Fear of snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc... (San Antonio, Austin: neighborhoods, new construction, living)

[PittsburghAustin]

I am out in wooded areas and parks about three times a week walking. Have only seen three snakes in the 1 1/2 I have been here. Only one rattlesnake and it was dead in the road.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Aquitaine

If you're out in the hill country you will have your share of scorpions and snakes. Closer into town you might get spiders and fewer snakes.

as someone who hates crawly-insects as well, what I'd say is that you don't see headlines SCORPION KILLS FAMILY IN AUSTIN or anything like that. here's a link to Austin Scorpion Control's page on the lethality (or lack thereof) of Scoprions:

Can a Scorpion Sting really kill you? - AustinScorpionControl.com - Scorpion Guarantee

...on the other hand, that an entity called 'Austin Scorpion Control' exists at all isn't exactly inspiring.

It really depends where you're going. If you don't have much wilderness around your house, I can't imagine it would be a big deal, and if you do, you can get pest control to come out once a year or so.

That website is a ".com" which means it is a commercial site. It is in fact a site that wants you to be fearful of scorpions so you will buy services from one if its advertisers.

Scorpion stings are like wasp stings. I know.

[hamjeepr]

Scorpions and snakes really are not a problem. I worked on ranches all over central, south and west Texas and only saw one rattlesnake and a handful of scorpions. The scorpions are not really dangerous unless your allergic. Spiders are a different story all together. Wolf spiders are really common but rarely dangerous. They range from the small quarter size to about 3" across. Tarantulas are also out there and are a lot bigger but not dangerous either. Both their bites would hurt but you have to really be asking for it to be bitten. Black Widows and Brown Recluse are VERY common and dangerous. The black widows I ran across were bigger than the ones I had seen in Florida and Alabama with the largest being just under the diameter of a Kennedy half dollar. They also were aggressive when disturbed and there were multiples in close proximity. Brown Recluse are just about everywhere particularly in wood piles and dark spaces like sheds, unused closets, under rocks, etc. These scare the most as they can do the most damage. I ran across these daily. I even saw one scamper across my passenger-side door in my truck. Made for a very uncomfortable 5 hour ride home that day.

You didn't mention the worst offender in Texas - FIREANTS. These never failed to get to me and cause serious discomfort. I cant count how many times I was there minding my own business and next thing I know my whole leg is on fire. These bastards sneak up on you no matter where you are. I firmly recommend First Aid Insect Sting Relief Pads ( http://www.amazon.com/First-Aid-Only.../dp/B000YME4SI) be kept nearby at all times. This was the only thing that cooled the burning and then itching that comes with 20 or 30 bites from that mound you accidentally stood in.

I know many look at cowboy hats as "redneck", but I still recommend getting one, particularly if your outside working alot. I wore a simple straw Bangora and it saved me more than a couple scorpions (they like to hang out above doors in dark out buildings) and spiders down the collar. It also helps with that mid-day sun and the occasional rain shower.

[hamjeepr]

just as a side note, the common yellow garden spider looks bad but isn't. Saw plenty of these and never had a problem.

[mamacatnv]

The brown recluse scare the crap out of me. My son was bitten by one when he was a toddler and we lived in So. Calif. The bite was right at his waist on the diaper line, he is now 22, the scar is between his shoulder blades. If I knew then what I know now about those bites I think I would have been a lot more panicked. Knowing I am moving into recluse country scares the bejeebers out of me.

What do you do to keep spiders out of your homes?
I live in an area with very few bugs and have forgotten how to deal with them.

[hamjeepr]

I second Kittenlittle, a cat controls the larger insects quite effectively, at least until it brings the prey to your while your watching TV and drops it in your lap. People dont care much for the geckos but they do a great job keeping insects under control. I had them everywhere outside and in the soffits. Also, make sure inside your home is not the only source of water for insects in the area. You'll probably need to water your foundation during the summer so this should take care of it.

[texastrigirl]

I saw a fair amount of snakes during my time in Austin...but only one coral on the sidewalk in Circle C West and one mocassin in Lake Travis (eek!) though in retrospect I think I was not looking at turtles like I thought when I was floating down the Comal River during a drought period in July 1996. I also saw a gynormous bottle snake (I think that's what the guy at the canoe rental at Zilker called it). Totally harmless but yeck. I had to do the CapTexTri in Town Lake a few weeks later and I saw that snake swimming (4 feet long maybe?) next to my canoe not far from where the swim portion entered the water. And then we watched it CLIMB up one of the bridge pillars to sun itself. FREEEAKKKY. Looked a bit like this video...

