[REIRehabber]

Besides your typical house spider every once in awhile, what are the spiders, bugs and critters situation there in Michigan? With more emphasis and focus on suburban subdivisions, not out in the woods or boondies. PLEASE DON'T POST ANY PICTURES. Thank you.

[jeanniepep]

When I lived in Troy as a teenager, I used to wear high-top sneakers all the time. One day I picked up my sneakers and was spaced out looking at my Duran Duran posters on the wall, when I felt a tickle on my hand. When I looked, there was a GIANT MILLIPEDE that had crawled out of my shoe onto my hand! It was brown & black with white spots, and VERY long feathery legs that completely covered my whole hand. I screamed bloody murder and flailed like I was possessed! Eventually the varmint was located and dispatched rather inhumanely, so I won't disgust you with the details.

Interestingly, I found the exact same type of critter more than 20 yrs later in Ferndale . . . I opened up my dryer lint trap to make sure it was clean before adding a load, and lo and behold: my old friend Mr. Hairy Gorgeous Humongous Millipede was lounging around on the lint filter. I paused for a moment to behold his beauty before flinging the lint trap against the wall and sprinting away like a Kenyan. This time he scurried away and I did not give chase. He may still be living in my basement but as long as he gives me my space, I will give him his.

We also have really scary looking wolf spiders in Metro Detroit. I don't know if they are actually dangerous, but they sure are large and evil-looking.

[chiroptera]

Why the directive in ALL CAPS not to post photos? This isn't your personal message board, it's a public forum.
There's bugs, spiders and critters here, yes. In cities and subs too. If I could figure out how to post photos here I would.
Jeannie, that was probably a house millipede? They're pretty cool and if you have an unfinished basement you want them. Natural pest control! They eat spiders, larvae and all sorts of bugs and are completely harmless.

[JGatti]

Hornets and other types make it into the house a few times per summer. Earwigs are the worst to have. They are such nasty looking little bastards.
As far as critters in the suburbs mice are common to get in your house. I grew up in Southfield and we had racoons get into our garage, opossum's and seen the occasional skunk in the yard. Oh we had a family of fox living in our neighbors yard too.

But if your concern is having dangerous insects and animals in or near your house I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[chiroptera]

[chiroptera]

House centipede.

[REIRehabber]

Originally Posted by chiroptera

House centipede.

PLEASE No pictures. I want to be able to read the forum I posted the question in. Thank you and please understand.

[Nephler]

Bugs, mosquitoes! I now live in Alaska, but lived in Northern MI for over 45 years. Michigan has many more mosquitoes then Alaska could dream of.

[needing more]

I live in SW MI. We have lots of mosquitos.. this summer was one of the worse so far... We also have mice, lady bugs (the biting orange ones too), the brown recluse spider, wolf spiders (are harmless but are scarry since they are hairy and have a bad bite too), ear wigs, beetles, rolly pollies (dont know their real name), centipeds and millipeds, cecadia,... We also have possums, raccoons in your garbage.. Michigan has a humid climate since we are surrounded by water and have so many lakes.. So that means lots of bugs!!

[magellan]

Mosquitos are the only things that seem to be really bad at times. I'd invest in a mosquito spraying service. We did this year and loved it!