I'm extremely afraid!!!! (University, Seminole: environment, relocate, maintenance)

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by TedTAce

Sorry for showing up late.
AONE Makes the best post, and the post about getting over it really wasn't too far off the mark. I saw three snakes during the 4 years I lived in MCO, all were non poisonous. The chances of you getting bit are slim and none unless you like the idea of grabbing the snake. As someone who has on many occasions handled wild snakes I'll tell you from personal experience, that the kind of snake bite you'll get will feel like getting a pair of shots at the same time from an inept nurse. Other then that it's a total non event, ferret bites are a hell of a LOT worse!! Oh and statistically speaking you'll be bitten by a dog at least a few times before a snake in FL. So if you are going to stay home in a panic, blame the local canines, not the reptiles.

Lol..thanks Ted! To be honest of you..i never really thought of getting bitten by one..Its just the fear of "seeing" one. Even if they slithered away from me, just the fact that one is in my presence is it what frightens me.

[TedTAce]

Originally Posted by TrishP7

Lol..thanks Ted! To be honest of you..i never really thought of getting bitten by one..Its just the fear of "seeing" one. Even if they slithered away from me, just the fact that one is in my presence is it what frightens me.

I stongly suggest you go to the the Seminole county zoo, they have an AWESOME snake exhibit there!! Maybe once you have seen some it will help you understand their nature a bit more.

[salomea]

I think you'll be just fine. Where in Orlando area are you? Other than the wild animal kingdom how do you like it? Im asking because we want to possibly move there next year, but I was also thinking of moving back to NJ.

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by salomea

I think you'll be just fine. Where in Orlando area are you? Other than the wild animal kingdom how do you like it? Im asking because we want to possibly move there next year, but I was also thinking of moving back to NJ.

Lol..I'm in the Hunters Creek area. Man..move back to Jersey!

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by TedTAce

I stongly suggest you go to the the Seminole county zoo, they have an AWESOME snake exhibit there!! Maybe once you have seen some it will help you understand their nature a bit more.

TedTace..
Youre the best..but for now, I think I'll just stick to the moth balls. I dont think I'm ready for any snake exhibits any time soon!!

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by salomea

I think you'll be just fine. Where in Orlando area are you? Other than the wild animal kingdom how do you like it? Im asking because we want to possibly move there next year, but I was also thinking of moving back to NJ.

Besides the creepy crawlers..I really do like it here. Its beautiful..the palm trees and the sun..mix that up with an apple martini..youre good to go!! (Its just the daggone you know whats!! )

[vincero]

Trish, I know exactly how you feel. You are not alone. I wish I could be like the many posters who have lived here for years and never seen a snake. I have lived here (in Winter Park) since 2001, and unfortunately, I wasn't in the house three months before I saw a snake in the back yard, near the house. I was alone and I freaked out. It was just a black snake, but I didn't know anything about them and didn't know if it was poisonous, or what. I called a pet store and asked for some info. The guy I talked to was really nice and told me that the only things in danger were lizards.

This is my seventh year, and I would say I've seen an average of five snakes a year, every single year I've lived here. I saw more snakes the first year I lived here, than I've ever seen in my entire life. They've been everywhere...the front yard, the back yard, the side, in the hedge, we've had two in the net room (they chase lizards in)...once I was bending down to pick up a pile of cement pieces from the previous owner's flower borders which we were removing, and (I think) a corn snake came slithering out at me, six inches from my face. We were playing volley ball, the ball fell into a flower bed, I retrieved it and found myself a few feet from a black snake. Once my husband was gardening in the front yard and felt something funny, looked down and there was a black snake slowing winding around his ankle! I've found a snake skin on the stones on the front of the house, which means the thing was climbing up the house to get out of it's skin.

I'm not trying to freak you out. I want you to know that I am every bit as scared as you...phobic is not too strong a word, but I'm still here and I'm dealing with it, and you can, too. I have no idea why there are so many friggin' snakes around here; it's a regular, built up, suburban neighborhood. It's older, the lawns are large and the trees are mature, maybe that has something to do with it. I know there is a large lake close by, but there are lakes everywhere in Orlando, and look at all these people who say they've never seen one. I don't get it. I'd love to live where they live.

Anyway, I've gone from almost having a stroke whenever I saw one to basically just sighing and being unhappy when I see one. In a way, the best thing that could happen is for you to see a few of them. When you do, you will see how thin most of them are. If you watch them for awhile, you'll see that they really don't do much of anything. Your panic will subside, eventually. I still hate them, but I've learned to accept that they are here. What I'd like to do is find a place that doesn't have quite so many of them!