Austin Lake :: Snake in Town Lake video by thisispunkrock - Photobucket

No scorpions in our house but big spiders (the aforementioned wolf spiders are huge...but I don't mind spiders personally) and there were a few tarantulas in the area I lived in. My son who was 18 months old at the time tried to touch one as it sat on the retaining wall down the street from us. He was a late talker but he was able to say "pretty" as he tried to touch it. LOL.

When you hike you will see signs warning you of the four poisonous snakes in the area which are rattlesnakes, copperheads, coral snakes and cottonmouth water moccasins. We had a kid bit by a poisonous snake in Circle C Ranch when we lived there. He was walking through the tall grass by the mailboxes at the end of South Bay and Dahlgreen. Was in ICU for 10 days because there was a delay in getting him treatment.

Read more: Warmer temps mean snakes are slithering out once more - San Antonio Express-News

But as someone mentioned before the biggest nuisance will be fire ants. They are horrible and until I had ChemFree come and treat for them regularly, I couldn't get rid of them.

So one of the upsides for me now to living in Seattle is no poisonous snakes west of the Cascades (yippee!) and I have not paid for pest control in almost five years. Spent a boat load on that in Austin. Though we now have bears in the crosswalk at school and cougars watching our kids play at dusk.

But you should not worry about it or let it deter you from moving to TX. It's not like "Snakes on a Plane" or anything like that though my brother tried to convince me of it before I moved there. And I have to say, I HATE SNAKES and I got over it...because it's part of life in most of the country.

Here are a few more links for you to educate yourself...

Austin Snakes

[mamacatnv]

Originally Posted by hamjeepr

I second Kittenlittle, a cat controls the larger insects quite effectively, at least until it brings the prey to your while your watching TV and drops it in your lap. People dont care much for the geckos but they do a great job keeping insects under control. I had them everywhere outside and in the soffits. Also, make sure inside your home is not the only source of water for insects in the area. You'll probably need to water your foundation during the summer so this should take care of it.

What does this mean, water foundation?

[love roses]

Keep the soil around your homes foundation damp.

[kbchitown]

Originally Posted by Danimarie

So, my family is moving to Austin and I'm afraid of snakes, spiders, scorpions, or other dangerous critters. Any way you could calm my fears? Any links or tips for keeping safe? I grew up in Northern Minnesota where most scary/dangerous critters don't want to hang out. I currently live in southern Montana, where I have heard some rattlesnakes will hang out, but thankfully, I've never seen one.

Thanks!

As a fellow northerner....yes, you will find all of those here...and I've seen all of them since I have been here.

If you reside in the city, you will have less exposure. The suburban and especially rural areas increase the likelihood of encountering critters. A couple of generalities to keep in mind: 1) if you live next to a greenbelt you chance to experience the local wildlife (which may include armadillos and deer, bats) along with snakes and bugs. 2) Living around a water source (lakes, rivers, and yes...pools) increases the likelihood.
3) Generally new construction sites tend to stir things up (this is were we encountered our first (huge, huge) rattler.

Bugs are around all....year...long. I have an ongoing battle with ants. In the house...outside of the house. And our house is immaculate...I can't imagine how people with less than stellar housekeeping can take it. Be prepared to buy lots of containers to store your consumables. Be prepared to vacuum regularly (and under the furniture as well). And I would recommend all hard flooring. Get yourself a snakebite kit.

It sucks. You start glancing at the ground in case you should be standing in a fire ant mound (got stung while floating in a pool!!!!) Don't leave work gloves lying around in the garage (friend got stung by a scorpion). Ants, mosquitoes...no see ums....stuff that sting and leaves you with red welts for weeks.The only positive is that this area doesn't experience West Nile....yet. I do like the little lizards tho....'cept when they wander into the house...those suckers are fast.

The natives will tell you that...meh...no problems. It's the norm for them.

BTW...just had our first scorpion in the house last night. Have no idea where that came from...the kitchen is in the center of house...welcome to TX.