they do like people. That puts a damper on my theory..

Reply to this comment
Ewald 07.07.09 at 10:21 am

lol I didn’t know what they were so I took two home…they live in a 15 gallon fishtank in my room. Sounds like I should beware, but i have so many spiders and centipedes running wild in my room I don’t think they’d survive long…ooh I just thought of a way to kill them. Smash them, then when they try to walk away put em in a box full of darkling beetles, the darkling beetles will be drawn to the moisture and devour the cricket within minutes. XD

Reply to this comment
Kim 07.13.09 at 7:58 pm

I just found this site and have been wondering what these things are for years. My sister and I called them jumping spiders. This spring I finally went to the store and bought the ortho home defense spray that you spray on the outside of the house and the inside walls and we havent seen any in months. Like clockwork I would go downstairs at night turn on the light and there would be 2 or 3 hanging out. I will be respraying this fall. I have found this works.

Reply to this comment
Sara 07.16.09 at 9:06 am

I discovered by accident that the fly traps that you fold into a triangle and hang, are great at catching these nasty guys. We had one hanging in our garage and someone accidently knocked it onto the floor. No one bothered to pick it up and the next thing you know there are 4 camel back crickets stuck to it. They’re attracted to something about it. I live in Illinois and I’m going to be buying some more of these fly traps. Not for the flies, they could care less about the trap, but for the CBC’s. Eww.

Reply to this comment
amber 07.18.09 at 12:11 pm

so me and my mom were going to 7 11 we stop to look at this huge creature on the ground it looked part frog/spider/cricket. everyone was freaking out like wtf and joking it probably came from the lab it was like the size of my hand so i decided to get a big gulp cup and bring it homee.(mom didnt like this idea until i told her it could be worth lots of money ahahaha) so anyways we brung it home and i tried to find out what it was all night . then i searched up spider crickett and found out what it was. well my cat ate its hind leg so its kind of injured. but departion from all the mean comments .. its actually kind of friendly and cute in a way .. and im deciding on keeping it. by the way i live on longisland ny . :] and it hasnt been any harm to me.

Reply to this comment
annonamous 07.20.09 at 7:05 am

omg these things scare the living crap out of me becase im playing video games then all of the sudden a yellow camel cricket jumps at me and like 6 more comes so i run to my airsoft gun and just spray at them and their limbs are coming off then the crickets gather their limbs and run back under the couch i dont know how to lift the couch so im scared but i used a industrial vaccum to suck in about 20 under their ive never played xboxagain

Reply to this comment
dana 07.21.09 at 8:50 am

dude they invaded my garage, i only seen them around the fall time of the year. but now i see them all year round. i’ve never been scared of bugs but these things are wild. they jump so freaking far and their lightning fast i’ve found them in manny sizes but one i found was like the size of a 60 w light bulb. i found that tire shine kills them quick and they dont like loud music. all my friends made fun of me when i would talk about them but now that they seen them they wont step foot in my garage.. chickens!!! these things have got to go…

Reply to this comment
Letitia 07.21.09 at 5:07 pm

I lived most of my life in VA and never saw one until I was 34 years old. Where did they come from? They are so creepy looking and they do jump at you. One of my friends in NY thought I was making this up until I e-mailed him a picture of them. Fumigation about every two years does it (you might want to do it more frequently). I saw a baby one & a big one the other day, I’m getting the Hot Shot Fogger, I haven’t seen them in the garage in about two years. I hate these things and I’m so glad I’m not alone. I’m not brave enough to step on them like some of you. Give yourselves credit for that!!!

Reply to this comment
Jen 07.27.09 at 5:44 pm

We call them Hippity-Hoppities. I despise them. They jump all over our front step/door area every night, so if you come or go at night, ya gotta deal with the little monsters.

One once hopped onto my shoulder …yes, I freaked. I was trying to pull my shirt off and still keep it away from my face. It was terrible! I was screaming, “get it off, get it off!!!”.

They also used to live in the basement. I’d go down in the very early morning (still dark out) to get my scrubs for work from the laundry area, and they’d be jumping and hopping and freakin’ flying all over the place! Not good, first thing like that.

I hear mixed info regarding whether or not they’re dangerous to humans, carry disease, etc… Anyone know for sure?

Reply to this comment
Tasha 08.04.09 at 9:26 am

Hello All
My Fiancee and I move in to Our home about a month ago, before we were able to set up our bed and sons crib we camped out in our din on each couch. Me and my son kept getting bitten in the middle of night I was freaking out because the carpet was new. My fiancee found this weird looking bug a cross between a spider and grasshopper.Now I was really freaking out I had never seen one of these bugs before. So we called Orkin and he came out, We were relieved to know that Camel Cricket doesnot bit and are harmless.

