Are there a lot of Ny'ers (Atlanta, Smyrna: house, transfer, neighborhoods)

[bookersnook]

moving down to Alpharetta. My gf and I have been thinking bout this as we can take our NY salaries and live extremely comfortable.

I am seeing online lots of bugs and poisonous snakes through out the state. Is that in suburbs or rural

[lorilove]

I have lived in Metro Atlanta for 20+ years and have yet to encounter a poisonous snake - not sure where you got that impression.

As for bugs, that is all relative but I would basically say there are no bug issues in Atlanta.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by bookersnook

moving down to Alpharetta. My gf and I have been thinking bout this as we can take our NY salaries and live extremely comfortable.

I am seeing online lots of bugs and poisonous snakes through out the state. Is that in suburbs or rural

Poisonous bugs and snakes certainly live in the metro, but that doesn't mean you'll see any unless you're going out of your way to find them. Most Atlanta suburbs are fairly heavily wooded (Atlanta was built in a forest). Look at a satellite view of the area sometime.

[RandyWatson13]

Yes tons of NYers.

Yes you will possibly see wildlife and no it won't kill you. You won't be trampled by deer, bit by huge snakes and dragged out of bed by BigFoot.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by bookersnook

moving down to Alpharetta. My gf and I have been thinking bout this as we can take our NY salaries and live extremely comfortable.

I am seeing online lots of bugs and poisonous snakes through out the state. Is that in suburbs or rural

Do your jobs and salaries transfer with you? If not, realize that along with a lower cost of living comes generally lower salaries than NYC.

[BeyondInfinity]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Do your jobs and salaries transfer with you? If not, realize that along with a lower cost of living comes generally lower salaries than NYC.

He/she already said they can bring their NY Salaries with them in the first sentence.

To the OP, there are a lot of NYers and there are bugs and snakes but you probably will not encounter any snakes in Alpharetta. We do have bugs though and they are huge, but what do you expect in warmer climates?

[atlantagreg30127]

To clarify some myths:

Snakes exist in every suburb in metro Atlanta and beyond, and have even been found in yards in the intown neighborhoods. Many times, they are so well hidden and/or trying to avoid you, that you will almost never see them unless you are looking for them specifically, in places they like to hang out. However, that does not mean they are not there.

The most common snakes found in yards and on property here are tiny "Earth Snakes" (often mistaken for Worms), Garter Snakes, or typical Black snakes (Rat/Bull/King etc). In the far Northern burbs, you might occasionally see a "Corn Snake" as well - you can look all of these up on Google for their typical ranges and info on each - none of them are poisonous to humans unless you have a very odd allergy, and they are actually beneficial in terms of keeping rodents away. Copperheads (poisonous) do occasionally pop up here and there, especially in (but not limited to) wooded areas; even then, I don't think there has ever been a death over a bite from one, and they try to avoid you. Cottonmouths (more poisonous & more aggressive) are typically found near water (streams, lakes, etc) - not very common, they are there, and as with anything, common sense and a watchful eye are usually all that's needed to avoid them. Rattlers (very poisonous) are supposedly extinct in the immediate Atlanta area, although one man did get bit by one on the Silver Comet Trail in Smyrna a few years back; "Timber Rattlers" (more poisonous and mean) can be found in North Georgia, North of Alpharetta - only to worry about if you're hiking in wooded areas.

So yes, they (snakes) do exist, and they exist from the City to the Burbs. If you're the typical person who's always thinking of their taxes, bussing the kids to their next activity, or "whatever" - you will most likely walk past them and may never see one. If you're more observant, you may occasionally spot one, and again, 98% of the time or more, they will be of the nonpoisonous type.

Last, bugs: Spiders: The Black Widow spider is found everywhere in the U.S. just about, and is common here in garages, basements, or under wood. They TRY to avoid you but will defend eggs aggressively. It's incredibly rare that anyone has ever died from a bite, but they are extremely painful and do require some hospital stays. The "wear gloves and look before you pick up" rule applies when moving junk, cleaning out the garage, etc. The "Brown Recluse" spider is a lot nastier - they have a more toxic venom that breaks down skin/muscle like a snake and can cause some nasty to extremely nasty damage, and unlike the Widow, they will roam around homes. Spray regularly and you shouldn't have a problem. Everything else you see around in your house will be typical house Spiders (the Wolf Spider being the most common) and they actually hunt down and kill the bad ones too - so they're kinda your friends.

Wood Scorpions are very tiny and can be found commonly in mulch or pine straw. You will most likely never actually see one as they're not everyday-common and so small, but we do have them here. Mean, but the stings from them are typically no worse than a Honeybee sting. Fire Ants are VERY common and bite with a venom that can burn like hell, or actually kill someone in large quantities (very rare) - keep your yard sprayed or seeded right with the right stuff and it's no issue. Last, the "Assassin Bug" or "Wheel Bug" as some call it looks like a huge Stink Bug with a large snout for a nose - it's not a stink bug. The sting from it's "nose" can make for an incredibly nasty and long-lived sore, but little more.


Yep - we have critters. Lots of them. I've been here 27 years however, and no one I know has died from ANY of them, so don't spend your time worrying about it - you're more likely to be carjacked by 14 year olds downtown than to die from a spider or snake bite here.

Also use the forum's search feature for other threads that touch on the topic, please. Thank you.

[atl1221]

[quote=RandyWatson13;19170915]Yes tons of NYers.

Yes you will possibly see wildlife and no it won't kill you. You won't be trampled by deer, bit by huge snakes and dragged out of bed by BigFoot.[/QUOTE]

omg that made me laugh very loudly at work!!!

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

Yes tons of NYers.

Yes you will possibly see wildlife and no it won't kill you. You won't be trampled by deer, bit by huge snakes and dragged out of bed by BigFoot.

No, but the boys from Deliverance are always right around the corner!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

No, but the boys from Deliverance are always right around the corner!

And remember ... the victims were from Atlanta, so living in the metro won't make you any safer.