Jumpy bugs. Hippity Hops. Cave crickets.
That's just some of the names local residents have given to these critters that have invaded their homes, particularly their basements. Their actual name is Rhaphidophoridae, but they are commonly called camel crickets because of their "humpbacked appearance," according to North Carolina University's Department of Entomology Web site.
Unlike field crickets, these strange-looking creatures have no wings and they do not chirp, but they can jump very high, which they usually do when they are startled. For instance, when they detect, using their antennae, that someone is approaching or if you throw a shoe at them.
"Glue Traps and a Dehumidifier," Allison Melissa said on Bellmore Patch's Facebook page. "An exterminator really doesn't help. They have made their way upstairs in our home. They are disgusting!"
"We call them hopping spiders. Are they a South Shore phenomenon?" asked Barbara Johnson LaGrassa. "They jump so high, it's like an attack! They do seem to be worse this year."
"Diatomasious Earth (DE) in food Grade form works on these guys," Cipriano's Nursery, which is based in East Meadow, said. "You can apply DE indoors and outdoors. Its Organic and Safe! Diestrammena asynamora or Camel Cricket start to venture into basements and houses at this time of year."
"For best results make sure you apply DE liberaly around and under appliances along baseboards etc." they added. "DE is a Mechanical killer not a chemical killer, it dehydrates the insects and they will not develope an immunity to it."
Chris Mueller offered a different solution to the problem.
"Best is a cat," he said. "I got a cat and they're gone for the most part. I do find the occasional leg on the floor. There are worms or centipedes you can get as well. Problem with those is that they bite humans as well."
How do you combat these creepy crawlers? Tell us in the comments section below.
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