Dangerous bugs, snakes, etc... (Houston, San Antonio: short sale, house, neighborhood)

[TXMomOfFour]

This may be a weird question, but here goes. We will be moving to San Antonio this summer from the Houston area. My 6 1/2 year old son absolutely loves to catch lizards, geckos, skinks, frogs, and garter snakes. I have taught him that he cannot catch snakes because he doesn't know dangerous from safe. I've heard that San Antonio has scorpions, so I'd like to know what other types of critters we need to be careful of. My son also loves scorpions, but we don't normally see them in our area. What else to I need to educate him about that will be dangerous?

Thanks!

[SimTek]

There are scorpions, but they're only dangerous if you're allergic to them. Otherwise, it's just really painful. Normally, one would find them near wooded areas, but can be found elswhere around town. I've lived here for many years and never had much problem with them and yes I do live near a wooded area.

Perhaps the most important thing you can educate him on is on keeping his hands clean. Several years ago, my oldest son came down with a severe case of salmonella poisoning as he was an avid "Lizard Hunter" as his 5th grade classmates called him. Anyway, two weeks in the hospital is no fun for anyone. The docs said that it was likely due to his handling of the critters and not washing his hands properly, then putting his hands near his face or eating with dirty hands etc...

[amexicano]

Since we moved to the far north last year I've dealt with scorpions several times (stung once, not much worse than a bee sting), killed a couple centipedes and seen a couple snakes nearby. Also remember some small lizards wandering in my back yard and some stick bugs. Ah...and wasps...lots of wasps...and fire ants.

[ddeel]

Scorpions in established areas with no building goin gon are probably going to only be outside and under rocks/bushes. I saw a centipede up at the lake but not around my house here in Stone Oak--but I'm in an established area. Wolf spiders show up in the garage at times but usually don't get in the house. We looked at a home in a nice neighborhood that had a dead scorpion in it but they were building behind it and the house itself was a short sale that looked as if vagrants had been living in it! Having lived in the Houston area I wouldn't think our bug population is much different. The scorpions do like rocky hills so you see them out on the northside of SA. I'm not sure if you see them as much further in town especially in newer homes as they generally are sealed to keep insects out.

The roaches are huge and some fly but nothing like these freakish tree roaches that lived in my detached garage in The Woodlands. I parked in the drive, gave the garage to my dogs and made my husband feed them so I didn't have to go in there. I'm sure y'all had wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets in Houston so it's about the same. I don't run across many snakes. We did have a coral snake once and then a few grass snakes but unless you're hiking through the woods I don't think you're going to run into dangerous snakes.

BTW--I consider Timberwood Park out in the country so anything I said about scorpions, centipedes, etc doesn't apply out there. One of the main reason we don't live out there as nice as it is--I'm a total bug wimp!

[Dwangle]

I have been bit by scorpions, wasps,hornets, Yellow Jackets and even a rattle snake. The absolute worse is fire ants (maybe mosquito's)

[SATX56]

Mosquitoes and red wasps! ^^ I hate those things. I seriously doubt you'd find a scorpion in the inner city. Now if you're getting out west to the hill country or north of town ...yep!

[the_dimwit]

I saw a red wasp carry off a cow from the pasture behind my house once...

True story.

--Dim

[Xymox]

Beware of the brown recluse (spider). But they're probably in Houston too? I've only seen scorpions in new developments.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Xymox

Beware of the brown recluse (spider). But they're probably in Houston too? I've only seen scorpions in new developments.

Rare find though. My oldest son had a bite on his legs years ago. Was a bit of an ordeal but still.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

We get the wolf spiders in our house. I've been bitten in my sleep before, and another time on the foot when I was under the car putting the starter in. It doesn't kill you and it's not even that painful except right when you're bitten. Other than that, it makes a large, swollen red circle that feels hot to the touch and lasts about a week. You can take benadryl if it gets uncomfortable.


I've lived in Houston before and I think y'all have a lot more bugs than we do, generally. I doubt there's anything here that your son is likely to find that will be a big problem. One really neat thing that he can find here are rhinoceros beetles...find a dead tree and dig near the roots, you can find the larva and pupa stages. The mature beetles will sometimes be running around the yard. They do fly, so watch out if he brings it in the house. It's harmless but a little unnerving to have a huge black beetle flying around in your house.

The most icky thing I've ever seen outside was a big tarantula, but I've only seen one ever.