Earwigs!

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Hilde' date='15 July 2010 - 01:39 AM' timestamp='1279168747' post='2142859']
I ran a search on the English name from Arion lusitanicus and the name Spanish slug came up. They are aliens from the Mediterranean area and have no natural place in our nature, but obviously they're enjoying themselves here. They spread like wildfire, wreak havoc on people's gardens and are gross in general.
[/quote]
YUCK!!
Earwigs moved into the neighborhood about 10 years ago and they are everywhere. Last year we were invaded by supersized stink bugs who can survive our PA winters by moving indoors. I chased the #$%#$% things all winter; they would appear suddenly flying down the hallway in the middle of February!!! Ah the joys of overseastravel and the trouble it can bring.
Diatomaceous earth works on all bugs, and can really annoy the mice.

[sixpence]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='15 July 2010 - 11:36 AM' timestamp='1279208167' post='2142974']
YUCK!!
Earwigs moved into the neighborhood about 10 years ago and they are everywhere. Last year we were invaded by supersized stink bugs who can survive our PA winters by moving indoors. I chased the #$%#$% things all winter; they would appear suddenly flying down the hallway in the middle of February!!! Ah the joys of overseastravel and the trouble it can bring.
Diatomaceous earth works on all bugs, and can really annoy the mice.
[/quote]

those are brown marmorated stink bugs...a professor in my dept works on them.. http://njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/control.asp

[Sojourner]

Our mosquito population has been exploding as of late. We live in a swamp, or right next to one, and the wet weather has really increased areas for breeding grounds. We've had helicopters flying over and spraying several times in the last week or two.

It's kind of gross if you go outside at night and turn on a light. There are bugs flying EVERYWHERE. The air is thick with them. And weeds are growing like crazy too. I feel like nature is fighting back against civilization, and I'm on the front lines ...

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='15 July 2010 - 12:36 PM' timestamp='1279208167' post='2142974']
YUCK!!
Earwigs moved into the neighborhood about 10 years ago and they are everywhere. Last year we were invaded by supersized stink bugs who can survive our PA winters by moving indoors. I chased the #$%#$% things all winter; they would appear suddenly flying down the hallway in the middle of February!!! Ah the joys of overseastravel and the trouble it can bring.
Diatomaceous earth works on all bugs, and can really annoy the mice.
[/quote]

Do you use diatomaceous earth often? What kind do you use? I have read that the food grade is better, but my local Lowes only sells the pool kind as far as I can tell. I might have to order it...

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' date='15 July 2010 - 02:23 PM' timestamp='1279214624' post='2143014']
Do you use diatomaceous earth often? What kind do you use? I have read that the food grade is better, but my local Lowes only sells the pool kind as far as I can tell. I might have to order it...
[/quote]
I don't currently use the stuff, but I know it works. It dehydrates the insects body after piercing it, however it doesn't work well on slugs. However be careful you don't breathe in the stuff.
Earwigs, and pill bugs will live anywhere where its dark or damp so sprinkle the stuff there. Cayenne pepper works too as well as leaving the spiders alone to do their work.

[Sojourner]

My mom has used it to greater or lesser effect. It doesn't work well in wetter climates, because an important part of its functionality is liquid absorption. If the area it's sprinkled in is wet already, it won't work as well.

I don't mind spiders, and understand their usefulness in getting rid of other pests, but one did bite my baby on his forehead the other day. . It's all healed up, but it did leave me a tad disgruntled with our spider population.

[IcePrincessKRS]

The only problem I have with my current spider population is that it's quite venomous. It's in an area that I regularly have to physically walk into and the neighborhood kids play in. I'm fine with spiders just about anywhere else. But not brown widows where I have to walk or where my kids play. THAT particular spider population can be demolished without any remorse on my part.

I'm not worried about other bugs.

[Sojourner]

We don't have much in the way of venomous spiders here. Mostly daddy long legs, which are venomous but the amount of venom is so miniscule that it's insignificant.

