What about bugs in the 'burgh? (Pittsburgh, Penn: apartment, how much, houses)

[saturdayskids]

Just found this topic from google, so I decided to bump it..

The snake mentioned on pg 1/2, the Timber Rattlesnake, thank GOD it was mentioned.


About 6/7 years ago (maybe a bit more) I was running through my neighbors yard (we live next to woods) and I almost tripped on what I thought was a hose. I kept going and I heard a rattle, and turned around and there was a rattlesnake! I ran to get my neighbor and let him know, but I heard leaves ruffle and turned around- the snake had left.

Everyone I told immediately disbelieved it and just said I saw a gardener snake.


These things DO exist here

[mr.davon24]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Banana spiders are completely harmless, and not defensive whatsoever. Theyre also known as garden spiders. It should also be noted that ALL spiders are venomous, not poisonous. If you have any questions, let me know. I study spiders, scorpions, snakes, centipedes, etc. and keep many as pets. There is absolutely nothing to worry about, trust me.

The only critter in PA thats dangerous, IMO, is the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), of which there are many.

we have those here?? The only bugs I hate right about now are those friggin "stink bugs".

[MaryS80]

The cold weather kills off most of the bugs. You may find the occasional spider in the house but not swarms of bugs. I've known people in the Pittsburgh with filthy homes that don't have a pest problem. In the south its just the opposite, no matter how clean you keep things bugs are fairly common.

[drshang]

In general I don't think Pittsburgh has much of a bug problem, especially if you are coming from the south. I mean, obviously bugs live here and people in Pittsburgh have seen bugs, as noted from the posts on this thread (which are kind of funny ) it's not a big deal.

[East of Eden]

Originally Posted by mr.davon24

we have those here?? The only bugs I hate right about now are those friggin "stink bugs".

I might be agreeing with you if we're talking about the oval-shaped, brown mottled beetle like things that fly and generally are over everything.

After getting one down into the garbage disposal and whisking it into it's after life (ALCOSAN), the stink arose from the drain and I was able to (finally) identify the "stink".

They smell a lot like freshly cut cucumber.
Now, this isn't an overly unpleasant odor...for a cucumber, but (if you're like me) I like my bugs to have no identifiable smell whatsoever.

I did notice the other night that we seem to be having a bumper crop of lightning bugs. My part of town, the Trafford area, (think Monroeville south), doesn't seem to have gotten it's full share of robins and jays and perhaps a dearth of predation is what is "causing" the noticeable increase?

[rescue_company_one]

So what spiders do you guys have in Pittsburgh?? I currently live in Oklahoma and we have so many its horrible. No mater how clean my house is they get in. Mostly its garden spiders and Wolf spiders. I have never had a Tarantula in my house or yard but they are all over at my in laws place in SW Oklahoma. I personally hate spiders. I really want to move to Pittsburgh and less spiders would be a great bonus.

[Hopes]

Pittsburgh has huge deadly spiders bigger than cats that eat small pets!

[neurodistortion]

In my house, we have the common centipede, a small tan spider which we usually get during the summer, a larger black spider which can grow up to an inch and a half, although I've seen some gigantic ones but not in my house. There's also mosquitoes, flies, ladybugs and little ants but other than that, there's really nothing to worry about.

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by rescue_company_one

So what spiders do you guys have in Pittsburgh?? I currently live in Oklahoma and we have so many its horrible. No mater how clean my house is they get in. Mostly its garden spiders and Wolf spiders. I have never had a Tarantula in my house or yard but they are all over at my in laws place in SW Oklahoma. I personally hate spiders. I really want to move to Pittsburgh and less spiders would be a great bonus.

Spiders are GOOD. Spiders eat bad bugs.

[neurodistortion]

We also have daddy longlegs, but they're nothing to worry about. I usually don't even kill them if I see them in the basement.