Reply to this comment
jen 08.04.09 at 6:46 pm

I hate thoese things and I live in a basement apartment so I see them all the time. I have found bleach spray kills them pretty well but does anyone know how to keep them out of the house?

Reply to this comment
tiffany 08.15.09 at 8:13 pm

ugh, i live in va, and these things are all over the place. they especially seem to be fond of the area underneath the kitchen sink. :(

when i forget to turn on the light in the evening, they come out and have creepy cricket parties in the middle of the kitchen floor. i hate having to walk through the kitchen at night, because they jump at my legs.

i almost cried when that happened the first time. now, in a weird sort of way, i’m used to it.

Reply to this comment
Jenae 08.27.09 at 11:04 am

Well i’m fifteen and i’ve lived in virginia all my life and i went to my room last night to go to sleep and as i opened my door…there was one big one and he jumped sooo high and so fast that the sight of it made me not even want to go to sleep. so i didnt get to sleep untill 2 o’ clock that morning. and i still havent been back in my room. i Hate them so much. and its like they never die. My sister had tried to kill one and that thing was indistructable. he kept trying to walk or hop away. Since i was little i’ve always been scared of those things.

Reply to this comment
Alayna 08.29.09 at 8:49 pm

I hate these things with all the passion of hate that can be placed into a one sentence expression.

I have never seen these things in my life, except in the home we live in now. I live in a Mobile home in Illinois. We had the house sprayed and for about 2 months I didn’t see a single one.

Because I am absolutely mortified of these things, I can’t go near them. I throw things at them, usually 1,000 thick books. The most recent one, of the last hour or so is on the floor about ten feet from me with a dictionary on it. I’m too petrified to move it, and I hate these things. They’re insanely difficult to kill, as I kicked the book earlier and it was STILL ALIVE, thirty minutes after smashing and jumping on the dictionary. I refuse to move it now, it can wait until my fiance gets home from work. I’ll just sit here staring at it, because if it moves, I’m taking a table to it’s ass.

They live in every room in my house. My living room seems to be the most frequent in their little outings.

Dangerous or not, I don’t really care. I’d break my lease to get away from these things if at all possible.

Reply to this comment
Zach 08.30.09 at 9:07 pm

I hate bugs more than anything on this planet. Anything.
I don’t know if this is what I killed, but it’s definitely similar… and certainly unnerving. It was in my bathroom, on the floor. The only thing is, a lot of these posts say they’re difficult to kill, but I managed to smash it with the toilet brush; didn’t even hit it that hard, but it died. I picked it up with some tissue by the antennae and flushed it X]

Anyway, the biggest difference I can see is that the one I found was a brighter, solid tan, instead of this tortoiseshell look he’s got, and its body was definitely much softer; it looks like a wolfspider with the abdomen of a flea…

I’ve looked everywhere for more information and this is the closest I’ve got so far, but if somebody more educated thinks they can link me to the real culprit, I’d be most grateful.

Reply to this comment
Sergiodr 08.31.09 at 4:19 am

I had two in my basment this morning and one of them was in the shower man did I jump back I hate those I’m a boy andbim scared of them what is this can anybody help me. Get rid of them

Reply to this comment
Brian 08.31.09 at 12:59 pm

got to love the internet. googled cricket spiders and there they are.. I just bought a new house in Long Island, NY( complete with these suckers in the basement). Its quiet a challenge trying to step on these guys wearing flip-flops, and they make a nice poping sound when you get one. I sprayed that ortho home defense max all around and around the perimiter of the house last week. I killed another one yesterday..I think I will spray again tonight. I am running the dehumidifier and plan to bleach down the walls and floor. A friend of mine told me to buy a couple of can of ‘great stuff’ expanding foam sealant for use where the basement foundation meets the wood framing..inside the drop ceiling, and seal up any spots where sunligh enters, thats where the bugs can get in..38 years and I never before saw these ugly things.

