The middle grandchild (4 at the time last summer) calls them "Spotterins". Now all of us call them that. The kids have developed an ingenious killing system featuring fat waffleball bats. 1. Locate a spotterin. 2. Use fat bat to strike the area beside the creature with force. 3. The spotterin will leap into the air and fly away a short distance. 4. Locate the spotterins' landing spot. 5. Quickly move in and destroy the spotterin with the fat wiffleball bat. Key discovery by the children: Spotterins have evolved an aggressive first defense. When threatened and before any contact, they detect the motion and launch themselves into the air for a short distance out of the range of the attacker. The children discovered that the effort to escape slows their ability to elude an immediate second attack. It's like they need a moment to recharge. That's their weakness. Using their discovery, my grandchildren have murdered thousands of spotterins since last summer. I'm very proud of them. *This method also works on cave/camel crickets. ** Edited by Newt at 7/29/2026, 5:16:12 PM

I have tried it and there always seems to be a section that lives. Now I run the chainsaw all the way around about 2 inches deep and add straight Roundup brushkill. Or, cut them down and paint the stump with brushkill.