Are The Bugs Really That Bad??? (Amarillo, Tyler: home, live in, garden) - Texas (TX) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

NOTAM · 07-19-2007, 05:56 PM

i have lived in North Texas (right smack between Wichita Falls and Ft Worth) for many years, and have lived in South Texas almost a year. NEVER seen a scorpion. the only time i have seen one in real life is when i lived in Carlsbad NM for a short time

houstoner · 07-19-2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KewGee

No, I haven't seen those. The ones I'm talking about look like gigantic cockroaches and fly. The image attachment below is kind of what I have in mind.

I'm a native Texan, lived here most of my thirty-something years, and I've never seen a cockroach that huge in my life.

Got stung by a scorpion when I was nine, in northeast Texas. Saw quite a few snakes up there, too. And fireflies, cicadas, dragonflies, spiders, and other... um, wildlife. Most I've seen in the parts of Houston I've lived in are mosquitoes, fire ants, cockroaches, harmless spiders, and assorted varieties of no-see-um's. Never run into a scorpion here. I actually miss the bugs and creepy-crawlies of my youth.

GoodbyeCalifornia · 07-19-2007, 09:41 PM

Hi KewGee:

Well, they could be anywhere from an inch to 3 to 4 inches long and about an inch wide if they were big ones. Usually they were dark brown in color though you did see some that were lighter or even almost black.

The picture attachment that you posted, thought I'm not a roach expert, looks like something I saw on TV once. If I recall correctly it was called a Madagascar Hissing Roach, and beside being big, ugly, and making this hissing sound, they didn't fly. If you have roaches like that flying around your house, you best find yourself a jumbo fly swatter, then call your local university. Bet they have a bug guy in their Natural Science department that would love to get their hands on one of those delightful critters....LOL.

KewGee · 07-19-2007, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodbyeCalifornia

Hi KewGee:

Well, they could be anywhere from an inch to 3 to 4 inches long and about an inch wide if they were big ones. Usually they were dark brown in color though you did see some that were lighter or even almost black.

The picture attachment that you posted, thought I'm not a roach expert, looks like something I saw on TV once. If I recall correctly it was called a Madagascar Hissing Roach, and beside being big, ugly, and making this hissing sound, they didn't fly. If you have roaches like that flying around your house, you best find yourself a jumbo fly swatter, then call your local university. Bet they have a bug guy in their Natural Science department that would love to get their hands on one of those delightful critters....LOL.

I have no roaches and don't plan on it. I would have to leave the house for them and move very far away. If I saw a giant one in my house, I'd go nuts. They are filthy and nasty.

KewGee · 07-19-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by houstoner

I'm a native Texan, lived here most of my thirty-something years, and I've never seen a cockroach that huge in my life.

Got stung by a scorpion when I was nine, in northeast Texas. Saw quite a few snakes up there, too. And fireflies, cicadas, dragonflies, spiders, and other... um, wildlife. Most I've seen in the parts of Houston I've lived in are mosquitoes, fire ants, cockroaches, harmless spiders, and assorted varieties of no-see-um's. Never run into a scorpion here. I actually miss the bugs and creepy-crawlies of my youth.

I'm not sure they're roaches, but they look like them, they're giant, and they fly. Did you see the photo I posted on the bottom of page 2 on this thread? That's how they look.

houstoner · 07-20-2007, 12:55 AM

Your post at the bottom of page 1 that I quoted, you mean? That's the picture I was referring to.

KewGee · 07-20-2007, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by houstoner

Your post at the bottom of page 1 that I quoted, you mean? That's the picture I was referring to.

Oh, okay. Well, I have seen them that big.

If I'm following you correctly, the cockroach photo shows up at the bottom of page 2.

The only photo I posted on page 1 was of termite mud tunnels and it's in the middle of the page.

Marlow · 07-20-2007, 07:39 AM

What we call roaches here are up to about 2 inches long and definitely can fly. I've heard people call them palmetto bugs--I guess because they live in palm trees--and occasionally water bugs. And they do seem to run or fly right at you. Gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. I've seen them everywhere I've lived in Texas.

houstoner · 07-20-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KewGee

Oh, okay. Well, I have seen them that big.

If I'm following you correctly, the cockroach photo shows up at the bottom of page 2.

The only photo I posted on page 1 was of termite mud tunnels and it's in the middle of the page.

We have different settings, I guess. I was referring to the attachment you posted in the response I quoted upthread. If you go look at my first response, you'll see that.

falnlovewtx · 07-20-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KewGee

I'm just curious as to where you now live where the bugs aren't plentiful. I lived in CA and there weren't many there at all.

I would think CC would be worse than Austin because of more humidity, but I could be wrong. You're not going to find any place in Texas that is bugless.

I does take a while, but one can get used to the swarm of this, that, and the other. I must admit though after 28 years in Texas, I still get the heebie-geebies with some of the bugs.

My daughter is worse than I am and she was 5 when we moved here and is now 34. She is living through it.

The worst in my opinion are the roaches and mice (although I have none at my house or I'd get the heck "out of Dodge" very quickly), mosquitoes, June bugs, rattlesnakes (few and far between where I am), copperhead snakes (another one with a deadly bite), scorpions, crickets, moths by the hundreds, and fire ants.

No, they aren't all harmful, but very disgusting and bothersome. By the way, I never have my house sprayed, and I don't have any bugs in the house unless they fly in while opening the door. Therefore, I'm not really too sure all that servicing from a bug man is that helpful.

The one time fire ants did get inside my house, I was able to eradicate the problem myself very quickly. I did have to have a professional take care of my termites though. Here is a photo of what I found practically overnight in my 1/2 bathroom. They made those mud tunnels from the floor up to above the hot water heater. I figured that job was a little too big for me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v114/VAUGHANMARIE/Termites2004.jpg (broken link)

I'm in Las Vegas, NV. A few roaches when the weather changes and that's about it.