Is the spider problem in Boca Raton that bad? Recommendations? (Aracnophobe wanting to move) (Harlem: oceanfront, apartment)

[kasinity]

So to give a brief background, I have lived all over the midwest, solcal, and new england. I was looking all through the USA for something comparable to Irvine CA (my favorite city), just if possible slightly more affordable. From what I can find (and correct me if I am wrong) Boca Raton seems like a decent comparison with low crime rates, nice areas and planned communities etc. So anyways, since childhood I have had a crippling fear of spiders, I guess I had a horrible experience falling into a nest as a child and had to be hospitalized. I have mild OCD as well which doesn't help. I understand spiders are vital to the community and I even worked in a exotic reptile shop with tarantulas to try to get over the fear but absolutely nothing has helped. It's an involuntary physical fear. (I should note tiny penny sized spiders don't have as much of an effect, I am speaking more to spiders that size of my face)

Now I have the option of either moving somewhere cold (which I would be incredibly unhappy) or just finding the place I love the most and trying my best to manage it. So my question to anyone who has experience or is a local, will I still be seeing banana spiders and the likes crawling all over if I even got a brand new house with those screens that vault over pools/well insulated windows, or even a highrise oceanfront apartment?


I saw this video on youtube and I don't know if this is just common for the area or if this is something I can expect to see outside my door/balcony/car.




Is there going to realistically be a living situation where I don't have to deal with them? I would also take any city recommendations, as long as the crime is low, after living in Harlem I will pay top dollar not to deal with getting mugged again.

I should add (if it matters) I don't have kids or pets, my most ideal living arrangement would be any property with a screened pool area that is within an hour from the beach (so maybe an area that has such properties?), but I am losing hope of finding something like that where I don't have to share my blankets/clothes/shower with massive spiders. I am open to any advice or opinions. Thank you.

[Southern Star]

First of all, probably everyone has fears. It's only when they prevent you from living your life that they become a problem. I am not a fan of dogs but I still walk around in the street and I don't even think twice about it unless I see a stray or unleashed dog. Then I take proper precaution to steer clear of them. I especially 'love' when the dog owner tells me - oh don't be afraid, he is so gentle.... What a stupid thing to say to a person who is a stranger to an animal!

As for spiders, they are everywhere. If you want to be in Boca Raton, make sure not to buy or rent around fruit trees or heavily landscaped areas.
There are spiders but there are also plenty of exterminators who are quite effective in ridding your house of all sorts of creatures.
Why don't you move into a place with a community pool? Rent first so you can check out the bug situation.
Don't be so sure that when you run from one thing, you are not heading straight into something that could potentially be much worse.

[clearlevel]

There are spiders everywhere in Florida. That being said, if you clean your house out, then you can easily control the population and you won't see them that often. However, you could have a tree nearby or a house nearby where fast-breeding spiders keep reproducing and keep coming over to your house, in which case you could constantly be seeing spiders build a web on your house and on the corner of your house. It just depends on what your surroundings are.

It's really not a big deal anyway, because most spiders don't do anything. Only the Brown Widow and Black Widow spiders are the ones that you should really be concerned with and they do sometimes breed very quickly. However, usually these spiders just stay still on their webs, but you do need to be careful about checking to see if there are spiders under a door handle or trash can lid or something, because spiders can sometimes put themselves. Only for those spiders though. Most spiders are harmless and won't do anything. Any other spider and I wouldn't be that concerned with it.

[Southern Star]

This is quite true. Usually the spiders stay outside. I made the HUGE mistake of picking up one of those plastic wrapped advertising packets that they throw on the driveways. It infested my kitchen with hundreds of teeny spiders. I cleaned them up, sprayed and now when I see one of those ads I walk it to the clubhouse and toss it. I won't even put it on the garbage can at home.
Do not allow your fear of spiders to keep you out of paradise!

[kasinity]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

First of all, probably everyone has fears. It's only when they prevent you from living your life that they become a problem. I am not a fan of dogs but I still walk around in the street and I don't even think twice about it unless I see a stray or unleashed dog. Then I take proper precaution to steer clear of them. I especially 'love' when the dog owner tells me - oh don't be afraid, he is so gentle.... What a stupid thing to say to a person who is a stranger to an animal!

As for spiders, they are everywhere. If you want to be in Boca Raton, make sure not to buy or rent around fruit trees or heavily landscaped areas.
There are spiders but there are also plenty of exterminators who are quite effective in ridding your house of all sorts of creatures.
Why don't you move into a place with a community pool? Rent first so you can check out the bug situation.
Don't be so sure that when you run from one thing, you are not heading straight into something that could potentially be much worse.