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by vincero

Trish, I know exactly how you feel. You are not alone. I wish I could be like the many posters who have lived here for years and never seen a snake. I have lived here (in Winter Park) since 2001, and unfortunately, I wasn't in the house three months before I saw a snake in the back yard, near the house. I was alone and I freaked out. It was just a black snake, but I didn't know anything about them and didn't know if it was poisonous, or what. I called a pet store and asked for some info. The guy I talked to was really nice and told me that the only things in danger were lizards.

This is my seventh year, and I would say I've seen an average of five snakes a year, every single year I've lived here. I saw more snakes the first year I lived here, than I've ever seen in my entire life. They've been everywhere...the front yard, the back yard, the side, in the hedge, we've had two in the net room (they chase lizards in)...once I was bending down to pick up a pile of cement pieces from the previous owner's flower borders which we were removing, and (I think) a corn snake came slithering out at me, six inches from my face. We were playing volley ball, the ball fell into a flower bed, I retrieved it and found myself a few feet from a black snake. Once my husband was gardening in the front yard and felt something funny, looked down and there was a black snake slowing winding around his ankle! I've found a snake skin on the stones on the front of the house, which means the thing was climbing up the house to get out of it's skin.

I'm not trying to freak you out. I want you to know that I am every bit as scared as you...phobic is not too strong a word, but I'm still here and I'm dealing with it, and you can, too. I have no idea why there are so many friggin' snakes around here; it's a regular, built up, suburban neighborhood. It's older, the lawns are large and the trees are mature, maybe that has something to do with it. I know there is a large lake close by, but there are lakes everywhere in Orlando, and look at all these people who say they've never seen one. I don't get it. I'd love to live where they live.

Anyway, I've gone from almost having a stroke whenever I saw one to basically just sighing and being unhappy when I see one. In a way, the best thing that could happen is for you to see a few of them. When you do, you will see how thin most of them are. If you watch them for awhile, you'll see that they really don't do much of anything. Your panic will subside, eventually. I still hate them, but I've learned to accept that they are here. What I'd like to do is find a place that doesn't have quite so many of them!

aww..just great

[steffali]

Hi, I too am very afraid of snakes. I lived in Weston Fl. a few years ago and right around my screened in pool was a snake sun bathing itself. I screamed like a nut!!!! Well, low and behold I am now living in freezing cold Buffalo and my first few weeks of living here was a snake in the yard again sun bathing. I am thinking about taking showers with moth balls LOL!!!!!!! I am ready to go back to the concrete jungle of LI that I was from but I did put snake away around the house and I pray every time I go outside.
I love the warm weather in Florida ( except hurricane season) but I can not take the recluse spiders, lizards, poisonous frogs and snakes there. I really wish I could just suck it up and deal with it!!!!!!
We visit Disney every year in the winter so that hopefully everything is too cold to show its face!! LOL!!!!!
Good luck to you I feel your pain!

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by steffali

Hi, I too am very afraid of snakes. I lived in Weston Fl. a few years ago and right around my screened in pool was a snake sun bathing itself. I screamed like a nut!!!! Well, low and behold I am now living in freezing cold Buffalo and my first few weeks of living here was a snake in the yard again sun bathing. I am thinking about taking showers with moth balls LOL!!!!!!! I am ready to go back to the concrete jungle of LI that I was from but I did put snake away around the house and I pray every time I go outside.
I love the warm weather in Florida ( except hurricane season) but I can not take the recluse spiders, lizards, poisonous frogs and snakes there. I really wish I could just suck it up and deal with it!!!!!!
We visit Disney every year in the winter so that hopefully everything is too cold to show its face!! LOL!!!!!
Good luck to you I feel your pain!

LMAO!!! Thats hilarious!! I knew I wasnt feeling this dam anxiety by myself!! In Buffalo? Thats horrible. I lived in Jersey for over 20 years and never ever saw one! I like Florida..its just the dame snake thing. I have stocked up on the Snake a Way..and my home is moth ball city!! The lizards dont bother me as long as I see them from a distance. Well..let me tell you..i was out on my porch and there was the little critter..he ended up going underneath my building!! Well..i decided to go to Home Depot and buy bricks..decorate them and place them at every centimeter of my porch. I'm sorry..if the critters are there ..they will just have to die. once you enter..you will not come out! My hope is that they dont figure out a way to get in my home! Every secretion in my house will be sprayed with some repellent or covered with another brick..lol..i dont know. Lol...seriously..i crack myself up sometimes of this dam paranoia.

As far as frogs and spiders..the pest control seems to be working. sigh..this is soooo awkward for me. I hope I get use to this!! Real soon. Luckily, I'm a stay home mom, just until my little one gets acclimated to her school. But after that, I'll be on the grind looking for employment. I dont know what the hell I'm gonna do. I'll have to wake up in the wee early of the morning..i understand they are quite awake at that time. My fiance will simply have to walk me to my car... i just dont know..