We were hanging out with some friends the other night, and the question got asked, "Have you ever heard of a Spider Cricket?"

To which I appropriately replied, "No, but I will promptly burn down any building with one in it."

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Spiders AND crickets in one creepy-crawly entity? NO! I don't need anymore nightmare fuel in my life.

But, they are real, and a native species to Michigan. Their nickname "Spider cricket" comes from being mistaken for large spiders, but they are not part of the arachnid family.

They're also known as camel crickets, or cave crickets, and Michiganders can find them in dark, damp places. Also, they don't chirp like regular crickets, so there's no warning that you're near them, until it's too late.

So to recap, these things look like spiders, you find them in the dark, they're silent, and when startled, can jump at your face. And they're EVERYWHERE this year.

Again... I say NOPE!

So how do I keep these demon-spawned crickets out of my home?

Well, start with the environment. They thrive in cold and damp environments, so keeping areas like your garage and basement, dry and a little warmer will help deter them.

They also eat just about anything, so cleaning up wood and junk piles in a garage will help.

Make sure you have weather stripping in place around doors and windows, especially at the lowest levels. And a dehumidifier in your basement could do wonders.

If you've done all of that, and you still see these abominations of nature in your home, simple bug traps from the store can be effective, or a home remedy of a small bowl of soapy water left in areas where you've seen the crickets in your home.

Of course, you could always burn the place down and start over, too. Fire is bright, hot, and definitely NOT damp, all three things the Spider Cricket hates.

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So there it is, the new "happening" bug of 2022... the spider cricket. Consider yourself lucky if you haven't encountered one of these devil bugs. And for those who have... God speed, and good luck.

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