Reply to this comment
Morgan 08.31.09 at 4:50 pm

I woke up last night with one of the things on my face!!! I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night

Reply to this comment
Morgan 08.31.09 at 4:50 pm

I woke up last night with one of the things on my face!!! I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night

Reply to this comment
Amy, the Cricket Killer 09.07.09 at 2:04 pm

Those nasty little *&*#&*@!#@!#@! freak me out and they are EVERYWHERE. Some of them are so big, my cat (who loves to eat bugs) won’t mess with them. I’m pretty sure there is an enormous colony of them under our house so our plan is to bomb the crap out of the crawlspace and then lay down a vapor barrier. Until we can do that however, I’m going to spray whatever bug killer I can find into the crevices in my utility room and then fill it in with caulking or expandable foam. Then tape over it. Then nail boards over that, then plastic…..LOL. I try to respect the Earth’s creatures but those freaky little bastards are so prevelant in our house, if they aren’t paying rent, they’re getting evicted - whether it be by boot, by broom or toxic spray!!!!

Reply to this comment
Mary 09.09.09 at 12:39 pm

i live in alabama and found a spider cricket had to walk pass some boxes in the hallway to get to the bathroom didn’t see it until i came out and saw it on one of the boxes i past freak myselsf out ran past the boxes went to get a glass to trap it i hit the box to make it get on the floor it chased me in the hallway i woke my dad up to catch it cause they freak me out when they jump let me tell you he was’nt happy to be woken up to catch a cricket he caught in a cup and took it outside

Reply to this comment
cheryl 09.09.09 at 10:20 pm

OMG, What the HECK are they, I saw 1 in the beginning of the summer and now just tonight we’ve seen like (((6))) of them in my basement. OMG they jump like 5 feet high. Gotta get rid of them HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to this comment
Arlene 09.16.09 at 7:02 pm

It never fails to fascinate me how much we hate creatures that are quote unquote “ugly” — which is how we perceive most insects. I do sympathize with those of you who were scared by these particular critters jumping out at you, and I would not want to find one in my house (and certainly not in my bed. That place is reserved for a good book, or a man who’s read one). I would rather find a way to seal up any entrances for these crickets than kill them (which sounds like a daunting task anyway). Personally, my hat is off to Amber, who has made a sort of pet out of one. Amber, I think you ROCK!
Seriously, think about it - it’s essentially harmless, it doesn’t sting or inject you with venom, I guarantee that you are far more likely to catch a disease from people….really, its only crime is that we consider it hugely unattractive (well, that, and it’s HUGE.). What is it doing in our homes? Essentially, it is just trying to survive, like any creature.
I’m not judging anyone here , just commenting on the issue in general. My mind always goes to the thought of : what if aliens came to earth and found US ugly, and for that reason alone, they stomped us, or stuck us to glue traps or sprayed us with poisonous foam until we suffocated.
Granted, this is an intellectual exercise for me - at the moment, I am not being confronted by several of these things jumping out at me. I’d rather not kill if I can possibly help it. If I would have to resort to killing, though, I don’t think I’d take any pleasure in it, and I wouldn’t hate my victim for being what it had no choice to be, and for simply trying to survive.
What I’d really like to do with these guys, though is teach them a dance routine and get them on Letterman…….

Reply to this comment
Emily 09.17.09 at 4:35 pm

Finally!! I’ve been driving myself & my fiance crazy trying to find out what this bug was. I saw two (at different times) in the kitchen sink (believe me, I was NOT happy to find them there…it grossed me out worse) and tried drowning them. Last night I saw one on the floor and I ran to get my camera because I so badly wanted to identify this bug. I was able to smash the one last night. We live in Maryland in a basement apartment & just had Orkin come at the end of August to deal with the regular looking type of crickets.

I hate all bugs and all these crickets have made me very cautious to walk in the dark.

I’m glad to have some sense of closure & feel like I’m not the only one.

Reply to this comment
Fonda 09.23.09 at 7:43 am

My husband and I figured out that Camel Crickets (often called Hoppin’Bugs) can actually SENSE the malace you exhibit when you are trying to KILL THEM. I am so serious about this. Hoppin Bugs can READ YOUR MIND, Man! How else do you explain how they manage to evade your every move? huh? Here’s the trick: When you approach the Hoppin Bug, you must clear your mind and heart of all thoughts of malace and evil doing. Slowly approach the Hoppin Bug and hold out a large book, then DROP the book on the bug. Your only other option is to send your dog after them since they are inherently innocent and never hold malace and ill will in their souls…. my dog kills them every time!

Reply to this comment
Stephanie 09.25.09 at 7:34 am

I hate these bugs.We call them jumping spider frogs!The first time i saw them was a basement in GA!There was so many of them down there.They are not like any other bug i have ever known.I dont care how many times you smash them they wont die,and when they do they die for like 5min.,and they some how reform,and jump away.The only bug i have ever saw that jumps at you.They are soooo ugly!!!They no how to disappear really fast too.

