[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Please go back to Cali.
I ended up in Weedowee, AL fresh off the boat. Then two more times. Our homes were never bug infested. Rain every day did not happen in the nine years we spent in Birmingham. Hello sprinkler system! Allergies - do not try most of TX/OK. You never caught on, did you? People are not slower. They have manners and upbringing. Please let CD know how the move and settling in goes.

What I meant was "they move slower." I did not not say or imply that they are less intelligent, which seems to be the way you interpreted my statement. Sorry I didn't put it just the way you like it. I explicitly said people are friendlier and more polite and like to take the time to chat.

You know, it baffles me why some people on here insist on disputing MY EXPERIENCE as if it didn't happen. It did. Sorry to burst your bubble. But thanks for the well wishes at the end.

And for the record, I live way north of Birmingham. Apparently you've never heard of "The Valley of Death" or "The Valley of Suffering" in the Huntsville area. It's a thing. MY DOCTORS MENTIONED IT from the get-go. I suppose that will be disputed as well.

[nalabama]

I can’t recall the exact wording of the Native American who used a similar phrase, but I can confirm that it was along the same line as the “Valley of Death” to which you refer. Both the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys are well known for their allergies and humidity.

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Did you see where I said the bugs come in the house, specifically my bedroom?? Dropping on me from the ceiling (stinkbugs) crawling underneath the bed (HUGE crickets, not like the ones out west). That's only 2 examples out of about 20-25.

I do not want bugs crawling on me or inside my house. That does not constitute "skittish."

As for "annual termite treatment" - SURELY you jest. Some of us live near forests, sounds like you live in a sanitized housing development.

I live on 3.5 wooded acres and rarely pay for pest control (only a couple of times when we've had roaches). Personally, I think regular pest control use disrupts the natural predator/prey ecosystems and can make the pest situation worse (which keeps you dependent on pest control use). Don't get me wrong, we don't have a house filled with spiders in every corner, but we certainly don't have stinkbugs dropping from the ceiling or crickets hopping through the house.

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

After more than a year living here, I don't mind the culture shock. What I mind is:

GLOOM - waaay too many overcast days.
BUGS - tons of EVIL HUGE bugs (forget about yard work or gardening if you love those things).
PEST CONTROL COST (budget in pest control the way Californians budget in landscapers/yard work).
RAIN - it has rarely stopped raining since I moved here.
TORNADOS - a real threat. I'll take earthquakes any day (actually decade, not every year).
HUMIDITY - hasn't been all that bad, though. I'm used to extreme weather either way having lived at 7300 feet and the low desert out West.
ALLERGIES - Northern Alabama is called "The Valley of Suffering" or "The Valley of Death" (historically by the indigenous people onward to today).

I notice gloomy days mostly during the winter months when light levels are already low and cloudiness seems more frequent. While North Alabama is one of the wettest places in the country, it certainly stops raining and sometimes for long stretches. Tornadoes are a threat, but they only affect small strips of land at a time. Even the most notorious, devastating tornadoes like the ones a couple of weeks ago to the north and northwest of Alabama had damage paths of maybe 1/2-mile wide. The risk of being personally affected by one is very low. I'm 55, have lived in the South for over 50 years, and have never even seen a tornado in person.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

I live on 3.5 wooded acres and rarely pay for pest control (only a couple of times when we've had roaches). Personally, I think regular pest control use disrupts the natural predator/prey ecosystems and can make the pest situation worse (which keeps you dependent on pest control use). Don't get me wrong, we don't have a house filled with spiders in every corner, but we certainly don't have stinkbugs dropping from the ceiling or crickets hopping through the house.

Yes, I refuse to use toxic chemicals in and around the house. I use diatomaceous earth. I use a full body mesh suit when I need to, such as during chigger season. I have animals and several bird feeders so there is no way I'm going to endanger them with toxic chemicals.

I have no idea why this house attracts so many pests. It is what it is.

I live in an area that was very hard hit by a tornado 10 years ago so there is a threat, but I do agree that most people who live in the South do not see a tornado during their time living here.

[SkyperTyper]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Yes, I refuse to use toxic chemicals in and around the house. I use diatomaceous earth. I use a full body mesh suit when I need to, such as during chigger season. I have animals and several bird feeders so there is no way I'm going to endanger them with toxic chemicals.

