Alligators everywhere! Please tell me you're kidding! (Tampa, Oldsmar: apartment, how much) - Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

sbjbart · 02-08-2008, 10:19 AM

My husband and I are thinking of moving from Colorado to Tampa. We have been browsing MLS websites and find ourselves drawn to homes with caged pools that back to ponds or lakes. They look so serene and peaceful. The homes we have selected to look at are in suburban neighborhoods not out in the country. I have been reading on this site that alligators are everywhere there is water. How much of a problem are they really? Why do people spend 300k to 500K to live on water lots if they will be living with alligators? Is it just ignorance and then your stuck with a house you can't sell? Do the alligators break through the pool cages and enter pools or even worse houses? Should I reconsider buying a waterfront home. I can't afford to buy on the ocean. Do you have to pay someone to remove alligators that come onto your property. Are the alligators afraid of people or do they attack? I would freak out if I ever found an alligator in my yard. If I buy a house with water in my yard, is an alligator visit common, possible but unlikely, or just to be expected. Please help me assess my risk.

jessez · 02-08-2008, 10:25 AM

Ok - here is the deal, I grew up in Land o lakes fl (just a bit north of Tampa) on a lake. Yes there are alligators, we had a small fence between the lake and our yard. That was enough to keep our dogs safe. Also, gators for the most part are afraid of people (not always - but mostly) and tend to stay away from activity. We never had a problem with them, and its a reality when you are further away from the city.

gypsychic · 02-08-2008, 10:56 AM

Alligators keep to themselves and are AFRAID of people, as long as people don't try to feed them. By the way, it is AGAINST THE LAW to feed alligators in Florida. Interestingly, they will eat almost anything including inanimate objects like aluminum cans, sticks and stones. April to May is mating season.

Yes, they are EVERYWHERE THERE IS WATER. But very few people ever have a problem, no one here worries about it. I believe you call the wildlife commission to remove one, not sure about that.

Trabbz · 02-08-2008, 11:19 AM

Wherever there is fresh water, you should always assume there may be a gator living in it. People do not swim in fresh water around here. Even though we are surrounded by gators, the previous replies are correct - gators are afraid of people and rarely bother people. It makes the news in this area when one comes out of the water and into someone's driveway or garage, and even that is rare. Usually when you hear of an attack it is because someone went swimming in the same lake that a gator lives. Again, that is a rare situation. The last time I heard about a gator attack was a couple years ago where a woman was attacked near a canal in Oldsmar. They later found a crack pipe in her belongings. Just don't smoke crack and you shouldn't have a problem.

Jesslyn848 · 02-08-2008, 11:59 AM

I always assume that fresh water= gators, it's just part of living in Florida and really not that scary. I used to feed them marshmellows when I was a kid, but I know better now. If you do not want to be weary of gators, don't live near water.

ediebs · 02-08-2008, 02:05 PM

Gators also taste like chicken

Keeper · 02-08-2008, 02:21 PM

I lived on a natural spring fed lake in Odessa for 5 years and never saw a gator. There had been one in the lake at one time but wildlife took it to Gatorland or Gatorheaven.
They aren't in every pond but there is always a possiblity that one will show up one day.

In 30 years I don't recall them ever going thru a screened lanai or a screened porch.

They are a fact of life in FL as are lovebugs. Don't let them keep you from moving if that is what you want to do.

jessiesma · 02-08-2008, 02:28 PM

and the fact is they've mostly lost their fear of man, tho one poster claims they still have it, because idiots DO feed them. They may attack during mating season when they're all het up anyway or if you're walking a tasty snack on a leash. You don't have to be out in the country, near water is enough and look, it's a WILD animal. Who knows what it will do or why so assume there is some risk, like getting on a plane or into your car in Tampa. LOL
If the cage is installed properly. like going down a few feet because these guys like to bury their eggs, you should be safe, a screen I wouldn't be so sure unless it has a chain link base of a couple of feet. They don't jump, that's the good news. The bad news is they can RUN and a flick of the tail can knock you off your feet and do some real damage. If you're that scared, and I'm with you on that, forget the fresh water. I wouldn't go near it if you gave me the house.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbjbart

My husband and I are thinking of moving from Colorado to Tampa. We have been browsing MLS websites and find ourselves drawn to homes with caged pools that back to ponds or lakes. They look so serene and peaceful. The homes we have selected to look at are in suburban neighborhoods not out in the country. I have been reading on this site that alligators are everywhere there is water. How much of a problem are they really? Why do people spend 300k to 500K to live on water lots if they will be living with alligators? Is it just ignorance and then your stuck with a house you can't sell? Do the alligators break through the pool cages and enter pools or even worse houses? Should I reconsider buying a waterfront home. I can't afford to buy on the ocean. Do you have to pay someone to remove alligators that come onto your property. Are the alligators afraid of people or do they attack? I would freak out if I ever found an alligator in my yard. If I buy a house with water in my yard, is an alligator visit common, possible but unlikely, or just to be expected. Please help me assess my risk.

cjtex23 · 02-08-2008, 09:43 PM

I agree. I find no point in living near fresh water if you can't swim in it. We have gators all around E Texas, just like in Florida. When I take my dog for walks in the State Park, we stay away from the 'lake". Gators. Yipes! I'd either go closer towards the ocean or buy a home with a screened in pool, that's to keep the buggies and rodents out. By the way, yes, you would have to have the alligator removed from the pool. It's not exactly a job I'd like to do. I knew some folks when I lived just south of Maine who said they had a moose in their pool. Now that was an interesting one.

Good luck house searching. I'm apartment searching. Fun!

Kim

Trabbz · 02-08-2008, 11:12 PM

Bottom line is this..........gators are scary BUT even though there are a lot of them in Florida, humans and gators rarely ever have negative encounters. We live amongst them and they pretty much keep to themselves. If you move to a house that has a freshwater lake behind it, I wouldn't let small children play near it, or walk my dog near it. There are plenty of suburban neighborhoods in the Tampa Bay area that have lakes and ponds and alligator attacks are really rare. I am sure many of these homes have small children living there. I wouldn't freak out too much....just be cautious.