Tell me about: creepy crawly flying critters and such (i.e., BUGS!) (Martin: houses)

[lavender_blue]

Was just reading on another thread that flies and mosquitoes are bad in TN. Saw a long thread about drain flies on a FB post too. It's got me wondering about bugs in TN.

Is there anything really bad, particularly annoying, etc? Here in CT, we get swarms of stinkbugs, ticks of all kinds and super annoying black flies that will attack you on hikes in wooded areas in the spring. They are tiny and will fly up your nose (!)

Wondering what it's like in TN and if the mosquitoes and flies are as bad as he was saying? I realize that was just one person, but would appreciate your thoughts, thanks!

[fishingupnorth]

Moving from Wisconsin to TN I can compare both. There are Gnats on the golf courses but they aren't that bad and only in the late afternoon are they apparent. The mosquitoes are here but they are very small compared to the giants in Wisconsin. Ticks are prevalent but if you stay out of the woods and tall grass they are not a problem. There are something called Chiggers that like to bite you on your lower legs and ankles. You can't see them but the bites do itch quite a bit. Lots of spiders but we treat our outside areas with Home Defense and don't seem to have a problem.

[Barking Spider]

Mosquitos are a problem here, but its really relative. We get our home treated during the summer months so we can spend time in the yard.
Ticks are very common and can be anywhere there is tall grass, or in the woods.

[Normashirley]

Buy high ground, stay out of the low lands even if they aren’t designated as flood plains.

If the ground drainage is poor spend the money on French drains and let an expert landscaper suggest what you might need a d now it should be arranged.

Keep your acreage well mowed.

We have 24+ acres that sits at ~1000 feet and has the best natural drainage one could ask for. I still have horses, which means manure. We are surrounded by woods and beef cattle.

We keep everything Bush hogged and mowed. We only have pest control on the outside of the house due to Black Widows, as my high blood pressure might go in a tizzy if I were to get bit.


Day before yesterday, I saw I saw my 6th or 7th mosquito for the season - and I’m not kidding.

We had chiggers when we first moved here but they left town after we started keeping everything mowed.

We also have a lot of song birds, Barn Swallows and five Purple Martin Houses. The Swallows and Purple Martins do a stellar job keeping certain flying insects under control.

Mud Daubers kill Black Widows, so do not kill the Mud Daubers

Ticks & fleas are the biggest issue. Keep your dogs on something. We have a 1/4 acre fenced back yard. We put Sevin Dust down in Spring, plus keep that yard mowed as short as the mower deck will go, to keep the flea/tick issue down to a dull roar.

I don’t allow spraying of any sort around the horse barn, but even so, the insect population is not that bad.

Buy good ground that drains at a 15 on a scale of 1-10, keep everything mowed, keep weeds And bushes from growing against the house, and consider hiring a pest control service.

If nothing else hire a service that will put termite stations around the house. That is a huge deal for me keeping termites away. Ours get checked quarterly

[VinceTheExplorer]

Don’t forget about spider crickets, which will be pretty much everywhere there’s a damp, cool spot like a crawlspace, basement or damp bath towel after taking a shower (happens to us a bunch).

https://bugspray.com/spider_cricket_control.html

Went under the house recently to do some plumbing work and there must have been 200 of them scattered across the foundation walls. We’re at elev. 1800’ in ETN and kill 1-2 per day in the basement this time of year. Wife absolutely hates them, myself not so much as I’ve read up on them some.

Never approach one directly from the front as their anatomy only allows them to jump forwards and not sideways or backwards. First time my wife encountered one she thought it was chasing her as it kept coming towards her as she ran away. Lol

They’re pretty hard to totally get rid of, as are the gnats here in TN too. We call them “ninja bugs” as they bite you without you ever knowing they were there.

Chiggers are the worst though if you get into a patch of them. Expect hundreds of extremely itchy mosquito like bites that last for days and spread across the body by the chiggers which can’t be seen. Used to be a land surveyor and have had that pleasurable experience more than my fair share of times, with various scars to show for it.

[Normashirley]

I THINK I may have seen a few of those spider crickets at the barn. Never at the house, so the pest control must take care of them up,here.

I have a real cricket at the barn that I would like to pop because he won’t shut up at night - all night - until daylight. The only good thing about his night serenading is I know if something comes into the barn because he shuts up. I don’t know how my horses get any sleep, having to listen to him. ——
.

[lavender_blue]

Had those in NY. Those are some of the nastiest bugs ever. I hate the way they jump!!

[Barking Spider]

I thought they were called cave crickets. As a home inspector, I was in crawlspaces almost every working day (for 30 years). The creepy part was when the would hop around on the plastic vapor barrier. Being in tight dark places and hearing odd sounds is unsettling to say the least.
You are not likely to run across them unless you plan on spending time under the house.

[lavender_blue]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

I thought they were called cave crickets. As a home inspector, I was in crawlspaces almost every working day (for 30 years). The creepy part was when the would hop around on the plastic vapor barrier. Being in tight dark places and hearing odd sounds is unsettling to say the least.
You are not likely to run across them unless you plan on spending time under the house.

Phew! In my NY house, they were invested in the basement where the laundry room was (rental, crappy landlord.) One jumped into the washing machine while it was running, it was downright horrifying, lol.

[2mares]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

I thought they were called cave crickets. As a home inspector, I was in crawlspaces almost every working day (for 30 years). The creepy part was when the would hop around on the plastic vapor barrier. Being in tight dark places and hearing odd sounds is unsettling to say the least.
You are not likely to run across them unless you plan on spending time under the house.

Same thing, common names vary by location. I have always called them cave crickets. We use to set traps under the house for them and use them for fishing bait.