Reply to this comment
Stephanie 09.25.09 at 7:35 am

I hate these bugs.We call them jumping spider frogs!The first time i saw them was a basement in GA!There was so many of them down there.They are not like any other bug i have ever known.I dont care how many times you smash them they wont die,and when they do they die for like 5min.,and they some how reform,and jump away.The only bug i have ever saw that jumps at you.They are soooo ugly!!!They no how to disappear really fast too.They are like some kind of alien

Reply to this comment
Irene 09.25.09 at 10:18 am

I have never seen these camel crickets until two nights ago when I stepped onto my inside porch and killed 11 of them within 2 hours! Crickets are bad enough, but these are disgusting. I live on Shelter Island, NY
Next day I went to the hardware store and purchased spider and cricket glue traps. I put two of them on the porch near the cellar entry and this morning both traps were full. At last, something that really works. I would estimate there were 30 to 40 glued onto the traps.

Reply to this comment
Tim 09.25.09 at 11:39 am

We called these things “Super Crickets” before I knew what they were actually called. I think I will just call then Funasties because they are f*cking nasty….

Reply to this comment
Leona 09.25.09 at 12:01 pm

They are hideous looking, I didn’t know they were called camel crickets until someone at work told me…I call them sprickets (a cross between a spider and a cricket) because that’s what they look like to me …I was walking on a sidewalk and I tried to walk around it and jumped right up to my leg….eeeewww.

Reply to this comment
Lauren 09.25.09 at 1:30 pm

Duct tape works really well to get them. I fold over the ends for grabbing later on and set the tape out sticky side up. Come back a couple of days later and the tape is covered with trapped camel crickets. They are especially active by the basement door. The babies are nearly microscopic. It is very satisfying finding the tape covered with hundreds of those little tiny dots. Try it!

Reply to this comment
Mary Ann 10.06.09 at 1:11 pm

They are in my basement. I went down in the basement to wash and I saw one climbing down the wall. I called my mom and she came down to kill it, as she was killing that one another one popped out. While she was smashing that one with the broom I saw one that was jumping around behind her that day she killed three! CREEPY!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to this comment
Malinda 10.06.09 at 2:19 pm

I absolutely hate these guys. We have sprayed our house and they keep coming back. I am so mad because for two nights this week there has been one waiting for me in my bed at night when I go to sleep. Why is it stealing my bed! I can’t sleep in my room because I am afraid of it being on me. I am going to try the sticky paper, spraying the outside of the house, and using a night light to attract them. Also, I might convince my parents to invest in a plug in bug repeller.

Reply to this comment
Carolyn 10.07.09 at 7:30 pm

I was so relieved to know what these dreadful creatures are. I hate them more than I could express and glad to know I am not alone in my hatred. I drown them with Raid and actually enjoy watching them die-it is so sick!! But I will get the foam fogger ASAP. Thanks for all the advice. I hate them!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to this comment
Almeta 10.10.09 at 6:36 am

“Spider Crickets” I have always called them this. I first saw them seven years ago in our garage her in Goldsboro, NC. I was terrified, they are larger than a normal cricket, and they really look like the cross between a spider and a cricket. They also can jump really far and high. I have noticed that they love the dark and also wet and damp places. But as I studied them I found out that their harmless bugs. Still scary but harmless!

Reply to this comment
Alisha 10.11.09 at 7:14 am

Just moved into a basement Apartment in VA. Wouldn’t you know these little monsters are everywhere. My boyfriend engaged in a full on attack with the flyswatter… although, it seems the more we kill the more we are finding hopping about. One jumped on my yesterday and I screamed as if someone was trying to kill me. I am always paranoid they are in my hair or on my clothes. I see they are harmless but I still don’t want them on me. Found three of them congregating in the kitchen last night, two in the hallway…. and on in my bed. Gross.

Reply to this comment
adam Offsky 10.13.09 at 6:28 pm

you all have one or two……i have so many that i ran out of names for them.. after 1000 it gets really bad

Reply to this comment
Tee 10.14.09 at 5:55 am

I just woke up at 5:30 am with one crawling across my face! I am so traumatized!!!! I see them every now and then and they freak me out. Last winter I had little bug bites on my legs and I thought it was fleas or something and now I think its from the camel crickets babies. I dont know how I’m gonna sleep in my bed again after last night. I’m going to get every killer I can and report back lol Im really extra freaked out after reading that the babies are microscopic AND spread viruses :(

Reply to this comment
holly 10.16.09 at 9:50 pm

im pregnant and me and my husband just recently moved into a house and he works 3rd shift so im home alone all night!! ive killed like 5 of these things but it takes me 4ever cuz i have to use the broom cuz i cant use the bug sprays…i never thought about the sticky paper stuff!!! i just hope it works cuz i cant sleep @ nite…plus my husbands not here to kill them!!!! they’re so creepy…i want them gone before the baby gets here….im getting the heeby jeebys from just thinking about them!!

