Would like to know what Spiders and critters around the Nashville area. (Franklin: house, neighborhood) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

REIRehabber · 07-22-2009, 10:09 PM

We are relocating to the Nashville/Brentwood/Franklin area. Would like to know what y'all have there in ways of spiders and bugs. Spiders scare the Bee-Jeez out of me.

Do I need to worry about them if we are in an established suburban neighborhood? Or are they more prevalent on farms, in the woods and such? What preventive measure are suggested to keep these nuisance away from the house? PLEASE DON'T POST PICTURES!

Please help prepare us for our move. Thank you.

alleycat · 07-22-2009, 11:14 PM

Well, yes, there are a variety of spiders and bugs. I take it you're mostly interested in spiders.

I think the best thing you can do to help from keep from running in to the little eight-legged creatures is keep your house and property neat and clean. Spiders like dark places like basements and back closets that don't get disturbed very often. A light preventative maintenance spraying program might be of some help as well.

You might also think about "desensitizing" yourself just a bit over time. I realize if you're scared of something, you're scared. My sister-in-law is like this about snakes. If my brother or I tease her about snakes she will go into panic mode even if there no snake anywhere around. If you learn a little bit more about spiders (starting with just looking at pictures), you probably still won't like them, but maybe it wouldn't send you screaming if you happened to see one.

Now, do you want me to tell you about a particular spider that's a problem in our area, or would you rather not know? Again, keeping your house clean throughout will help greatly in lessening any spider problems. But . . . you won't be able to avoid occasionally seeing one.

DonCorleone · 07-23-2009, 07:47 AM

The vast majority of spiders/bugs I've seen here are harmless. There are a variety of pest control companies around who can spray on a regular basis to keep the insects at bay in your home, but alley is right...keeping things tidy is one of the best ways to prevent seeing them. Common sense is also a good thing too...like making sure windows and doors are sealed properly.

(stop reading if you don't want specific spider/bug info)

Probably the most common "bad" spider that I've seen is the brown recluse. As it's name reflects, it likes dark places in your home. They are poisonous and a bite can be very nasty and painful, but aren't deadly that I'm aware of. They're brown, have a little black spot on their torso that looks like a violin, usually around the size of a nickle to a quarter. But simple preventative pest control should be able to eliminate them. We also have black widows, but I have only seen one in my 30+ years of living here. Bees & wasps are common critters as well. Finally, there is an increasing number of fire ants in our area. They are tiny, but very aggressive. They live in colonies and usually only bite when you've disturbed them. Generally, stay away from any large clumps of dirt that you see ants going into. There are poisons available to take care of the colonies...but from what I understand they generally just move to another part of your yard.

None of these critters are widespread enough to be considered a problem. It really shouldn't effect your lifestyle here or anything like that.

Termites, on the other hand, can be a problem. Our climate is perfect for them and they love to infest homes and eat the wood beams supporting your house. A simple termite letter from a qualified examiner is usually required to give a home the all-clear, but after you move in you should consider using a pest control service to make sure they don't decide to nom on your home.

canada3 · 07-23-2009, 08:19 AM

Are the sprays used toxic or do they have environmental ones? What about snakes?

alleycat · 07-23-2009, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonCorleone

(stop reading if you don't want specific spider/bug info)

Probably the most common "bad" spider that I've seen is the brown recluse.

That was the one I was going to tell the OP about, if she (?) wanted to know.

46Barb · 07-23-2009, 08:58 AM

I spray the outside of my house with Home Defense (get in home improvement store, Walmart, etc). I do this twice a year and it does the job. My neighbor also sprays it inside his home but i don't because I don't like spraying around my pets.

alleycat · 07-23-2009, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canada3

Are the sprays used toxic or do they have environmental ones? What about snakes?

There are snakes in Tennessee, of course, but you can probably take that one off your "worry list". I've lived in Tennessee most of my life and hiked all over the countryside, and while I've seen quite a few snakes in my life, I've never come close to being bitten by one, and this from a guy who would try to catch them when he was a young lad.

I live close to the Harpeth River and occasionally go for a walk along the river. I have seen snakes there, but I can't remember the last time I saw one around my house. They might pass through, but a typical suburban lawn isn't the place most snakes like to live.

kpellatiro · 07-23-2009, 09:19 AM

They are ALL here (grin). We saw a significant reduction once we contracted a pest control service.

Capo · 07-23-2009, 12:20 PM

Just make sure you run if you see the spider below!

http://blog.makezine.com/upload/2009/04/giant_robotic_spiders_invade_tokyo/giantSpider.jpg (broken link)

DonCorleone · 07-24-2009, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canada3

Are the sprays used toxic or do they have environmental ones? What about snakes?

The company we use (send me a message if you want the name) uses kid/pet friendly sprays. It has been very effective. I've seen other companies advertise "green" pest sprays, but I suspect they're just using the same stuff everyone else uses...which is not harmful to humans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alleycat

There are snakes in Tennessee, of course, but you can probably take that one off your "worry list". I've lived in Tennessee most of my life and hiked all over the countryside, and while I've seen quite a few snakes in my life, I've never come close to being bitten by one, and this from a guy who would try to catch them when he was a young lad.

I live close to the Harpeth River and occasionally go for a walk along the river. I have seen snakes there, but I can't remember the last time I saw one around my house. They might pass through, but a typical suburban lawn isn't the place most snakes like to live.

^ this. I've seen black racers (probably not the scientific name) but they're basically just harmless snakes but they can get to be pretty long. The most common time I've seen snakes around homes are in the late summer-early fall when they seek shelter to shed their skins. Again, keeping your garage and crawlspace sealed will prevent them from getting in and around your house.

I've lived here my whole life and never seen a poisonous snake. I've probably only seen 10 my whole life...and most of those were when I was a kid, like alley, and in snakey environments.