Hurricanes, Bugs, Tornadoes, Snakes

[Mrsugi]

Hi,
I recently moved to the area and have definitely noticed that the bugs here are larger and seem to be many more of them. I have been living in Northern CA for about twelve years and the North East before that. The biggest thing that I have found odd out here are the snakes. We went to the Catawba river to scout out the area for kayaking and saw a copperhead in the water right off the bank, near the boat ramp, with a small catfish in its mouth! A few days after that, we visited a neighbor in Baxter who had two long, black snakes caught in her fence (dead by the time they were found). I have only been here a short time, but I was starting to believe that snakes would be a part of life here. I am happy to read some of your other replies that suggest snakes are not so prevalent.

[MOC]

I will be moving to the Fort Mill area at the end of summer and I wasn't aware of the bug and snake situation until recently. I am moving from NJ but not an area where there are snakes and big bugs. This bug/snake thing is freaking me out! The terminex man is going to be my new best friend. I really wanted to buy a home in a wooded area but now I guess that isn't such a good idea. I read where there is a product that can be put on the ground to keep snakes away. Does anyone know if it works? I guess you can't swim in the lake either if there are snakes in the water.

[Belmarin]

Originally Posted by Mrsugi

Hi,
I recently moved to the area and have definitely noticed that the bugs here are larger and seem to be many more of them. I have been living in Northern CA for about twelve years and the North East before that. The biggest thing that I have found odd out here are the snakes. We went to the Catawba river to scout out the area for kayaking and saw a copperhead in the water right off the bank, near the boat ramp, with a small catfish in its mouth! A few days after that, we visited a neighbor in Baxter who had two long, black snakes caught in her fence (dead by the time they were found). I have only been here a short time, but I was starting to believe that snakes would be a part of life here. I am happy to read some of your other replies that suggest snakes are not so prevalent.

Many people confuse the brown water snake with a copperhead snake. I have lived on the water for the past 7 years and have never come across a copperhead or cotton mouth, either alive or dead. We have a number of brown water snakes in our area and they are welcome. The snakes in Baxter appear to be black snakes that are native to our area. They are not poisonous and are actually beneficial to the environment.

There are a number of threads that discuss the physical differences between a brown water snake and a copperhead.

[jamrasc]

We get some vicious thunderstorms and the occasional funnel cloud and small tornado. Nothing really to be concerned with. The last big hurricane to hit the area was Hugo in 1989. I have seen flooding in flood prone areas from tropical storms, but we haven't even had any tropical storms in the past few years...part of the reason we are in a drought.

As far as bugs, they are bigger and more of them. Fireants tend to be everywhere, but you can tell where they are by the mounds. Ticks seem to be bad this year. Fleas are out and about almost all year long if it is warm enough. There are black widow spiders, which are poisonous, but they are rarely seen. They like dark areas.

We see snakes quite a bit, but we are also out hiking and canoeing. There are copperheads and rattlesnakes in the area, but your chances of seeing them are slim, unless you are out hiking or in their habitat.

[beachbumssb]

Originally Posted by MOC

I will be moving to the Fort Mill area at the end of summer and I wasn't aware of the bug and snake situation until recently. I am moving from NJ but not an area where there are snakes and big bugs. This bug/snake thing is freaking me out! The terminex man is going to be my new best friend. I really wanted to buy a home in a wooded area but now I guess that isn't such a good idea. I read where there is a product that can be put on the ground to keep snakes away. Does anyone know if it works? I guess you can't swim in the lake either if there are snakes in the water.

Don't let the bugs freak you out about moving here. There are a good amount of them and they are big, but the benefits of living in this area make up for it in a big way!! Charlotte was recently named Best Place to live by relocate-america.com and I would have to say I agree. The best part of living in Ft. Mill is you can get the benefits of living near a big city but you get cheaper gas!! The lake is fine to swim in and during the summer, Lake Wylie is the place to be!

[Mrsugi]

Originally Posted by Belmarin

Many people confuse the brown water snake with a copperhead snake. I have lived on the water for the past 7 years and have never come across a copperhead or cotton mouth, either alive or dead. We have a number of brown water snakes in our area and they are welcome. The snakes in Baxter appear to be black snakes that are native to our area. They are not poisonous and are actually beneficial to the environment.

There are a number of threads that discuss the physical differences between a brown water snake and a copperhead.

I have spent way too much time trying to find the previous threads that discussed the differences between the water snake with the copperhead. LOL - There are some great snake threads, complete with snake poems!

I have to admit that the designation as a copperhead came from a guy bringing in his canoe who told us he was a native and knew his way around snakes. The snake was small, and it had a yellow tipped tail. He said that was a sign that it was a copperhead. However, now that I have looked around a bit more, it seems that there are other snakes with yellow tail tips when they are young. My apologies if I misdiagnosed the snake . Truth be told, I would very much like to agree that it was a friendly, non-venomous snake myself. Especially considering that my tow boys were splashing around in the water, not 5 minutes before we saw the snake!

[MOC]

How can you swim in the lake if there are snakes?

[SatTerra]

Thinking about bugs, snakes, thunderstorms, you know what? It's a young boys wonderland! It's wonderful to have so much variety. The other day we sat on the front porch and watched in amazement as a beautifully adorned green lizard courted a potential mate. He had a swagger in his step, a bounce of his head. He also caused the skin below his throat to form a half moon shape in some obvious mating ritual only a female lizard could appreciate. Walking at the marina the other day, we saw turtles warming themselve on a log that was floating by. Snakes, well the wife saw a very large black one slither on by the house last year. Don't let nature scare you, and enjoy the show.

[sweetcheeks83]

Wow. We just purchased a home in Catawba, I think I'll be investing in a powerful pair of binoculars so I can never leave the house and appreciate the wildlife! All this talk of snakes and little snake babies! OMIG I think my husband will have to peel me off the ceiling...so glad i've discovered this site as you'll be my only communication with the outside world..

[MOC]

I'm with you sister. This bug/snake thing is not for me! Moving to S.C. is going to be real adventure. I was golfing in S.C. last week and a black snake crossed the cart path. Freaked me out!