Reply to this comment
Chaka 10.17.09 at 6:42 pm

I live in NC and my first encounter was in VA about 7 years ago. I had no idea what they were at the time though. They come through any and every crack/crevice they can find. I woke up one night and saw a shadow of a gigantic insect next to me on my bed. I jumped up screaming and slept in the living room until my husband got home from work. We are currently renting an older home in NC now and we have been getting them for the last couple of years. They are scary looking and if I could kill them without having to look at them, I would be fine. I spray the Ortho home defense spray but I don’t think they are phased by it. My brother works for Terminix and says they are everywhere, it doesn’t matter if your house is old or new. He says they come from under the house and I am really tempted to bomb underneath the house and see if it works. I’ll try anything at this point. I just killed 2 today. I walked into my bedroom and heard something fall from my curtain. I stopped and saw something moving. After going to get the broom and repeatedly smashing at the curtain………ther e was a camel cricket. It was huge!!! When I heard it fall to the floor, I knew it had to be big. My son came in and scooped it into the toilet for me. I can’t stand to look at them!!! I will spend tomorrow morning in Home Depot buying fogger and expanding foam. Even if it works for a couple of months………..it’s better than nothing.

Reply to this comment
Johnda Carroll 10.19.09 at 2:29 pm

The first time I seen this creature I was so scared. I sent my kids in there room and scream for my boyfriend to come kill it. My nephew was so freaked out. We all joked about how scared everyone was but we did not want another encounter with the spricket. Yes I said spricket, that what we started calling them because they looked like a cross between a spider and a cricket. These things are horrible.

Reply to this comment
Eric 10.20.09 at 7:44 am

Found one of these in my basement. I figured it was some type of cricket. I wondered if it is okay to feed to my lizard. But, he would have a time catching it while it is moving. Though, I did notice that it tried to play dead for a few seconds when first attempted to capture it. That is all the time my lizard needs.

Reply to this comment
Justine 10.20.09 at 7:03 pm

Hi… I can only laugh at all these posts….it’s amazing how frightened we are (I am) of this one or two inch insect, spider, WHATever! I love reading other peoples posts…it helps to put my fear into perspective, and makes me laugh at how humiliated I am that I’m so fearful. ….as I’m sitting here I can see my broom out the right hand corner of my eye against the door frame, just patiently waiting for one of the little f##, oh sorry, buggers to come by…in fact about .30 minutes ago I saw something dark on my very light carpet and swung the door shut to avoid it from jumping with the room I’m in, in my basement. I’ve had these for years, but alas…I believe I’m going to use an extermination compay. Isn’t is just pathetic that I’m going to pay probably $50.00 or more a month to be rid of these? They really do nothing…I see about 1 or 2 a day….but only when it’s been dark for a while…$50.00 a month so I won’t be frightened of a bug that’s …..that’s…..no bigger than a toe. Someone should make this part of a stand up comedy act! Hope you enjoyed….now I’m off to research pest companies! Oh my!!! ;-)

Reply to this comment
Missi 10.22.09 at 10:23 am

Yeah, I finally know the name of this thing. I was calling them “Uglies”, and “Fuglies” when kids weren’t around. Just this summer (2009) I started seeing them in my basement (NJ). Can I just say Eeeeewwwww, then last week, I found one under my nite shirt when I woke. It was just a tiny one not like the monsters in my basement, but there was also 7 bite mark on my belly, which weren’t there when I took my shower just before bed. Then today found one in my kitchen, he’s now in a jar. I decided to finally look this thing up, I read on another site that they will bite if caught but normally don’t, Thank Goodness!~ hate to see the bite marks I would have from a big one. Guess I’ll be going to store today for sticky paper, and start catching them and put them in one jar, let them eat each other. Maybe I’ll let the lone survivor/winner go, but like 5 miles from my house…..LOL.

Reply to this comment
Ashley perando 10.27.09 at 2:55 pm

i live in piqua ohio and i have them ALL OVER my house, outside and inside. they are a ton of them in my basement though. my house is built on top of a natural spring and from what i hear they are attracted to moisture, hence damp areas. they are impossible to kill! its like they have a sixth sense with humans.. i have found though if you use a toilet brush then they cant sense it or something. i also spray them with hairspray first before i kill them. i know it sounds silly but they wont move that way haha.

