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We have a smaller version of that beetle here in IL, not quite as menacing. Anyways, Ive been pinched by one, it felt pretty bad, like when a small dog nips you... pain is sharp for a few seconds, then decreases rapidly.
Steve-o... how would you describe the "bug situation" in Chicago? I've thought about relocating to Chicago, maybe not as my #1 choice, but it's on my list of considerations somewhere. How big of a nuisance are bugs there, and which bugs are the biggest problems?
Steve-o... how would you describe the "bug situation" in Chicago? I've thought about relocating to Chicago, maybe not as my #1 choice, but it's on my list of considerations somewhere. How big of a nuisance are bugs there, and which bugs are the biggest problems?
In the city itself? Not bad at all. Not many mosquitos as there are in the burbs, no scorpions, snakes, etc. Im sure termites and roaches are a problem here and there, but thats the owners' fault. In short, not many bugs at all. The burbs have more bugs as its less urban, with more forests and lakes, etc. Mosquitos are a problem in areas, some other areas are fine. Snakes and spiders can be common in areas, but we dont have anything dangerous here. Actually, there are 2 species of rattlesnake that are in the area, but are very rare (Sistrurus catenatus and Crotalus horridus).
Are they little tiny black ants, that travel in a single-file line? If so, those are sugar ants.
They are ghost ants, a tiny tropical ant that seems to behave erratically not following any particular path. Can't believe I took this post out of the graveyard for that, but nonetheless it's an interesting discussion.
Having lived in the Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado and North Carolina I can honestly say that North Carolina has A LOT more bugs. Colorado had the least and Iowa/Minnesota was so-so depending on how close you live to water..mosquitos and trees..ticks. North Carolina is full of red ants, roaches, earwigs, spiders and snakes! I've never experienced living around this many spiders in my life, our entire porch is full of webs days after I clean it up. Just as long as the majority of them stay outside. But I will say that I've never had any mice in my home in NC which might have to do with the warmer weather. It's a give and take.
They are ghost ants, a tiny tropical ant that seems to behave erratically not following any particular path. Can't believe I took this post out of the graveyard for that, but nonetheless it's an interesting discussion.
Do the ghost ants hang around potted plants? I can't seem to identify the ones I have and only certain plants attract them. I can't seem to get rid of them. I'm curious, you don't have any bugs & you don't spray? You do live in Florida don't you or did I confuse you with another poster.
I have lived in Phoenix, California, Chicago, Seattle, New York, and currently live in Atlanta. I would say the southern states in the sunbelt definitely have the worst problem with pests. While living in California & Arizona, I found that my main issue was with ants, a rather constant problem, although fairly manageable. New York and Chicago I noticed had definitely less of an issue with any sort of bug in the winter, probably due to the cold weather, but summers brought out a whole slough of cockroaches. However, the worst city was definitely Atlanta. As someone stated above, the south is known for its various insect problems, perhaps due to the humid climate. Its true, the cockroaches DO fly, they ARE huge, and they are almost impossible to get rid of. The problem is definitely worse with them in the summer/early fall. In contrast, Seattle, with the exception of a few large spiders, has a relatively bug-free environment. Perhaps it is also due to the climate, but I have never once seen a cockroach in Seattle, mostly just spiders and the occasional ant in a restaurant. Hope this helps!
I thought the bugs in the SE were bad until I moved to Massachusetts. Granted, during the winter the bugs aren't bad. But once the weather starts warming up... it goes from May Flies to Mosquitoes to Horse Flies. For about a month in the summer, the mosquitos where we lived were thick.
I live in the Mid-Atlantic and we have (most common to least common):
Regular Roaches (multiple varieties)
Daddy Long Legs
Waterbugs/Palmetto bugs (large flying roaches)
Bees
Ants (black & red)
Small Spiders
Gnats (they fly around in large swarms and feel nasty to me)
Lightning bugs
Mosquitos
Crickets
Flies (including horse flies)
Hornets
Slugs
Silverfish
Centipedes
And more bugs I can't think of.
I'm not liking how these waterbugs and daddy long legs are starting to stick around in the Winter. I wish we had those tiny Florida scrub lizards (I think that's what they are), I was scared of them at first but I've grown to like them.
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or did I confuse you with another poster.
