Roaches, insects? (Charleston, North: apartment complex, countertops, homes)

[knitwit]

Yes, we have huge Palmetto bugs, our kitty kills them on a regular basis, her name is Buffy and we call her the roach slayer. They are totally gross, more outside than in but they do get in sometimes. As for snakes, I have only seen one, a black racer in our yard a couple years ago, but we see them dead on the road all the time, some neighbors were having a rash of pygmy rattlers on their property, they said they are nasty little critters. Lizards, green anoles, skinks, are everywhere around our house, our outdoor kitty is always catching them and torturing them for entertainment. We also have a lot of spiders, all colors and sizes and they totally freak me out. And last but not least, fire ants, I accidently stepped on a ant hill one day and they were all over my feet, in my socks, sneakers, I still have some scars on my feet from their bites, they are horrendous! And don't forget chiggers, another nasty insect we blessed with down here. Hope that answers some of your questions. Have a great day!

[jmarkey]

armadillos?

We used to go down to my Dad's in Moultrie GA (I realize I'm totally out of state here) and he had lots of armadillos. The neighbor's boxer used to kill them. I was totally fascinated - what a neat looking animal. He said they tore his yard up. Any in SC?

He also had some kind of snakes that lived in a big live oak tree in front of his house. He was badly snake phobic and the sound of them dropping onto the roof of his car rattled him pretty bad (pun intended). He got someone to fill in the holes they were nesting in.

Ain't nature grand?

[wallstreet1986]

Thanks all.

Life seems to be like a catch 22. You get great pretty places like Charleston or Savannah with great weather but you get roaches.

You get lower housing prices in the South and more friendly laidback people but there are roaches.

I guess I have to figure out what I value more -- a big historic antebellum house and nice people and a nice lifestyle or a modest house in the Chicago suburbs like I have and could exchange for such. I've thought about the move and I guess roaches seem very silly in the scheme of it.

[Liz in North Augusta]

Originally Posted by wallstreet1986

Thanks all.

Life seems to be like a catch 22. You get great pretty places like Charleston or Savannah with great weather but you get roaches.

You get lower housing prices in the South and more friendly laidback people but there are roaches.

I guess I have to figure out what I value more -- a big historic antebellum house and nice people and a nice lifestyle or a modest house in the Chicago suburbs like I have and could exchange for such. I've thought about the move and I guess roaches seem very silly in the scheme of it.

So true. I absolutely admire you for saying that, especially because many of us showed no mercy. It's a big lifestyle change from the North and I think you're catching on. Bravo to wallstreet!

[crazyone]

weell... it depends....
You can keep your house roach free as long as you take simple precautions: i.e, clean house, no food left out and about, that kind of thing. It may be hard to get rid of them if they are already in the house, especially in an older house where there may be cracks, small holes, and an established population. In the coastal areas, however, even the finest of hotels fights the roach problem on a regular basis - oh, you might not see them, but they're there. I live in an 80 yr old apt, so I do spray regularly. I will say though, that as long as I spray along the baseboards in the fall and leave a few roach motels under the sinks, etc, I don't (usually) even see a roach. Now, I do occasionally have a "Palmetto Bug" or "Water Bug" get into my old house, but they are outdoors kind of creatures and do not seek to come in the house. In case you are wondering, Palmetto bugs or Water bugs are just a nice name for a roach that reaches up to 1 1/2 inches in length. There are many down here who will tell you that these critters are NOT roaches, but thats just local propaganda! They are DEFINITELY roaches, not only taxonomically, but also by appearance!

[flgargoyle]

Here in FL the Palmetto bugs seem to prefer the outdoors, but around Oct. and May they show up in the house. Point of entry? The vent stack (on the roof) connected to your plumbing drains! A friend of mine told me about it, and I went up and looked in with a flashlight, and, sure enough, there were hundreds of them in there. From there, they crawl up through your drains. All you have to do is put a piece of window screening over the vent stack to keep 'em out. BTW, the biggest lizard we ever had in our FL back yard was about 8 feet- alligator!