Reply to this comment
josef albari 11.02.09 at 10:57 pm

these crickets are the sickest things ive ever seen. i live in louisville ky and i live in an apartment and they have been here since i have! they are fast, ugly, and jump like the olympic athletes! please give me a resolution for these devils!

Reply to this comment
wendy 11.03.09 at 11:44 am

omg. wsant to burn my house down. there all over the freakin basement. captured one in a jar. must be granddaddy of them all. thanks to all of you who had to post they were in your bed. just freaked me out to the max. ahh. im screaming….. nasty little nocturnal alien creatures. i,m crying.

Reply to this comment
boga 11.05.09 at 2:43 pm

just saw my first one today. its so disgusting but i just read that it is good luck to have a cricket living in your house. it symbolizes luck and prosperity.

Reply to this comment
Cindy 11.05.09 at 8:34 pm

Oh my gosh! We have these in our new house, and here’s what I typed into Google to find this article. lol

basement looks like a cross between brown cricket spider fast

SO GROSS!!!

Reply to this comment
Robert 11.10.09 at 8:06 am

I’ve grabbed my wife’s hairspray as well. It gums up their works so they can’t jump. My wife & daughter call them “jumpy things”. We live on Long Island. We get a lot in the basement in the Fall & we see fewer as the Winter comes. Mouse glue traps are great for catching & killing them.

Reply to this comment
Alexis 11.10.09 at 12:42 pm

These things may symbolize luck and prosperity in some places but they can do it outside of my room thank you very much! I live on the 3rd floor in my dorm so I’m really confused as to how it got in. I’ve set a “trap” for it: an ice cream bucket with dead leaves inside and the lid set on top, leaving a crack open for it to get in, and weighted down with a shoe. We’ll see if that works.

The creepiest thing is that it doesn’t chirp, so I know it’s in here, I just don’t know where.

Reply to this comment
db 11.10.09 at 9:11 pm

We are renting a house in northern VA and I discovered a little cricket carnival in the basement the night we moved in. Frankly, I’d let them have the basement if they promised never to come upstairs, but they don’t seem interested in this bargain.

I sometimes make my husband kill them when I find them in the bathroom (the house he grew up in was also infested with these things, so he’s pretty good at it). But I’m not sure what’s worse - seeing them jumping around the bathroom or coming across their disembodied legs after he’s whacked the crap out of them and flushed the bodies.

Reply to this comment
Morgan Layton 11.14.09 at 10:18 pm

BASTARDS!!!!!! I often refer to them as “Hoppies”, and dammit I hate these mother-effers. I mean who really wants to live with spiders OR crickets? But seriously, I’d rather deal either of those before these nasty-ass things. Thought I was in the clear for several years but after returning to KY I’m once again having to deal with them. Damn they are ugly and way too unpredictable. Thank god I have a cat that mangles their legs so that afterwards I can then manage to spray , smash, and vacuum them up. And no joke, those are the steps I have to take. Most recent encounter: wake up at 7 a.m. to get ready for work and one of these creatures is stalking me out, chilling on the curtains that divide my room from the rest of the house; the rest where all my weapons of defense reside. My only choice was to get in the shower and hope my cat eff’d it up. NOPE. Stupid thing had me paranoid the entire morning and then after returning home from work I was finally able to eliminate the piece of s**t. I feel like this blog is soooo long, but I seriously despise this species of a bug. My buddy Joseph Albari posted a blog not too long ago, and GOD I feel him, along with every other post on here. Good luck to all. My motto: Die hoppies, DIE.

Reply to this comment
Angela 11.16.09 at 1:42 am

I think they are invading the US. I’m also in Wichita, kansas and they have started coming around about 2 years ago. They are all over the back yard, sheds and I’m guessing crawl space under the house. Some nights I can’t go to bed until I’m absolutely so tired that I wouldn’t care… 2 or 3 am. It’s almost impossible to kill them… They jump at light fast speed and you don’t know where it jumped, so I’m feeling my hair, shaking my shirt, still not convinced it’s probably on me… Ewwwwwwwwww. The cats do find them and kill em.
Hubby’s good at catching them, then he sets them free outside.
SIL seen one here one day and was intrieged by their look… all the while I’m screaming, “WHO CARES, JUST KILL IT, KILL IT”.
I can’t stand them. Will try the fogger under the house. But then I was thinking, won’t they come inside to get away from the fogger… won’t they???

