I'm extremely afraid!!!! (Orlando, Hunters Creek: living in, moving, garage)

[xan85]

As a general rule you should always keep your distance with snakes, but MOST snakes are even more scared of you than you are of them. With a few exceptions the snakes that are here in Florida that you will encounter are not going to put up a fight and will probably go in the opposite direction of where you are. I've lived in Florida my entire life and have maybe encounter 20 snakes, you make it sound like they are around every corner. I would not let it run your life and ruin your time in this beautiful state where outside living is a must. Hope you conquer your fear and enjoy your time here.

[dna3406]

I would be more scared and worried of fire ants than snakes. I never seen a dangerous snake out in the wild in the 12 years I have been here. However, In Meadow Woods when I was 15 a coral snake was crawling up my wall lol

I live in the woods out in E. Orlando and I have an acre and a half of land. I need to be worrying about snakes, not you.

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by MR77

Trish, I laughed when I read your post because I am facing a move to Florida at the end of the summer and Im already dreading the possibility of running into snakes. I understand your fear completely. I currently live in the Nevada desert where we do not have many snakes except rattle snakes and those are very rare to come across.

You think I would be getting nervous about the move, the new job, etc... but no, Im more concerned about damn snakes.

Don't feel bad, you're not the only one with irrational fears. Luckily, I'll have my cat with me. She is pretty good about taking care of all the beetles and roaches we have out here in the desert, hopefully she'll take care of the snakes for me too.

It really is insane..this fear of mine..but what can I say? I wish I had encouraging words to share with you. As I've said before, time will tell. Luckily, I dont live in a wooded area and I've spoken to quite a few people around here and they have never seen one..much less a 5 footer standing in mid air..sigh! I'd drop dead..really. I just dont know what the hell I would do. But I will keep you posted. Good luck with your move and maybe we can hook up some time so your cat can come over and go hunting..lol!! sigh....

[rogercobb]

I dont think snakes should concern you unless you go out for a swim in one of the swamps. there you'll find water moccasins. Most of the rattlers I have seen in FL have ben small....pygmy rattlers I think they're called. The timber rallesnakes in NH seemed larger surprisingly. One thing you'll notice is the huge palmetto bugs. Outside they're OK but I don't like them indoors.

[rogercobb]

You'd have to pick up the coral snake and let it bite you. They are very elusive and fearful of people.

[Alphaman]

I have lived here over 20 years and I have seen snakes but it`s not very often at all unless you live near woods or are looking for them normally you don`t encounter them. Most that you do see like black racers are harmless and will go the other way as they are afraid of humans.


Just be aware and enjoy your life you will see more spiders and lizards then snakes. Look up Florida snakes on the web and it will tell you what kind are in what types of environments.

[ZIPFL]

I have lived here 5 years and have a huge forest-y backyard and I have been in the weeds with a rake and have NEVER seen a snake. Not one. There are lots of little geckos and maybe a few spiders but if we have snakes, I have not seen one.

[bdpop]

If you don't want to be around snakes, move to Hawaii. There are no snakes in Hawaii.

[Robhu]

I won't poke fun at, or make snide remarks to anyone who has a fear of something to try to embarrass them but I will try to be realistic.
My MIL is deathly afraid to go across a bridge in a vehicle. She won't drink anything out of a can for fear there might be a dead bug or something in it. She has to pour the contents into a glass so she can see all is ok. To most of us, these things sound silly but to her it is a real issue. Granted, there have been bridge incidents and probably a bug in a canned drink at some time or other but the majority of us aren't obsessed with fear about crossing a bridge or drinking from a can.
As far as snakes, all of the snakes in Florida are not going to try to attack and wrap themselves around your ankles to make you fall and then devour you. It kinda sounds like you are thinking worst case scenario about something that in reality won't happen. That is why I made the above comment about the snakes. They are more concerned about putting space between you and them. There are snakes of some sort in most places in the U.S.. You have probably been in close proximity with one or more at some time in the past and not even known it.
You might occassionaly see one but usualy not for long. They will be trucking away from you.
In reality your fears are pretty much groundless but to you they are real. Don't let something that may never happen make you a house bound person. Like anything else, just being observant and aware of our surroundings will help prevent an unpleasant encounter with creatures we don't especially care to associate with. We have all avoided creatures and maybe even some humans that we didn't want to get close to just by being observant. That didn't make us quit going about our daily routine though.
Ask a doctor or hospital person about the number of snake bite cases they see compared to car wrecks, falls, or work related injuries, or any other things that happen daily in normal lives.
Your chances of being harmed by a snake are much less than other things that could happen that you probably don't even think about happening.
I wish you luck with your fear. I hope you get help or realize that you are fretting over something that has very little chance of causing you harm. Much less chance than many other things that we all do everyday and don't even think about.
Enjoy Florida, it doesn't have a monopoly on snakes, and you're bigger than they are and a whole lot smarter. They know it too. They aren't out to get you.
At the moment, I think your fear of them is much more harmfull to your quality of life than the object of that fear will ever be.

[dna3406]

snakes on a plane was a movie. i told you beware of fire ants. they will attack you. a snake wont.