I have no idea why this house attracts so many pests. It is what it is.

I live in an area that was very hard hit by a tornado 10 years ago so there is a threat, but I do agree that most people who live in the South do not see a tornado during their time living here.

Hmmm, wow, I lived in both places, even in a heavy wooded large area near Oak Mountain, we never had a huge issue with pests, but I don't doubt your personal experience, that would be nutty to question it.
I wish you well. I'm a native, and/but I live in FL and elsewhere at times, lol...you want to see bugs? come to FL ! lol lol

[writerwife]

I lived IN Bankhead forest for 25 yrs and did not have a pest problem (and when I say IN the forest, I mean IN the forest. There was about a 25' swath of clearing around the house and that was it). I get more bugs living in Huntsville proper than in the woods but still not too many. Stinkbugs do come in thru the chimney when the weather changes but that is a simple fix. I just haven't had it done yet. We moved here from Ct decades ago. The humidity is harsher some yrs than others. Winters can be mild or we can have snow/ice storms. The past 2 yrs seems to me there has been more rain than I can recall in 40 yrs (my sister owns an inground pool company and when there's a lot of rain it really puts them behind and in 30 some odd yrs she said the past 2 have been the worst as far as trying to get pools dug out because of the amount of rain we've had) but that's not the norm imo.

But the further you move south from the north, generally... the greater the bug population. The nature of the beast.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Yes, I refuse to use toxic chemicals in and around the house. I use diatomaceous earth. I use a full body mesh suit when I need to, such as during chigger season. I have animals and several bird feeders so there is no way I'm going to endanger them with toxic chemicals.

I have no idea why this house attracts so many pests. It is what it is.

I live in an area that was very hard hit by a tornado 10 years ago so there is a threat, but I do agree that most people who live in the South do not see a tornado during their time living here.

You might need to seal up all the cracks in your house - caulking or some other method. Pests can get inside through some very small crevices.

[pathrunner]

I agree. Very difficult to do on a huge older home. (60 yrs.) This house is being lived in again after sitting empty for three years due to elderly parents passing away, after having let things go for several years. That is a large part of the problem. Also, it's pretty obvious that the neighbors on both sides have an aggressive pest control program, so where do the pests end up?? Yeah.

Some areas have been sealed up and the problem only appears to be huge at certain times of the year. I will see how it is in the coming "bug months." Late spring and summer.

[preguntas]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

After more than a year living here, I don't mind the culture shock. What I mind is:

GLOOM - waaay too many overcast days.
BUGS - tons of EVIL HUGE bugs (forget about yard work or gardening if you love those things).
PEST CONTROL COST (budget in pest control the way Californians budget in landscapers/yard work).
RAIN - it has rarely stopped raining since I moved here.
TORNADOS - a real threat. I'll take earthquakes any day (actually decade, not every year).
HUMIDITY - hasn't been all that bad, though. I'm used to extreme weather either way having lived at 7300 feet and the low desert out West.
ALLERGIES - Northern Alabama is called "The Valley of Suffering" or "The Valley of Death" (historically by the indigenous people onward to today).

And these things are why I'm planning to leave.

Now before Alabamans on here get offended, just remember, if you moved out West you'd miss this area like hell - family, friends, the weather you grew up with, the amenities, etc. You'd hate the traffic, the smog, the impersonal people, the fast pace... not to mention the cost.

I'm just more comfortable with what I grew up with and spent my adult life in. There's nothing wrong with missing what you're accustomed to. California escapees (like me) need to be FULLY INFORMED before making a huge life decision like moving to a completely different climate. I never fully understood why so many people wanted to move out West (before the great Exodus) until I started living here.

On the plus side, Huntsville is a very nice little city, but growing very, very fast. The infrastructure is not there, but this problem exists in many other places these days as well. People here are slower, friendlier, more polite. They like to chat. They take the time to chat. I love my doctors. But all of this is not enough for me. No hard feelings at all. It's all about what you truly want for your life.

I think you may be confusing the "trail of tears" named for the migration of Cherokees from the southeast to Oklahoma. The valley of death is actually the poisonous gases that seep into the homes of the Tenn. River Valley. It requires a lot of due diligence and then continuous checking to not have a home of sick and dying people.