Cockroaches & Scorpions (Georgetown: extermination, live, moving to)

[intmd8r]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

One night my daughter came home late at night and he was hanging over the front door. She actually called me from her cell phone and woke me up to go unchain the back door so she could get in without disturbing him ... lol.

I would probably do the same, though I don't think it would be for his benefit...

Guess I'm going to have to get used to those!

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

I dig the tarantulas now. We have them in California, so I'd seen them in parks, etc. when I lived there ... but around here they're right outside your door. The first time I saw one I was a bit freaked out, but our Bulwark guy explained how important they are as part of the ecosystem. He said "if you have tarantulas on your property, you have a good, healthy ecosystem". I did a little reading on them and learned that although they can bite, they very very rarely do, and so I don't fear them and I've actually got really used to them.

We've never seen one in the house - they're just way too big to get in unless they reach up and open the door, lol. We've even named one really big brightly colored one that always shows up on our porches - he's Terrell the Tarantula. He was out there on the ground behind my porch rocker a couple months ago on a really cold day and looked miserable (they hate the cold) so I put two shoes on either side of him and he stayed in-between them and slept for two days before warming up and heading on to wherever it is that tarantulas head on to.

One night my daughter came home late at night and he was hanging over the front door. She actually called me from her cell phone and woke me up to go unchain the back door so she could get in without disturbing him ... lol.

It's always nice though to hear about humans not thudding around like giants and squashing everything that's "scary". When someone takes the time to be respectful of a living thing causing them no harm, it tells you a lot about their personality.

[staubach]

I have lived here since Thanksgiving in a subdivision South of Austin in Ruby Ranch. When we first moved in the house, we saw numerous scorpions, but had Bulwark spray and there has been zero inside since then. My house backs up to a hunting ranch, so my number of critters, I think, would exceed someones that lives in the city. Get a good exterminator and all will be fine.

[briannasmomma]

I think scorpions are attracted to me. My mom lives in Austin in a suburban area and we visit often, maybe every other weekend. I picked up some towels once off the floor and on my way downstairs a scorpion in the towels stung me. I have seen many many scorpions just chilling on the carpet or on the tile. One time I was actually laying in bed in the dark and I felt something on my arm so I held still and when I didn't feel it anymore I turned the light on and there was a scorpion on my pillow! And a couple times my husband was sitting on the edge of the bed and a scorpion crawled across his feet. Oh yes and another time, I left my mom's house and I put my diaper bag on the middle console in my car and I drove maybe 1 mile and a scorpion crawled out of my bag and I freaked. I HATE the things too but there's nothing they can do about them. They have the pest guy come out and it doesn't help. I think the problem is my mom needs new weatherstripping on the doors...I think that's how they're getting in.

[UKUKUK]

What are the chances of seeing a scorpion in San Antonio urban area? Houston?

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by UKUKUK

What are the chances of seeing a scorpion in San Antonio urban area? Houston?

San Antonio has scorpions too. The terrain and climate is similar to Austin.

Houston - no. Houston however has many more cockroaches and mosquitos.

[UKUKUK]

D: Now I'm scared to move to Texas haha!

Maybe we'll see when I get there :P

[openedskittles]

I've never seen a scorpion inside a house in Texas and I could count on one hand how many cockroaches I've seen in my house in Houston over the past 10 years.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

I dig the tarantulas now. We have them in California, so I'd seen them in parks, etc. when I lived there ... but around here they're right outside your door.

Yeah, I dig them too now. After the initial shock of seeing something that big in a spider shape, it actually gets kind of cool. They seem to have more of a small furry mammal demeanor than an insect demeanor. They definitely don't want anything to do with you or what is inside your house -- they just want to get back to their little spider holes or rock crevices in the yard/greenbelt.

Plus, they are really too big to try to smash or anything... so you just come to a mutual creature to creature agreement that it's better if they simply get relocated.

[Moonlady]

I've seen a few tarantulas, mostly outside, but this one took up residence on one of my cedar beams near the dining room. It was there for a couple of days - I couldn't decide what to do about it so I just left it. Eventually it moved on. I was not worried about IT at all, but I was worried it might be looking for a place to lay eggs - One tarantula I could handle, but not a bunch of little ones! Sorry the picture's kind of fuzzy - I guess I didn't get a very good shot.