Advice on E.Tennessee (snakes, neighbors, whole)

[Tinman313]

Originally Posted by Zeeya

Help!!! Can't afford to live here in Washington and I need to move to another place..I've done alot of research on E.Tenn.and would like to move there soon...but there are still some questions I need to ask about this area.
First of all I would be buying a place with at least an acre..I want to be able to have my ponies and chickens..BUT..I've heard that if you live in the South you will have more species of snakes,along with chiggers and ticks..anyone out there please let me know if I can walk around my property to tend to the animals ,gardens etc.and not have to worry all the time if chiggers are in the shady areas...ticks going on me when I walk in the woods or snakes crossing my path ..living in W.Washington this would never be a problem..maybe an occasional gardner snake every now and then you might see one...no chiggers here and ticks are rare.Do the animals get these ticks in them too?Any advice would be greatly apreciated..thanks so much.

State Symbols and History - State Animals (broken link)

[Zeeya]

Thank you all..now I have a better picture of what critters could be near by...most say keep the grass cut around the house but what happens if you don't and what if I wanted to walk out in the pasture to catch a pony or just to visit ...would I need to wear long pants to keep chiggers off me.Don't mean to be so touchy on this subject but here you can go out on the pastures and no bugs just soppin wet pants from the rain.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Zeeya

Thank you all..now I have a better picture of what critters could be near by...most say keep the grass cut around the house but what happens if you don't and what if I wanted to walk out in the pasture to catch a pony or just to visit ...would I need to wear long pants to keep chiggers off me.Don't mean to be so touchy on this subject but here you can go out on the pastures and no bugs just soppin wet pants from the rain.

Long socks would also help. But yes, there are chiggers around here although I haven't had any since I was a kid even though I'm an avid camper and hiker. I always wear shorts while hiking and camping in the summer and have never had any problems. I think the long socks help.

I also can't remember the last time I had a tick. Maybe my natural body odor just repels bugs, I don't know.

[hiknapster]

On the other hand, I have no idea what a chigger is!

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

On the other hand, I have no idea what a chigger is!

LOL. Hiknapster, I was wondering the same thing myself. My dad used to tell us about the chiggers he got living in Maryland as a kid, but I never asked what it was. I guess I didn't really want to know. And, guess what? I looked it up and I don't think you will want to know!!

Chigger: North America, Australia, New Zealand the bright red parasitic larva of a free-living mite that feeds on the skin and other tissues of mammals, including humans, causing irritation and swelling. Some species transmit diseases such as scrub typhus. Genera: Trombicula, Neotrombicula

[hiknapster]

Ewwww!!!!!!

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by Zeeya

Thank you all..now I have a better picture of what critters could be near by...most say keep the grass cut around the house but what happens if you don't and what if I wanted to walk out in the pasture to catch a pony or just to visit ...would I need to wear long pants to keep chiggers off me.Don't mean to be so touchy on this subject but here you can go out on the pastures and no bugs just soppin wet pants from the rain.

Snakes like tall grass, so I would definitely keep my lawn mowed. Especially in an area with known venomous snakes!
I think you are worrying too much about this myself. Actually ticks are easier to find if you wear shorts. They show up much better against your skin.

[mbmouse]

I have seen quite a few black, harmless snakes while working on the folks house, but that is in the middle of a dairy farm. None here at our house, but we live in a sub division. The only chiggers I ever got were in the mountains of western NC. Ticks, the dogs have had a few now and then and once or twice have any of us had them on us after a hike in the woods. Yes they are all here, and can be found just about anywhere, but are we "infested" with snakes, chiggers and ticks? I would have to say no.

[goodbyehollywood]

When most people around here say "chiggers," they are usually referring to the weed-- a tall, fuzzy milkweed that has a stalk covered with long hairs. They grow in fields and attract those itchy redbugs, so if you play around them, like we all did when we were kids and fields were more plentiful than they are now, you'll come home itching like the dickens. I still remember that! When my mother said, "Stay out of the chiggers," that's what she meant.

[Tinman313]

Chigger Information: Chiggers, HYG-2100-98