Reply to this comment
kayla 11.16.09 at 8:40 am

I have these things all throw out my house i live in dover,PA and my kids are tarrafied of them just like i am lastnight there w as on in my bed so i did not sleep well at all lastnight i need to find something that kills them i do not see them at all in the summer just when it is starting to get cold out i was told they like to bit and i do not need my kids bit by one of them nasty things please help

Reply to this comment
Rick 11.17.09 at 9:37 pm

This is crazzzzyyyyyy..i live in Southern New Jersey and for the past cpl weeks these things have invaded my basement. First time i saw i one, i thought it was a crazy looking spider,so as i went to kill it, it JUMPED! so then i thought it was some crazy african jumping spider! i find them in my sink,in the bathroom,everywhere! They are so crazzzyy freaky i might make a movie about it. thats how freaked out i am lol

Reply to this comment
ron 11.18.09 at 5:18 am

they show up late summer to early fall in my crawlspace. i close all the vents, and set two cannisters of bug spray, one at each end of the floor of the crawlspace, then set them off and close the door. two weeks later, i do the same thing and they’re completely gone again until next season. trick is to bomb them early when they first start to hatch (show up) and they’re still small. but you have to do it a second time to kill any late bloomers that the first carpet bomb missed.
they are gross . . .

Reply to this comment
JOSH(SPRICKET LOVER)MCGRUDER 11.18.09 at 5:47 pm

Well what i have learned from these aliens is, if u can beat them(which u wont)join them!!!! At my home in KY I like to feed them,bond with them,you know get to know one another. The more I smashed,the more there were. F it,lets hangout,chill out and talk it over,I say!!! Its been a week since i have communicated with these creatures,and i barely seen hide or hair from them. Guess they don’t wanna be friends. To summarize my blog up,lay down your arms people,get to know these SPRICKETS. Maybe your intruding on there turf!!!

Reply to this comment
Morgan Layton 11.18.09 at 10:24 pm

To the spricket loving fool above …
This is the dumbest idea that I’ve ever heard of!
Don’t be mad PQ, just letting you know.

Reply to this comment
Larissa 11.19.09 at 2:18 pm

We have camel crickets. They are soooo gross. We live in South Jersey in a bi-level. When I come down stairs to turn the light on I do a complete scan of the room before entering. We’ve found that if we keep the de-humidifier on it reduces them tremendousley. Also, I’ve layed duck tape turned upside down at night - they are attracted to the glue and when I come down in the morning there will be several stuck on the tape. I would love a solution to get rid of them completley.

Reply to this comment
Josef Albari 11.19.09 at 9:10 pm

AND ONCE AGAIN HERE I AM! I AWOKE EARLIER THIS WEEK TO FIND MY ROOMATE JOSH SPRICKET LOVER MCGRUDER, TRYING TO SMASH ONE OF OUR LOVELY FRIENDS! I THOUGHT HE WANTED PEACE AND HARMONY??? NO LOVE IN OUR TOWN FOR THESE UGLY PLAUGED FOOLS! IM CURRENTLY AT WORK AT FOUND THAT THEIR INVASION WILL NOT STOP….AT ANY MEANS. MAYBE I’LL LET THE TERMINATOR GUY IN ON FRIDAY MORNING. IM CURRENTLY AT WORK , SO……………….SHOUT OUT TO JOSH AND MORGAN IN LEX! HOPE THEY DONT CREEP UP ON YA WHEN YOURE SLEEP!

Reply to this comment
T Marie 11.22.09 at 9:56 am

My introduction to these monsters came as I was making the bed a couple of days after moving into our new house in TN. I lifted a pillow off the bed and there it was! A second later it jumped at me and landed on my throat!!!!! I was SO freaked out I couldn’t even scream for help and after it fell off me and on to the floor, the darn thing just dissapeared. YUK!
I was SURE it was a mutant jumping spider and my brother delighted in telling me that it was waging an attack on me and I’d better be careful not to get bit. (Thanks Bro!) I now know they are “only” crickets (like that makes a difference) and they usually don’t bite people. They WILL consume other sprickets and even their own limbs, so I have no idea why the ‘experts’ say human flesh is off their menu. Make sure you don’t sleep with your mouth open!

Reply to this comment
Mary Ann 12.05.09 at 2:05 am

We’re living in a finished basement @ our parents house in KY an they’re always n our bathroom, laundry room, an hallway. My 3year old daughter is terrified to go to the bathroom by herself bc of the “jumpin spiders”.They r pretty creepy lookin. An very odd when u’re tryin to use the bathroom an theirs one 2ft away from, jus sittin there, as I wait for it to jump at any second. I’m terrifed to try kill them bc anymroe bc all they do is jump! It’s a never ending cycle. They like to chase me as I’m tryin to kill them! I give up. I’m puttin out the glue/tape traps!

