It sounds to me like a Jerusalem (sp?) cricket AKA potato bug. They look like something from outer space. The only noise I've ever heard them make is the their feet clicking on concrete when they walk. My guess is they probably eat whatever regular crickets eat. Which could include plants, roots, your carpet. Try googling under 1 of those 2 names and see if that's it. Debbie (also)

there is a very active houseplant forum ... the first two pix.. show plants.. badly in need of repotting.. with some fresh media ... that first pant could be grown so much better... ken

Go to Ebay or an antiques site and look up Gone with the Wind lamp.

be nice to know where you are.. for me in MI ... hydrenga basically die back to 3 or 4 inches ... and i prune back to the lowest good buds .. meaning if there are some winter damaged ones above it.. they arent worth coddling ... so you can see how my advice differs wildly from the z8 peeps ... also.. on all 3.. it would be good if you pull the mulch back 3 to 6 inches ... also ... the one time i used black mulch.. i cooked everything in the bed.. as the mulch got too hot in july and august in sun... in the heat of summer... never again ... and that may be why a 2 year old hydrenga looks so poor ... they are heavy water users .. and do keep in mind.. there are all kinds of H .... the first vaguely reminds me of a Caryopteris .. but straight down pix make our job hard ... the bottom line.. let them bud out.. and just prune back to live buds ... that rule never fails... however.. some plants do better.. in some locations by going even further ... you can not go wrong... by doing the least.. and observing for a season ... just give them time to bud further out ... ken ps: and God forbid.. when you pull the mulch back ... you find landscape fabric under there... that will make the soil even hotter in summer ...