Gardenbuddies.com-Where friends meet to share their gardens

Unexpected garden visitor...in the living room!

Garden Forum » Archives in the Garden Forum » Nature in the Garden-Archives » Nature-Archives #1-2003 » Unexpected garden visitor...in the living room! « Previous    Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Euphorbphreak  Send Euphorbphreak a private message!

Click to see a larger profile photo of Euphorbphreak


My Weather
My Time
Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 04:13 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

This creature is known as a Jerusalem cricket, or as it's called in Mexico, El Niño de la Tierra, Child of the Earth, and is native to the Western US. It spends its life underground, eating roots (though not destructively), and though creepy looking, isn't a pest. It has massive jaws and can inflict quite a bite, but isn't poisonous.

My cats were clustered around something Sunday night in the living room, so I went to inspect. Imagine my surprise seeing this 3-inch creature sitting there! It's hard to imagine how it got to my house--I must have brought it home in a pot of a plant I dug up from the garden.


David, the other CA, 9b/17
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Carolyn  Send Carolyn a private message!




My Weather
My Garden
My Time
Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 04:43 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Oh David, what a cute little face and the markings on his back are pretty and what long whiskers he has too. I assume he doesn't have any type of wings?
What are you going to do with him?

CarolynQldAust
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Kniceone  Send Kniceone a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 05:15 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

David - that is one big cricket? Would he bite you or the cats? And I want to know too what you did with him - back outside or the big squash?

Jodi, ONT, Z4, Great White North Click to hear a voice greeting from Kniceone
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Kniphofia  Send Kniphofia a private message!




My Favorite Photo
My Weather
Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 01:47 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

The big squash - I love it! I never kill anything though.

David that's a big guy! No wonder your cats were interested.

Wonderful photo!

Sue Central Maine Zone 4
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Carolyn  Send Carolyn a private message!




My Weather
My Garden
My Time
Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 02:07 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Kniceone wrote on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 06:15 pm:

big squash?



JODI - I'm scared of you

CarolynQldAust
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Euphorbphreak  Send Euphorbphreak a private message!

Click to see a larger profile photo of Euphorbphreak


My Weather
My Time
Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 06:11 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Oh yeah...after some trepidation, we scooped him up and put him out in a wooded area, hoping he'll just go back underground again. I can smoosh spiders, but I couldn't do it to anything that would make a sound! :)

David, the other CA, 9b/17
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Galanthophile  Send Galanthophile a private message!




Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 09:30 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

How cute and how great that he got away to continue his life! On the way home from work yesterday I saw a huge pheasant wandering inbetween 4 lanes of traffic and I couldn't get the idea out of my head that he wouldn't make it to the other side. If I'd seen him earlier I'd have been out trying to catch him but not sure how patient the other drivers would have been!

Galanthophile - UK, Zone "8"
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Marciam  Send Marciam a private message!




My Favorite Photo
Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 10:50 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

That's one big bug, David! I am pretty easy going about 'wild life' in the house--spiders, lady bugs, I try to look the other way. However, that's one bug I couldn't overlook! I would take him outside though--or make one of the guys in the family do it for me.

Marcia, Pennsylvania Zone 5
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Janet43945  Send Janet43945 a private message!




My Weather
Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 09:53 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I would not have killed him either. Look at that face,looks like he is thinking,please don't squash me. I think he is kinda cute.

Janet Ohio Zone 5
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Zack  Send Zack a private message!

Click to see a larger profile photo of Zack


My Weather
My Garden
My Time
Posted on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 09:15 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Look David you made a friend. hehehe

Zack NOLA Zone 9a Click to hear a voice greeting from Zack
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Duckwatcher  Send Duckwatcher a private message!




Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 06:30 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Wow! That is a big bug. I give the spiders the old vacuume when I find them in the house.

DuckWatcher, NCa z9b
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Gardenshowlady  Send Gardenshowlady a private message!


Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 06:40 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Looks like what we call 'molecrickets' around here. They are VERY destructive and hard to get rid of because they are subterranean.
They are #1 enemy to turf. Cute, but not a nice critter, if you ask me...

Gardenshowlady
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Euphorbphreak  Send Euphorbphreak a private message!

Click to see a larger profile photo of Euphorbphreak


My Weather
My Time
Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 06:58 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Carolyn, I looked up mole crickets, and they do sound like nasty critters! But this one is a different species altogether, and you never know you have them until you dig a hole for a plant and find them wiggling around!

David, the other CA, 9b/17
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Gardenshowlady  Send Gardenshowlady a private message!


Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:02 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

We are always learning the coolest stuff here. Thanks David!

Gardenshowlady

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this archive.

Topics Legal