[scottsangeloflove]

Hi all

My family & I are planning on moving down to Florida... we're thinking of anywhere from the Jacksonville area on down through the central east coast. We want to be outside town a little bit (not too far from the beach though) so that we can have a couple acres/some animals. Currently, we're living in northern VA (about a half hour away from city-ish stuff) (both born & raised in SoCal tho), but a couple problems we've realized since we've been in this area are all the bugs!!!

For one, there is a HUGE stinkbug infestation here, where a couple months each fall and a couple months each spring, one can barely go outside their house. (And not to sound baby-ish about it or anything - we honestly don't mind bugs generally), but this is a HUGE stinkbug infestation here that is REALLY bad! (and predicted to get even worse). For 4 months out of the year they're swarming everywhere, you can barely go outside - and they're not the kind of bug you know is just "out there" - they're like the kind that really want to BE WITH you all the time. Like, in your house, in your bed, etc. (And, hence their name, they smell pretty bad too.))

Second bug problem we've noticed here: Ticks. Summer at our house is CHOCK FULL of ticks. We had previously heard they were a problem in the Northeast, we thought maybe once in a great while you may get a tick, little did we know they were this pervasive. We keep the grass mowed as much as possible, yet nearly every time one of our kids goes out to play, they come back with a tick. We have to do nightly tick checks and are spraying ourselves constantly. Lymes Disease is a HUGE(!!) problem here in Loudoun county where we live (there's a huge overpopulation of deer) - it's fast becoming a very scary epidemic here.

So, that being said, we're thinking, isn't FL supposed to be more notorious for bugs than VA?? I have to say we've visited & spent a lot of time in lots of different areas of FL, & we've lived in the Jacksonville area & Sarasota area for a few months each, and for whatever reason, not to say there aren't any or anything, but we personally have never noticed any bug problems any of the times/areas we've been in FL.....

So, my question is, we know that every area has its cons (crime, bad weather, whatnot), but can anyone give us insight as to if there's anything comparable to the negative things we've experienced up here? Such as a large number of bugs in a certain area that spread dangerous diseases, or new infestations of bugs from different areas....? Or..... any other sort of problem that you just wouldn't know about until you've lived in a place?

Thanks so much for any input! We really appreciate it!

Stacey

[BigFish_LittleFish]

I'm in Orlando (almost all of my life), and I have never heard of any types of infestations like the ones you have experienced. Here we do have roaches and mosquitoes that are the worst invaders. Tip: (for roaches) Have your home professionally treated on routine; you can request "green treatments" that are environmentally and people friendly. And (for mosquitoes), always have bug repellent for early evening and evening excursions outdoors. If you are out in more rural areas, I would suppose you might have other bugs to contend with, but I haven't heard of anything out of the ordinary. Good luck!

[yamahastar]

Florida is notorious for bugs. We have bugs called No-See-Ums that you really can't see and they are very annoying. There are bugs at the beach that bite. Around the water bugs are an even bigger problem. We have more darn varieties of flies, mosquitoes, ticks, you name it, we've got it. Spiders are everywhere. Lots of places have problems with black widow spiders. We have ticks and because of all of the sand there are always fleas. Oh, yeah and then there are the termites that eat your house. Pest control companies are everywhere, so there is always someone around to help control the beasties. You can't have a pet here and not KEEP them on heartworm and flea/tick preventive medication.

[seeriously]

The bug rep, I don't get. We lived in Vero Beach for 6 years and never saw bugs. The town sprayed, we sprayed... no bugs. Not even a cobweb. The first 'unknown problem' that comes to mind when I think of Florida is extreme conservatism.

[the_windwalker]

A worse problem than the bugs, at least for me, is the snakes. I don't mind the snakes that have always been here, but the imports are another thing. Pythons may not be poisonous, but they can still kill an adult human. Even worse, recently, someone working in his own back yard, near Miami, was bitten by a Green African Mamba. Pets and children are at far greater risk from these things than from bugs.

[mango23]

Originally Posted by the_windwalker

A worse problem than the bugs, at least for me, is the snakes. I don't mind the snakes that have always been here, but the imports are another thing. Pythons may not be poisonous, but they can still kill an adult human. Even worse, recently, someone working in his own back yard, near Miami, was bitten by a Green African Mamba. Pets and children are at far greater risk from these things than from bugs.

I think that snake bite (Mamba) was several years ago and probably the only one of it's kind, ever in Florida. The Python problem is an environmental problem but no real threat to humans. I don't think I know of anyone who has been injured by a Python, do you? Honestly?

[Spring Hillian]

FL is mostly sub tropical. Yes, we have bugs. As stated mosquitoes are a problem in the summer, most counties send out "spray trucks" to keep them under control. People need to be more attentive to standing water on their property, in old tires, buckets, etc. The snakes are not a problem either. Mostly black racers. Palmetto bugs are very common, but prefer to live outdoors. Normal pest control usage will curtail any bug problems that you may have. I think the biggest thing is ants. Termites are a problem throughout the south. Don't buy a wood frame house. :-)
Again, normal treatment will control them. I have never seen the type of "stink bug" infestation that you have described. I've lived in FL 23 years. Never heard of a tick problem here either.

[blakesq]

"Extreme Conservatism" is an asset, imho. Up here in CT, the state goverment is doing their best to tax and spend us into prosperity.

Originally Posted by ipoetry

The bug rep, I don't get. We lived in Vero Beach for 6 years and never saw bugs. The town sprayed, we sprayed... no bugs. Not even a cobweb. The first 'unknown problem' that comes to mind when I think of Florida is extreme conservatism.

[ChrisA70]

Bugs...? Last thing I would worry about.

[yamahastar]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

Bugs...? Last thing I would worry about.

I agree, but their thing seems to be bugs. Go figure!