Building a home - what to expect (San Antonio, Austin: renting, new house)

[Texasjn]

We have been renting in Cedar Park for a couple of years now and have decided to buy a house. We chose to build but it's been a tough decision for me since my last new build experience.

We had a house built in Florida years ago and after we moved in, we were infested with wolf spiders. We were told that they came out of the wood used to build the house. For the first couple of months, every night they would be all over inside the house. You can't just squish them either. Well, I don't even want to get that close to do that. (haha) We also would see them during the day clinging on the outside of the houses, too.

So, now we are building again. Is this something I should expect again? I know places are different but I just want to be prepared. We have three kids now, too, and I can only imagine their reactions if they came across one.

I would love to hear from anyone who moved into a newly built house and what experiences you've had.

Thank you.

[johnrex62]

I have never heard of that before. Dimensional lumber is normally kiln dried and that would kill any eggs or larvae in the wood. In San Antonio, new construction was often swarmed with "Daddy Longleg" spiders, but they were attracted from the wild by the drywall for some reason.

I did not encounter any type of insect infestation when I built near Webberville.

I dont know what the Georgetown local pest might be, if any.

[mark311]

It depends on where exactly that you're building. I think the issue around here is more about the creatures that you stir up from the ground where you're building and the surrounding areas. In new build areas up in Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, etc. that are West of I35, you're more likely to see some scorpions get in your house especially if they're still building homes around you. I've seen them in homes in both Georgetown and some others in Cedar Park where there are new builds nearby.

But, the scorpion stings here are more like wasp stings and not something that you really have to worry about unless you have an allergic reaction.

[ScoPro]

I worked in a lumberyard one summer years ago, and scorpion stings were pretty common to us grunts handling the lumber.
When we built our new house in Brushy Creek 20 years ago, we only saw one scorpion inside about a year later. That was it...... and we had not sprayed for bugs at all.

I recommend buying a bottle of Cy-Kick liquid pesticide - mix some up in a gallon of water and spray the base of your foundation several times a year. We've been doing that to keep the ants out. Never have had a problem with any other insects.

[Texasjn]

Well, that's semi good news. I'm happy to not hear about the wolf spiders being a problem, at least.

We are having a pest control company come out and spray inside and out before we move in and then quarterly. Hopefully, that will help.

We've only come across one scorpion so far here in Cedar Park in a well established neighborhood, too. It was caught in a cobweb by our front door inside. Eww!!! I've read horror stories about how people have had them dropping out of air vents and recessed lighting. I think that would do me in. (haha)

Thanks so much for your responses and advice.

[eirenecat]

I've lived all over Austin (and out in rural Oak Hill and Manor too) for the past 30 years, and I currently live in Northwest Austin. We never have scorpions in our current house, but I had several when I lived in Manor near 969/973, and they were terrifyingly abundant in rural Oak Hill. We lived on the road that leads to the Austin Zoo, and we did indeed have them dropping out of our light fixtures in the bathroom, scuttling across our bed at night, etc. (The horror, the horror.) You haven't lived until you've seen an angry mama scorpion and the HORDES of live babies she's carrying on her back greet you in the bathroom at 5 AM.

(We also had one big orange kitty who found scorpions to be his mortal enemies. He was surgically precise in being able to kill them without getting stung himself. He was also the recipient of many, many cat treats when he did this.)

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by Texasjn

Well, that's semi good news. I'm happy to not hear about the wolf spiders being a problem, at least.

We are having a pest control company come out and spray inside and out before we move in and then quarterly. Hopefully, that will help.

Wow! That's an overkill in my opinion. We've been in our new house for 11 years and get about one scorpion per year. We have never had a pest control company spray our house after moving in.

[petro]

This seems like a very odd situation to occur. Most likely, a female wolf spider got into your house at some point and they carry hundreds of babies on their back. I highly doubt it had anything to do with the house being new construction or the selection of the lumber used.

That said, we do have wolf spiders here (and tarantulas, scorpions, giant roaches, etc) but they tend to prefer to be outside, than in your house.