Bugs in the Willamette?

[mdvaden]

The impression I get, is that the spider hazard pales in comparison to poison oak rash potential.

[orygun]

Originally Posted by mdvaden

The impression I get, is that the spider hazard pales in comparison to poison oak rash potential.

Now that might very well be true!

[Larry Caldwell]

There are no hobo spiders in Oregon. The brown recluse is the one that causes so much tissue damage when it bites. It is commonly found inside houses, but rarely bites a human, so the bite rate is very low.

Black widow spiders are fairly common, and have a nasty bite.

Many people have trouble with fleas in the house. If you take care of your pets with a systemic like Revolution or Frontline, they are rarely a problem.

Oregon has lots of native cockroaches, but they are the forest variety, and you only see them in the woods. The urban cockroach is an import, hauled in by immigrants from other states, and are only established in certain cities. If you live in a decent neighborhood, they are not a problem yet. As they spread, eventually everyone will have to deal with them.

There is a major bedbug epidemic going on in Southern California, and some Californians bring them along as they migrate. Unfortunately, we can't dust them at the border with DDT like we used to.

Oregon has a very vigorous ant population, though no fire ants yet. It's not unusual to find ants in the kitchen.

Several species of bugs hide under the siding and trim in the fall, often staying dormant all winter. In the spring, they make a wrong turn and end up inside the house. Lady bugs are common, as are elder bugs and various species of fly.

Houses are infested with dampwood termites, carpenter ants and powder post beetles.

Generally, Oregon doesn't have a bad bug problem.

[TribalCat]

Fleas I can deal with. My cat's indoor only (supposed to be), although I might be getting a dog. Once in awhile the cat gets out by accident, and I use Frontline on him a time or two and that gets rid of the fleas he picks up outside.

Ew bedbugs. I heard they're having a problem with them back East in hotels, but I didn't know about that down here in SoCal. We don't have them.

Most of the indoor bugs I'm not worried about, the cat likes to eat bugs. I'm only concerned with him eating a poisonous spider.

[orygun]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

There are no hobo spiders in Oregon. The brown recluse is the one that causes so much tissue damage when it bites.

I would have to dispute that one. We took many trips into the Oregon State University Extension office in Eugene and showed our captured spiders to the Master Gardener. We definitely had hobo spiders and they will tell you that brown recluse do not live in Oregon unless they traveled in with someone.

[jpb168]

Spiders are a problem, especially in the summer. Unless you are living downtown, pretty much anywhere you go you'll have to contend with spiders that set up in your house and yard. A few years back, I was bitten by a brown recluse that sent me to the ER. Didn't even know it happened until my finger started swelling up, turning black around the bite and (when I knew it was serious) a red line running up the interior of my arm. It pretty much is part of the territory, not much you can do about it.