[GoingtoPA]

Originally Posted by wallstreet1986

How bad are roaches down there?

I find them totally disgusting and am freaked out by them. I've never had them in Chicago but have heard they are in the South or perhaps just Florida.

Are there a lot in South Carolina? More in Charleston or the waterfront areas or more in Comubia and interior state?

If I move I want to find a roach free place. Thanks.

Hi, If you live near the beach you are going to have water bug (roaches).
I lived in Myrtle Beach for years and the way I kept them from being a problem was to never,,,,NEVER leave you trash in the house. Not even over night. I did not own a trash basket. I took the trash out each night after dinner.
Now in the interior area of SC. you will not have the problem like you would at the coast. That is unless you are in an apartment unit that the neighbors where not clean. They (the roaches) may come over for a visit.Then you can have that anywhere in apartment complex unit. I grew up about an hour northeast (inland) of the coast and we never had roaches.

[p2y2r7o]

Yep, as most others said you'll never be completely roach free. Have a good exterminator come and it won't be a huge problem. I see them a good bit, and I don't like them at all but w/e, they're here to stay.

As for snakes, that's not a problem. I rarely hear of people having them in their houses, although it can happen. If you see a black snake in the yard, don't kill it. It will help you out with rodents and all. Plus, they're harmless to you unless you try to poke it or something.

[Judy Nolin]

This post is late but I had to send it. I've lived in Greenville most of my long life but have traveled extensively and I can tell you this......they are everywhere in this fab world of ours!!! I've never ever had a roach IN my house and never will. This is how to protect yourself from those nasty creatures: Keep a spotless house, never leave standing water inside or outside the home<<<<they gravitate to water. If the plumbing leaks, repair it. Have your home exterminated yearly. You get my drift, you will never see them.
I live in the country, we have every kind of God's glorious creatures you can think of around here. Deer, turkey, skunks, raccoons, chipmonks, squirrels, mice, moles, snakes etc......get a dog and you will never see them. A cat for the mice LOL
And birds, oh my! Blue, yellow, red, brown, black. So gorgeous!!! Hawks, buzzards too. We love them all.
And yes, spiders But guess what? They will never bother you if you don't disturb them.
Now, fireants are a REAL problem here. I despise those dreadful creatures. Twice a year we broadcast fireant killer and we are fine. But, you must do it 2 times yrly. Skeeters<<<as we say in the South, are bad if you live near the water such as a lake, pond or creek. You must wear repellent in the Summer or you will get eaten alive. Downy fabric softener is a good deterant<<<we shove some in our pockets when doing yard work.
Moral of my story: Anywhere you go, unless you live in a bubble , you must learn to coexist with all God's critters. If you don't love them, their are ways to keep them at bay. Personally, I wouldn't live anywhere else.
Have a great day!!!

[jennhubb]

I haved lived in South Carolina for about ten years now previously from MI and I am a bug phobic. I have what you would consider bug radar and can detect a bug any where in a room but from my experience from living in the south roaches have never been a problem sure I have had to have an exterminator come out when we moved into our house that had been vacant for 2 years but since I haven't seen any roaches. I feel when you keep your living areas clean roaches are no more of a problem than in any other state. The key to pest control is cleanliness, however some pest such as flies and ants can still invade your home no matter how clean you are. Even though the bug in the south may be much bigger than in the north, pest control isn't at all different. If your house is kept clean as well as your neighbors don't have a pest problem you shouldn't have a problem with pest like roaches.

Originally Posted by jmarkey

On the contrary, I love a good early morning laugh.

Cold Canadian

Roaches are a fact of life in the south, having nothing to do with how clean or kept up your house is. The big guys sneak in from outside and the smaller ones live indoors. Your best bet is to find a good exterminator and contract for regular visits.

Our house in GA was always spotless, with food tucked away in plastic containers. Roaches nonethless.

Our place in TN is almost brand new, bright, white and so clean you could eat off the floors (or walls or ceilings if that's what you prefer). After seeing two roaches, I found a dandy exterminator. Maybe no more than two would show up, but I don't like them.