Creepy Crawlies in Portland and Eugene!! (Tigard, Oregon City: relocation, houses, crime)

[Tory]

My husband will be retiring from the Federal Govt. later this year, and we plan to leave the suburbs of Washington, D.C. We have narrowed our "relocation search" to two states - Kentucky (Lexington or Louisville) and Oregon (Portland or Eugene). We have been devouring these city data forum threads on all of the usual topics such as best places to live, climate, crime, etc. One topic I haven't seen discussed is "creepy crawlies"!! I just posted a question on the KY forum - and now I'm here to do the same! What type of bugs, snakes, etc. can we expect to see if we buy a home in a subdivision in Oregon City, Milwaukie, Gladstone, Tigard, or Tualatin outside Portland - or in the Eugene zips of 97404, 97408, or in the town of Creswell? If it is just your typical neighborhood - not in the woods or near a stream - would we be likely to ever see a snake in our yard? Any unusually large spiders? Any scorpions? Any other "critters" or "crawlies"??!! Here in N.VA we have the usual occasional small spiders, bees, etc. - but nothing "exotic"! Was just curious what we might see in Oregon!! Thanks in advance for any replies!

[Alexious]

Would you consider a deer nibbling on your carefully planted garden exotic?

Probably the most dangerous "critter" you might see would be a venomous spider like the black widow or the brown recluse. Unless you think of the goo from a slug as dangerous. For the scorpions, you'd have to live on the east side of the mountains.

[Tory]

Originally Posted by Alexious

Would you consider a deer nibbling on your carefully planted garden exotic?

Probably the most dangerous "critter" you might see would be a venomous spider like the black widow or the brown recluse. Unless you think of the goo from a slug as dangerous. For the scorpions, you'd have to live on the east side of the mountains.

Thanks, Alexious! The deer nibbling on your carefully planted garden must be annoying! We have those here in N.VA, too - but mostly they are traffic hazards! Hopefully there aren't too many of those spiders lurking around! And the goo from slugs just sounds yucky! Thanks again!

[PNW-type-gal]

On this side of the Cascades, you'll occasionally see garter snakes - the little, harmless ones. That's it.

As far as "bugs" (we'll use the generic term), the most annoying are ground wasps and mosquitoes. Under the right conditions (or the wrong conditions), carpenter ants can be a pest, but that's not common. Cockroaches are rare (mostly in big cities). Slugs are common, and they can be several inches long.

There are hobo spiders (often called brown recluse spiders, although they aren't), but they are generally found in fields and old barns, not houses. As far as black widows, I've read that we have them, but in 20+ years I've never actually seen one.

[Tory]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

On this side of the Cascades, you'll occasionally see garter snakes - the little, harmless ones. That's it.

As far as "bugs" (we'll use the generic term), the most annoying are ground wasps and mosquitoes. Under the right conditions (or the wrong conditions), carpenter ants can be a pest, but that's not common. Cockroaches are rare (mostly in big cities). Slugs are common, and they can be several inches long.

There are hobo spiders (often called brown recluse spiders, although they aren't), but they are generally found in fields and old barns, not houses. As far as black widows, I've read that we have them, but in 20+ years I've never actually seen one.

Thanks so much for your very, very helpful and reassuring reply!!

[plantlover]

Are termites a problem?

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by plantlover

Are termites a problem?

Oregon has dampwood termites. They are only a problem if wood is in contact with the ground or traps water. Houses built according to modern building codes generally don't have termites, though cheap wooden decks are often a problem.

[Pathwalker]

Tory, keep in mind that you're going to have black widows and the brown recluse in Louisville or Lexington as well. Plus, in parts of southern Kentucky they have occasionally found a scorpion here or there, but not the really dangerous kind that you'll see in the desert southwest. I highly doubt you would see them in Louisville or Lexington.

For all three critters, just use common sense when moving rocks or logs, etc.... However, you're much more likely to be killed by lighting or while riding a rollercoaster ,than being bit or stung by a spider or scorpion.

[Tory]

Originally Posted by WCRob

Tory, keep in mind that you're going to have black widows and the brown recluse in Louisville or Lexington as well. Plus, in parts of southern Kentucky they have occasionally found a scorpion here or there, but not the really dangerous kind that you'll see in the desert southwest. I highly doubt you would see them in Louisville or Lexington.

For all three critters, just use common sense when moving rocks or logs, etc.... However, you're much more likely to be killed by lighting or while riding a rollercoaster ,than being bit or stung by a spider or scorpion.

Thanks for your reply! I know I sound like a wimp asking these questions! At one time we actually considered the desert southwest as a place to relocate - until I read about those dangerous scorpions, etc.! Now when we check out a new area, I ask these questions just to be sure! You and others have been very reassuring! Thanks again!

[Pathwalker]

No problem. And you don't sound like a wimp.