OMGosh.... WHAT THE HE!! is THIS???

Jim Ginas
by Jim Ginas
I'm finished mowing and using the blower to blow cut grass back off the driveway and this bug starts flying at me, almost like it was FLOATING, then I notice ANOTHER. Killed two of them!!
TOP of BUG
TOP of BUG
BOTTOM, UPSIDE DOWN
BOTTOM, UPSIDE DOWN
  20 answers
  • Debby Debby on Oct 03, 2013
    Northern Mole Cricket
    • See 1 previous
    • Linda Wilson-Guastini Linda Wilson-Guastini on Apr 06, 2014
      @Oh my goodness...I feel your terror. I killed a bug in my basement that actually came at me...I screamed, I ran, finally whacked it with a stick...it was big. I thought it was a tarantula at first or some kind of giant spider...never saw anything like this...took pictures of it and it turned out to be a camel/cave cricket...literally, I almost had a heart attack.
  • Carole Carole on Oct 03, 2013
    Hi Jim G, please don't kill these bugs! If you don't know what something is, you are doing the right thing in trying to find out. I know they look real icky but some bugs are actually beneficial to your garden. If you don't know whether this one is then err on the side of caution and spare it's life! If it is not hurting you - why does it deserve to be killed?? I really have to stop myself from squishing spiders, but the truth is with spiders that logically they won't hurt you (I don't know of any killer attack spiders even though some are venomous they won't attack you unless you virtually step on them or try to hurt them!) and they actually keep the flies and aphids and stuff down - so they are good for your garden! We get huntsmen spiders which can bite (if really pushed) are as big as your hand - but do no harm and they come into our house on occasion and sit high up on a wall where they are not bothering anyone. All they want is to catch some flies and stay out of our way! They are ugly - yes - but I have learned to live with them and leave them alone! Good luck!
    • See 9 previous
    • Timothy Spencer Timothy Spencer on Apr 07, 2014
      @Carole old timers always called this a scorpion cricket or burrowing cricket,they burrow under ground and are harmless
  • TJ TJ on Oct 03, 2013
    @Carole One advantage to living in a cold state is that we don't have a lot of poisonous critters .. just a small shy timber rattle snake in the SE corner of Minnesota. When I see a spider in my house I leave it alone to eat mosquitoes and flies.
    • Carole Carole on Oct 03, 2013
      @TJ Good for you re the spiders! Lucky for you no poisonous critters! We almost walked into a Red Bellied Black Snake on a bush walk with our dog. This was just at the end of the street where we live and where we always walk her. Luckily I spotted it before she did, slipped the lead on her and we led her in the other direction for her walk. No doubt she would have thought it was something to play with and got bitten and then a nerve wracking race to the vet for anti venom would have ensued - narrow escape! We had two of these snakes on the back yard when we were getting our dog proof fencing installed. The guys putting the fence up nearly stepped on one of them! I joked that it was lucky he was wearing his brown trousers as it gave him quite a fright! LOL!
  • Bernice H Bernice H on Oct 04, 2013
    Well I can see where you all are coming from, but I was bitten once in my sleep in Oklahoma. My lip was as big as an egg! In Texas I stepped on a spider, on purpose, and it had millions of babies scrambling out from under...scared the breakfast out of me! sooo tongue in cheek ..they are not my friends!
  • Rebecca Tant Rebecca Tant on Oct 05, 2013
    @ Bernice H, I agree with you! @ JIM, I have a lot of books from Jerry Baker. He describes the Mole Cricket as a very destructive bug IF my memory serves me right. I would Google Mole cricket to make sure. You can also Google Mole Cricket and find out a lot that way too!
  • Rebecca Tant Rebecca Tant on Oct 05, 2013
    I meant google, Jerry Baker, sorry!
  • Linda Weeks Linda Weeks on Oct 05, 2013
    Yeah, my vote is Mormon cricket... I've seen thousands of them show up spontaneously, and then before you know it they're gone. As for the spider, I'd vote that it's a type of orchard spider, or perhaps an orb weaver, so if I was you, I'd burn my house down and start over fresh.
  • Darlene T Darlene T on Oct 05, 2013
    the mole cricket get it's name from it's front 'legs' they LOOK like moles :-)
  • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Oct 06, 2013
    Hi April, so I looked up "Orb" and found BOTH types I have at the house (1 outside one bedroom window that east its web every 2 days, then rebuilds it, and the other one, the big, bright colored one that doesn't seem to rebuild it's web. 2 completely different looking, but both are "Orb" spiders.... they seem to ONLY stay outside, so that is good!
  • Pam Pam on Jan 06, 2014
    we have them in S. Ga. We call them mole crickets, Never had one to bite ,I played with them,found one this summer picked it up and gave to my silky chicken,she loved it.
  • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Jan 06, 2014
    jerked me cause I was blowing grass off the driveway at dusk and a couple flew at/near me! Glad they're harmless!
  • William Beckham William Beckham on Apr 06, 2014
    do not touch that bug, it will bite. Its called a mole cricket, It bit me and hurt like hell.. hand swelled up like whasp sting.
  • Dee Dee on Apr 06, 2014
    Sorry I cant help.I have had enough talk on this bug thing, spiders and snakes.LOL . it is creeping me out. I dont live with spiders in my house, I am a outdoor girl and not scared of much. But the spiders in Australia big as your hand. Nope im out of there. Have a good laugh at me.
    • Patricia Mcivor Patricia Mcivor on Apr 14, 2014
      @Dee Hi. I'm from Queensland and the one you're talking about ( I think ) is a Huntsman spider. I freak out when I see them. Usually out the back in the shed. Mum went beserk when I killed one. " They kill all the cockroaches and every pest in the shed." I Don't Care.
  • Dee Dee on Apr 14, 2014
    Tell me please what good are they? i,m sure they are good for something say like a heartattack or send you running for your life. NO not in the house no no.
    • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Apr 14, 2014
      @Dee they look so nasty and I never saw one before and hope to never see another again!
  • Dee Dee on Apr 15, 2014
    Jim did you ever find out what that bug is? Looks like it has stinger,s on it,s butt.
    • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Apr 15, 2014
      @Dee yes Dee. though conflicting info. initially, and you can see if you expand all 34 comments (at least at this point in time), folks say harmless, but recently I received a comment stating they can hurt like heck!!
  • Peggy Peggy on Aug 11, 2015
    this is a cricket mole
    • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Aug 11, 2015
      @Peggy Thank you Peggy! Never saw it BEFORE, and never have seen it SINCE!!!
  • Sma11246534 Sma11246534 on Sep 16, 2016
    I used to have a little Chihuahua. He would walk around the yard and listen. The he would dig a little hole and pull one out. He'd bring them on the porch, but they were dead. I don't know how he killed them. They were all in one piece.
    • Jim Ginas Jim Ginas on Sep 16, 2016
      so you have a Northern Mole Cricket seeking Chihuahua !! Cool! gross, but cool!
  • Tso5166288 Tso5166288 on Sep 23, 2016
    Mole cricket, not cricket mole. Cool lil buggers, hold in your hand and they tickle you trying to dig their way out. Some folks call them pests; I don't because they never damage my stuff enough to wish them dead. (south florida)