Fear of snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc... (Austin, West: house, scorpion, live in)

[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!

[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.

[south side chap]

This is a perfectly understandable worry. I shared it to some extent when I moved here. I live fairly close in to Central Austin and have seen precisely one unidentified snake in my garden, about four years ago. This beast was fully 8 or nine inches long. Come to think of it, it may have been a worm.

I've seen one scorpion in town. Well kind of in town, outside a friend's house in Westlake. It was stuck in a sink in their outside kitchen. I surprised myself by fairly calmly catching it in a glass and setting it free in the adjoining greenbelt. I have been stung by a scorpion (whilst at Pedernales State Park). It hurt probably as much as a bee sting and only for an hour or two. I kind of treasure it as a cool story to tell family and friends back in London.

I did see a coral snake (again out at Pedernales) . It was sitting in the middle of a path. I saw it from a long way off (hard to miss really), and was able to check it out for a while from a safe distance, before it slunk off back into the trees. It was a cool experience.

I've never seen a spider that I remember. And I really don't like spiders.

All this is to say that whilst I understand and, indeed, shared your concern for a while, there really isn't too much to worry about. Especially in the city, and even outside of it. The only reason I got stung by a scorpion was because I started moving some firewood that had been sitting for a while without checking it first. Snakes, scorpions and the like really don't want to be around us and tend to make sure to get out of our way or live away from us in the first place. It's when we start building on where they've lived for a long time that problems occur, and even then its them that eventually move on to somewhere else.

[N. Olikee]

Actually, I'd be more concerned about wild boar.....now There's a Problem!

[CptnRn]

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!

The fear is almost always worse then the reality. I saw more rattlesnakes in Wyoming then any of the other critters you named, down here in Texas.

[N. Olikee]

Honestly...........the only snakes I see around here are dead snakes.....roadkill. Don't you guys have bears up there? I'd be afraid of bears. See,................. "same thing."

[kittenlittle]

I've only seen a few tiny scorpions inside, until I got my house sprayed. Haven't seen any since. And my cat took care of most of the scorpions before the exterminator, so I don't think they're too "bad". They do have mean little ants here, though. I've only been bitten by those. Haven't really seen any spiders. Just some little ones outside in the grass, like every where else. No snakes.

[mamacatnv]

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.

Oh joy, I'm relocating to the hill country in a few weeks!

Coral Snakes like in the deadly dangerous coral snakes?

[calel]

Coral snakes aren't aggressive. They're more likely to flee than attack you. They also have really small heads so it's harder for them to bite you.

The only snake I've ever seen in Austin was the teeniest, cutest Texas brown snake who was slithering across my driveway. Needless to say, I bent down and cooed at it for a while before I walked away.

The only critters in Austin that have ever done me harm are ants and mosquitoes.

[RomeandJill]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

Oh joy, I'm relocating to the hill country in a few weeks!

Coral Snakes like in the deadly dangerous coral snakes?

Coral snakes really are a double sided situation. Coral snakes are the only members of the family elapidae found in this country. Unfortunately this family also includes some of the most deadly snakes in the world such cobras and kraits. Getting bitten by them would not be advisable.........at all.

On the other side of the coin. Coral snakes are very secretive. They are subfossorial and spend much of their time under ground. They are also typically very shy and non aggressive. There are even cases of children bringing them home not knowing what they were and never being bitten.
I would worry more about getting hit by a car or an allergic reaction from fire ants or bees than a coral snake.
We too are relocating to Austin in the next 90 days or so and I personally am counting the days before I can actively search these guys out for some photo ops !
Before any one says anything I am a professional and have over 20 years experience in proper venomous snake handling etiquette.