creepy crawlers in Bend? just curious :)

[desertman]

lived in crooked river ranch, and also juniper acres up out of the badlands for alot of years. only saw a few rattle snakes mostly around late july through september. they never botherd me. got lots of scorpions in ccr but only in late summer and never really had a problem. black widows on the other hand are numerous, just keep your hands there hiding places anf you'll be alright, if you have too, wear gloves. other than that its a pretty safe place to live. you have to worry more about be stuck outside in the winter more than anything else, but your from alaska so im sure you understand more than us. central oregon is beautiful, just got too full of people for me and way out of my price range.

[jeremyers1]

How about deer ticks? They have taken over the forests, or even sit in our grass out here in New England. Since about 40% of them carry Lyme disease, we can't even go into the forest without a big body inspection ritual afterwards.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

No mention of the famous Banana Slug?

You haven't truly experienced Oregon until you get a 4 incher mashed between your bare toes.

dogs find them delish!

[ravenzwhisper]

I too am from Alaska and am bug ignorant when it comes to what to watch out for. We are thinking on moving to the Bend/Redmond/Sisters area in a couple of years and I would like to be prepared for what to expect.

Is it common to exterminate the house often for such bugs? What about ants or termites?
We have a large variety of spiders here but none to really worry about. Well...except what comes up on produce and in landscaping plants, my mom was bitten by a Brown Recluse that came in on some Evergreen trees she planted.

How about Fleas, Ticks or Red bugs in the city areas for pets? Do the rattler's come into the city often? I'm worried more about my small dogs being harmed by bugs or critters more than myself. That and my nephew that is a born and raised Alaskan and not use to any possible bug/snake related dangers.

[Specialbuddy]

Originally Posted by jeremyers1

How about deer ticks? They have taken over the forests, or even sit in our grass out here in New England. Since about 40% of them carry Lyme disease, we can't even go into the forest without a big body inspection ritual afterwards.

No ticks as far as I know. The environment isn't right for them. I never thought they were bad until living in Missouri. They were terrible there. Here's one that we found on the floor. So fat it couldn't even move. The worst feeling is being paranoid that the things are crawling on you in the middle of the night because sometimes they were.

[ak.nessa]

I have lived in Alaska and central Oregon. Mosquitoes are not as bad in Oregon. Trust me people in Oregon, you haven't seen mosquitoes until you experience spring and summer in Alaska. If you don't wear bug spray and enter a wooded area near water, your body will LITERALLY be covered by mosquitoes, instantly. In Oregon it's not THAT bad, and you really only see them if you're near water.

Biggest nuisances in central Oregon are black widows and rattle snakes.

If you are hiking and it's warm or hot, be very careful about snakes. The best way to avoid them is to not walk off the trail. If you must, make sure you make a LOT of noise (stomping on the ground) to let them know you're coming. They will not chase you, they only bite you if you step on or near them. Hospitals in Bend area carry anti venom.

Black widows are sneaky. Scorpions really aren't very prevalent anymore if you're in town. Last summer I didn't see a single scorpion in central Oregon and I am always out and about in the wilderness.

Central Oregon is similar to Alaska in that you don't really need to worry about fleas or ticks. The western side of Oregon is a completely different story....

Alaska is beautiful but I must brag about my home state - Oregon. Oregon is absolutely beautiful. Especially central Oregon. I love the climate, the dry air is so refreshing. People are friendly too. You will still get to see snow capped mountains too!

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

Also look out for Californians. Sometimes in winter they conceal themselves behind thick jackets to appear like native central Oregonians, so you should be wary.

You can avoid these if you know their habitat. Often seen infesting areas of new construction with vaulted ceilings, granite countertops, Wolf ranges, and three car garages. Avoid these habitats during prime tanning hours, when they are most active.... If you encounter one, quietly back away with hand on wallet, most charges are subprime, so you needn't worry.... but carry pepper spray just in case. .....

[skypros]

I am glad that you think this is funny
I find it VERY insulting!

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

You can avoid these if you know their habitat. Often seen infesting areas of new construction with vaulted ceilings, granite countertops, Wolf ranges, and three car garages. Avoid these habitats during prime tanning hours, when they are most active.... If you encounter one, quietly back away with hand on wallet, most charges are subprime, so you needn't worry.... but carry pepper spray just in case. .....

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by skypros

I am glad that you think this is funny
I find it VERY insulting!

Lighten up! If you are a Californian in the Bend Area, developing a sense of humor about it is the best survival mechanism. Might as well get used to it. And feel free to give it back....Oregonians provide plenty of ammo for retaliation....

[skinem]

To answer ravenwhisperz there aren't any termites in the area...those are mostly a southern/eastern thing.

There are ants...no fire ants like you hear about down south. There is a type of sand flea, but our dogs never had any problems with them--ticks either.

Don't know what a redbug is...