Scorpions, Tarantulas, Snakes, Oh-My (Austin, Howe: construction, living, moving)

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by lesliegrace

I think how an individual reacts to fire ant bites varies from person to person, just like with mosquito bites and bee stings. I have heard of people, especially little children, having very adverse reactions to fire ant bites as some people have to bee stings, but I think this is pretty rare.

That's very true. I'm allergic to many things so maybe that is why I get the blistering with the fireant stings. Luckily, bee stings don't affect me.

[somersetsoccermom]

So if you have a child that is allergic to bee-stings, you should keep the epi-pen very handy? Are the scorpions poisonous? Oh, and THANKS SOOOO MUCH for the visual effects. As if I'm not totally terrified enough of bugs, that really helped drive it home ! How come when we look at pictures of houses on the internet, none of them have a screened lanai? Do the HOA's not allow them? How is mosquito season? How long does it last? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm just a simple Jersey girl dreaming of Texas, all we have here are Nasty Nor'easters.

[Trainwreck20]

As for Epi-pens, it all depends on your allergic reaction. I did have a friend who carried an epi-pen where ever she went. I never saw her have to use it, but she apparently was limited to a few minutes before breathing got difficult. Very scary. But she would have done that where ever she lived, so not specific to here, I guess.

As for screening in your porch, you will see that out in the country more often than in the city, but I guess I never though about it, maybe it is HOA rules...anyway, the bugs will get in anyway, they are ever so sneaky.

As for mosquitos, I have found them to be much less of a problem than many, many other places. I have not experienced skeeters in NJ, but I have heard they are bad during their 'season'. Here, they can be bad in certain areas, and there are a few pretty much everywhere, but nothing like what I say in MN, LA, or the Texas coast. Citranella (sp?) candles and/or a dab of DEET seem to take care of em for us.

[Driftwood1]

We moved down to Austin from Boston, thought I would add our take on it..

Fire Ants, #1 concern and downright PITA..especially if you have little kids..
Sitting anywhere on grass is basically a thing of the past, even in a subdivision, they are still around enough that you have to watch little ones, and teach older kids to "look before you sit down or watch where you stop to stand... if the ants dont get you chiggers or fleas will!

#2 Wasps and bees, there are Africanized Bees, just do a search, someone up near Georgetown nearly killed a few years back I beleive.

#3 Poison Ivy,, very rampant, you WILL need to learn to identify it. All up and down the townlake jogging trail for a start.

#4 Scorpions.. these buggers are scary as heck, but basically just "bees that cant fly" I have been stung 4 times in 6 years. Just like a bee sting. Some people I suppose may react worse, but the main point is they arent the deadly ones like Arizona has.

#5 Snakes, they wont likely be on the plane, but virtually everywhere else in Austin once you get off! Well, not really. If you live on acreage in the outskirts you will get alot more of it. We have seen and killed 3 Rattlesnakes in 7 years. Seen lots of other non poisonous ones. Lady in Wimberley killed a few years back..

So to summarize. Texas out in the hills can be dangerous. You dont go walking in the bush in boat shoes and shorts. We wear boots and jeans when we go off the beaten trail, even in 100 degree heat. Dont drop food or leave it out EVER. Drop even a corner of a potato chip and you'll have zillions of fire ants -really quick.

G

[jennyb315]

just had a baby scorpion in our kitchen this morning--- oh yeah
of course, they're building on either side of us so I'm sure that's where it came from. However, the bug dude is going to be coming to my house soon!!

[jwb123]

My bestfriend who lives in Waco, has has been in TX her whole life says she's never seen a rattlesnake, and only seen a scorpion twice - and both times were when new construction was going on.

[gigi927]

We had a live scorpion in our upstairs bathroom this morning. House is 15 years old.

[ohio2texas]

I admit, living in a scorpion free zone for my entire life, I'm a little scared to have my first encounter.

How does one kill a scorpion? Are they fast moving? I'm assuming you don't want to try to be nice and trap it and let it loose outside, right? (Because of the risk of getting stung???) Does having two dogs inside help keep them away?

I totally enjoy the insect/bug threads because I'm just as scared as everyone else!

[jennyb315]

ohio-- my husband found it and scooped it up in a Rubbermaid container and then punched holes in the lid so we could keep it and show it to our kids when they got home from school. And we did turn it loose far far far far away from us. My hairdresser told me they're hard to kill because they have a hard outer shell.

It didn't seem fast.... I don't know it they really are. I do admit though, I'm about to start walkiing around my house in steel toed boots and I could sleep last night because I was afraid something was going to touch my hands!!! haha--- This afternoon, I Raid-ed the entire outside of my house-- don't know if that will really help but I felt better after doing it

ok-- I am creeped out now and I need to go put on a pair of socks!!!

[love roses]

O.K. My husband just did something mean to me! I was on the computer and he came in and said, "Come outside, I want to show you something". When he doesn't offer any more info than that, I usually get suspicious. So he walks me down the front porch, and right when I get to the first pillar, he said, "look, there's a snake wrapped on it!" I was sooo freaked out! It was a young snake, but it didn't make any moves towards us, so I doubt it was poisonous. He thought it looked like a little rattler, but I told him if it was one, He'd have already rattled at us, or bitten us, as I was practically on top of it anyway... He couldn't find the hoe, so he tried to kill it with my little dandelion digger tool. I don't think he killed it though, because he just coiled around the tool and after it dropped to the ground, it slinked under my shrubs. He stabbed around in there for a little bit, but I think it got away. Hopefully he got in a good stab and it slinked off to go to snake heaven. Drat those dadgummed excavators putting in pipe in the field behind my house. All the mayhem probably chased some critters into my yard. Where's my cat when I need him?