I think that's a good observation. I share the same sentiment for dogs as well. The building I live in I cannot leave my apartment without having to share the tiny elevator/hallway with dogs (most of the residence own 2) and that makes me miserable as well, I don't like being lunged at (I'm also allergic). But by no means are dogs a problem to the point like spiders. If there was such a thing as a dog-free community I would move there but as it doesn't exist it's just something I've learned to live with. I avoid physically touching dogs but if I have a situation where I see a spider in the apartment and it goes hidden, until it's removed I literally won't sleep in the apartment. I had thought of just avoiding properties with trees around all together. I would think in moving in a highrise near the beach this would help to eliminate the causes. However, I don't want to assume because maybe even locations like this they flock to balconies and whatnot. I will definitely consider visiting the area before I make any commitment. Before I do that though, I don't even want to bother unless I can confirm it's not like a spider horror show everywhere. My reason for buying over renting is really because it's cheaper to pay mortgage. I pay 1700 a month for a 400 square foot studio in D.C. and it would be nice to pay that amount for something somewhat worth the money (even a nice 1 bedroom), not to mention the money actually going towards an investment besides going down the drain every month.

[kasinity]

Originally Posted by clearlevel

There are spiders everywhere in Florida. That being said, if you clean your house out, then you can easily control the population and you won't see them that often. However, you could have a tree nearby or a house nearby where fast-breeding spiders keep reproducing and keep coming over to your house, in which case you could constantly be seeing spiders build a web on your house and on the corner of your house. It just depends on what your surroundings are.

It's really not a big deal anyway, because most spiders don't do anything. Only the Brown Widow and Black Widow spiders are the ones that you should really be concerned with and they do sometimes breed very quickly. However, usually these spiders just stay still on their webs, but you do need to be careful about checking to see if there are spiders under a door handle or trash can lid or something, because spiders can sometimes put themselves. Only for those spiders though. Most spiders are harmless and won't do anything. Any other spider and I wouldn't be that concerned with it.

Thank you for your response. You've given me something to think about because it seems like it might be a constant battle of prevention if I were to get a house (since infestation more or less stems from exterior factors, even getting a new house probably wouldn't matter).

[skylinet]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ry-2k/...4385/lightbox/
If these things were bigger than a dime they would be the scariest looking creatures on earth.
Luckily they're tiny and don't really do anything

[kasinity]

Originally Posted by skylinet

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ry-2k/...4385/lightbox/
If these things were bigger than a dime they would be the scariest looking creatures on earth.
Luckily they're tiny and don't really do anything

Since you live near the area, would you say there is anything to spiders avoiding the beach/salt water in your experience or is it all the same?

[Southern Star]

It is estimated that there are a million spiders on every acre of land on earth. Since you are so frightened I have to assume you have researched this topic to death already. If you have not, you are living your life in fear of something you know very little about. If that is true, this bears no more discussion. If it is false, you must realize that your are fighting a losing battle since we are outnumbered already.

Allow the spiders in your past to remain in the past. By now they have given birth to tens of millions of new generations. We can do nothing about them. They are beneficial and they are here to stay. Give up the eight legged ghost. You will enjoy the rest of your time on this planet a whole lot more.

[kasinity]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

It is estimated that there are a million spiders on every acre of land on earth. Since you are so frightened I have to assume you have researched this topic to death already. If you have not, you are living your life in fear of something you know very little about. If that is true, this bears no more discussion. If it is false, you must realize that your are fighting a losing battle since we are outnumbered already.

Allow the spiders in your past to remain in the past. By now they have given birth to tens of millions of new generations. We can do nothing about them. They are beneficial and they are here to stay. Give up the eight legged ghost. You will enjoy the rest of your time on this planet a whole lot more.

To be honest I don't even remember the incident that happened when I was a child, nor the one where I had my fingers cut off (which was what triggered my OCD). But the fear is definitely involuntary. You must realize I associate spiders mentally with danger just as someone would gunshots/fear of heights/ fear of drowning. Naturally crime and death is unavoidable however people who value their safety don't consciously move to areas that are dangerous, it doesn't mean it will never happen to them but it does decrease the chances (I know I can't avoid them that's why I am considering moving to a warm state, I just want to ensure it's within what I can mentally handle). If I could relinquish the fear I would but it's not different to me than if someone dangled me over the side of a building and told me not to let it bother me. I know it's hard for other people to understand though.