Bugs (Las Vegas, Sparks: house, buy, scorpions)

[Tressa]

The Las Vegas forum is having quite the discussion on scorpians and roaches. I'm moving to the Rye Patch area will the same concerns be up there with the bug issue.

Are you folks experiencing problems with scorpians? I know that if you have trouble with roaches you can get a an exterminator out there to spray the area.

Living in Alaska we really don't have trouble with insects, the mosquitos is pretty much the only real issue. Occasional bee problems come up in certain years.

I was once told that if you water the desert you will get roaches, I was raised in southern California I have experience with roaches and absolutely hate them. My husband and I would like to have a nice landscaped yard.

[humboldtrat]

You'll see swarms of mormon crickets from time to time

[MtnBikeNV]

I remember horrid roaches in Vegas, but I've never seen one up here in northern Nevada. LOL @ the mormon crickets.. nasty things. I remember flying down a trail on my mtn bike and plowing through millions of those things, two summers ago. My riding buddy screamed the whole way down.. I laughed and laughed. Memorable moment. LOL Not fun cleaning the bug guts off my bike and my legs afterwards but ah well.

[garth]

I grew up and lived most of my life in So California. I never saw cockaroaches. Their existance has much more to do with qualities other than region.

As for western or northern Nevada, that thing about "watering" the desert sounds like an old wive's tale. I have a landscaped yard with lawn, trees, and bushes, that was spray and dripped watered with an automatic sprinkler system. At no time has the water ever raised, grown, attracted, or spontaneouly generated any cockaroaches.

What I have seen are Mormon Crickets over on the eastern side of Northern Nevada at certain times of the year. It will also vary from year to year. Boy, when they decide to travel, they do it in a big way.

Here's a picture of the Mormon Cricket:



Those things are also cannibals. When you step on them or crush them under your car tires, other ones will run over and start eating their brother. Yuch. Thank God I have yet to see them on the western side of Nevada.

I have also seen some small spiders pretty much everywhere. They're not the big hairy kind, but I have seen a black widow. They're fat black things with a red hour glass on their belly. Otherwise, it's not much different than you would see any place in the country and it's sometimes much less buggy than in a lot of regions.

I have also not seen any scorpions, but I don't hang out in the sage brush. I suppose they're out there, but they're certainly not running into my house or hanging out on the patio.

[Tressa]

Thank you for your responses, I've been to our property a couple of times, we were there June 2006 and yes seen loads of mormon crickets however they didn't pass through this year apparently they went in the directions of Sparks. Als in 2006 a contractor was putting up our shop the contractors said they had seen several scorpions, and this last summer my brother inlaw said he killed about 6 black widows in our shop.

But is sounds that once we have everyday life around there we may not experience it so much, while I've been out there other than the mormon crickets I hadn't seen other insects. thank you all for reassuring me. I will continue to shake out my shoes and boots and not leave any clothing on the floor just in case.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Tressa

Thank you for your responses, I've been to our property a couple of times, we were there June 2006 and yes seen loads of mormon crickets however they didn't pass through this year apparently they went in the directions of Sparks. Als in 2006 a contractor was putting up our shop the contractors said they had seen several scorpions, and this last summer my brother inlaw said he killed about 6 black widows in our shop.

But is sounds that once we have everyday life around there we may not experience it so much, while I've been out there other than the mormon crickets I hadn't seen other insects. thank you all for reassuring me. I will continue to shake out my shoes and boots and not leave any clothing on the floor just in case.

The scorpions up your way are the wrong (or rather the right) kind for a painful sting.

From the Nevada Dept of Agriculture...

Question: Are the scorpions in Nevada poisonous?

Answer: Although they all have venom the only one that is considered a problem is the bark scorpion, Centruroides exilicauda, which only occurs in limitedly in Clark County. See publications section.

[Tressa]

Thank you olecapt I appreciateit.

[greatbasinguide]

Buy an ultra violet flashlight and wander around after dark. UV lights up scorpions. It can be amazing to see, how many are around.

[Tressa]

That's what I was telling my husband last night so we will have to get one. It's also my understanding that we have barrow Owl's in our area with several holes on the property along with some in a pile of dirt debris and they say to like scorpions, I guess with the presents of Owl that should be a clear sign that we have an abundance of them maybe.

[Tressa]

[quote=olecapt;2287729]The scorpions up your way are the wrong (or rather the right) kind for a painful sting.

So am I understanding the ones up in our area are less painful sting and the right ones to have around if we had to have them around.