Reply to this comment
angelo 12.05.09 at 8:53 am

omg i have these things everywere in my house i live in jersey and i hate them! They creep me out so bad

Reply to this comment
isismarie 12.11.09 at 12:31 pm

We have had these critters in our house for the past 5 year. With the exception of centipedes, they are the most disconcerting insects I have ever encountered… and I am allergic to bees! My mother refuses to go down into the basement after dark.

We have found that the best way to kill them is with a flyswatter; therefore, we have flyswatters placed at strategic spots all around the basement. Lately, a few have been found in the human living quarters. I want them out of the house and have declared a full out war on these crickets. They need to crawl (or hop) back to the caves from whence they came! They may be “harmless” but they nibble on all things organic–including each other–Yuck! Oh yes, and I almost forgot… Mice and rats enjoy eating them as snacks. Rodents would make a very nice addition to an already horrific situation.

Here is a website that I found very helpful with a plan of action for driving these critter our of my house! http://www.economyexterminators.com/camel_cricket.html

If anyone else comes across a good method for eliminating these pests from their homes, please let me know.

Reply to this comment
Roslyn 12.13.09 at 8:18 pm

12-13-09 We have them in Oklahoma. Just recently noticed them. Hate Them!

Reply to this comment
Terry 12.16.09 at 2:07 pm

I found a product called Niban. Google it and you’ll find sellers. You sprinkle it around your foundation and their gone. It can go in garages and basements as well. It worked for me.
I’m not promoting any particular seller. Here’s what the description says about Niban. T

Theres no better professional grade, all-around bait for targeting the two most prominent invading pests you deal with: cockroaches and ants. NiBans new formula includes a tougher, weatherized granule that will last longer than any other on the market, providing you with a more effective kill between quarterly visits. This is the industrys only granular bait with the power of borates and our patent pending. It was formulated with a concern for the environment, its easy to use and it has produced amazing results since it was created. NiBan targets a wide spectrum of pests and can be used both indoors and out. Kills and prevents: Ants Cockroaches Silverfish Carpenter ants Crickets Earwigs Slugs Snails NiBan At A Glance: Weather resistant Indoor/outdoor use No known resistance Specifically formulated to attract a wide variety of pests Superior against cockroaches and crickets Comfort Grip refillable shaker jug Long-lasting protection 5% Boric Acid active ingredient

Reply to this comment
Terry 12.16.09 at 2:17 pm

@angelo:
I found a product called Niban. Google it and you’ll find sellers. You sprinkle it around your foundation and their gone. It can go in garages and basements as well. It worked for me.
I’m not promoting any particular seller. Here’s what the description says about Niban. T

Theres no better professional grade, all-around bait for targeting the two most prominent invading pests you deal with: cockroaches and ants. NiBans new formula includes a tougher, weatherized granule that will last longer than any other on the market, providing you with a more effective kill between quarterly visits. This is the industrys only granular bait with the power of borates and our patent pending. It was formulated with a concern for the environment, its easy to use and it has produced amazing results since it was created. NiBan targets a wide spectrum of pests and can be used both indoors and out. Kills and prevents: Ants Cockroaches Silverfish Carpenter ants Crickets Earwigs Slugs Snails NiBan At A Glance: Weather resistant Indoor/outdoor use No known resistance Specifically formulated to attract a wide variety of pests Superior against cockroaches and crickets Comfort Grip refillable shaker jug Long-lasting protection 5% Boric Acid active ingredient

Reply to this comment
Roslyn 01.12.10 at 11:25 am

1-12-10 With all the cold weather and snow, they seem to be really hiding.
We have only seen a dead one in a bedroom and one that must have come in from the garage via a box. I surely will be ready for them on the warm up. I am looking into products and getting armed. So far, none of our friends noticed them this past summer. (OKC)

Reply to this comment
Shay 01.15.10 at 2:54 am

I live in Missouri & I get these things in my basement every winter. There aren’t too many, but I usually end up with anywhere from 3-5 throughout the winter. I usually find them dead because my cat finds them & ”plays” with them, which doesn’t bother me any, killing them is a pain! They are extremely creepy & not to mention they are huge. I always just called them spider crickets. It’s kind of nice to know what they really are called. None the less, they are still just as weird and disgusting.

Reply to this comment
Pest Control Cary NC 03.11.10 at 1:18 pm

The Jerusalem Cricket is even worse. It looks like a giant tank.

Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment

You can use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>