We've had a lot of trouble with ants this year. We live in a really sandy area and have lots of ant colonies around our house. They tried to invade and I put out Ortho and haven't seen any in a while. We get a lot of other bugs too, but not many inside. Although we do have spiders, so I'm sure that means we have more bugs than I regularly see.

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='Terra Firma' date='16 July 2010 - 04:42 PM' timestamp='1279309341' post='2143571']
We don't have much in the way of venomous spiders here. Mostly daddy long legs, which are venomous but the amount of venom is so miniscule that it's insignificant.

We've had a lot of trouble with ants this year. We live in a really sandy area and have lots of ant colonies around our house. They tried to invade and I put out Ortho and haven't seen any in a while. We get a lot of other bugs too, but not many inside. Although we do have spiders, so I'm sure that means we have more bugs than I regularly see.
[/quote]

That's actually something of a myth/urban legend. Harvestmen, which a lot of people call daddy long legs, don't have venom (and are arachnids but technically not spiders). The other spider which is called daddy long legs, and I forget the official name of right now, was thought to be more poisonous because they actually prey on other spiders including really venomous ones (technically all spiders have venom, because that's how they kill their prey, some just have stronger venom). There's never actually been any studies on their venom but their fangs are the same type and similar size as brown recluse spiders (which obviously can bite), so people now deduce that their venom isn't harmful to humans (although apparently on one of those myth buster type of shows some guy got one to bite him and he just said it was a mild burning sensation... I haven't seen the show myself). I have read way too much about spiders since coming to the south. lol (Mostly trying to figure out if the creatures I've found pose any sort of threat.)

We have fire ants down here. I occasionally go around the yard with the spray and douse all the piles I can find, big or small. I feel conflicted about using pesticide where kids will be around but they say it's ok after a few hours and I'd rather get rid of them than have one of the 20+ kids in our neighborhood get attacked. Those bites HURT!

[cmotherofpirl]

Any spider who has the word "widow" in its name would probably get the death sentence as well. We mostly have wolfies outside and in the basement, pill bug spiders everywhere and garden or house spiders in the corners. I miss my pond spider, it was a beautiful green/yellow/black and every night spun a huge web over the pond that would shine in the morning sun.

[IcePrincessKRS]

Yeah, I can handle any variety of garden or house spider (although, because I am now a paranoid freak about them, I did kill a house spider in my kitchen last night.... "kill first, identify later" is my new motto). It's the fact that I found the widows 12 feet from my front door that bothers me.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' date='17 July 2010 - 07:49 AM' timestamp='1279374585' post='2143881']
That's actually something of a myth/urban legend. Harvestmen, which a lot of people call daddy long legs, don't have venom (and are arachnids but technically not spiders). The other spider which is called daddy long legs, and I forget the official name of right now, was thought to be more poisonous because they actually prey on other spiders including really venomous ones (technically all spiders have venom, because that's how they kill their prey, some just have stronger venom). There's never actually been any studies on their venom but their fangs are the same type and similar size as brown recluse spiders (which obviously can bite), so people now deduce that their venom isn't harmful to humans (although apparently on one of those myth buster type of shows some guy got one to bite him and he just said it was a mild burning sensation... I haven't seen the show myself). I have read way too much about spiders since coming to the south. lol (Mostly trying to figure out if the creatures I've found pose any sort of threat.)

We have fire ants down here. I occasionally go around the yard with the spray and douse all the piles I can find, big or small. I feel conflicted about using pesticide where kids will be around but they say it's ok after a few hours and I'd rather get rid of them than have one of the 20+ kids in our neighborhood get attacked. Those bites HURT!
[/quote]
I looked up photos of harvestmen (and other arachnids/spiders colloquially called daddy long legs) and none of them look like the spider (or whatever) I've seen commonly around here.

But the info you shared is interesting. Thanks.

The spray I use is safe for people and pets as soon as it's dried; they recommend 30 minutes, I think. I don't mind using sprays because they're so effective, although my little person isn't too mobile yet. (He did, however, just flip completely from back to tummy as I wrote this. He's been doing it infrequently, but he's gotten better at it ).