Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We heard of a pest control system built into the foundation of the home. Anyone have any insight into this, is it necessary? My wife is not a "critter" person and the thought of snakes and gators frightens her. Since the yard would back up to woods, I'm not worried 'bout gators, but snakes are a reality.
We have the Traexx pest control system. Yes, there are many bugs on the ground and they can get into the house. The small ants are a nuisance. You will have to do something about them, and the Traexx tubes are convenient.
The snakes you would most likely see are small harmless ones. You could pick a lot in a more developed area with neighbors front back and sides to reduce the likelihood of snakes.
I was only on Middleton Road once on a Sunday evening and there was zero traffic. Peak traffic might be Saturday afternoon when beach houses turn over.
My wife and I were down last weekend from L.I., NY and our eyes were opened as to what life could be like. We are a few years from retirement but trying to nail down a decision between SJP and Tucson, AZ. Obviously very different places. We really like SJP and the fact that it looks like a real place and not a sketch or plan on a board.
We looked at a lot in the Woodlands on a new road being paved. My only concern is its proximity to the power lines and the road on the western boundary of SJP. Any thoughts? Any concerns about noise from the road to Oak Island? The proximity to the seaside gate is a plus, and with the thought of perhaps working for a few more years and the likely need to commute to Wilmington for a job, this may work out as well.
I welcome any information to help us make an intelligent decision. We have selected a home and are working out the details. We heard of a pest control system built into the foundation of the home. Anyone have any insight into this, is it necessary? My wife is not a "critter" person and the thought of snakes and gators frightens her. Since the yard would back up to woods, I'm not worried 'bout gators, but snakes are a reality.
Again, any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Highway noise - can vary, depends on how far away the road is. Landscaping will help muffle sound. Most vehicle traffic is pretty quiet. Big trucks gearing down to break can make a bit of noise but that is not something I think you would have to deal with. A brick home is much quieter. Even if you do hear highway noise in the distance, its not long before your brain tunes it out and only the unusually loud horn or exhaust pipe will ever be noticed and that maybe only while you are outside.
Power Lines - you are OK with them or you are not.
Pests - I have lived in NC all my life and have never seen a gator in the state that wasn't on display in a zoo or aquarium. I do occasionally hear of one or see a picture of one. The american gator generally will not tolerate salt water. SJP is close enough to the ocean that most of the water is salt or brackish. It is certainly possible one may be in a pond in the area. It is also unlikely you will be in any of the local ponds. The chance of you meeting or even seeing a gator is small. Snakes .... well ..... its not like are everywhere all the time. Usually when you see one its dead in the road and mostly in the spring with the temperatures start to warm up. Snakes are why man invented lawns and lawn mowers. Odds are you will see a snake somewhere. I know some people are terrified of them and I understand. Also know that snakes getting in houses are extremely rare. They will sometimes enter the crawl space but if you build on a raised slab you don't have to worry about that. I am sure there are other measures you can take. Keep in mind that though snakes can be very scary to some people, most are helpful critters that eat mice and very few are actually dangerous. If you see a live one, leave it alone and it will go away. I would contract with a good, reputable exterminator to go around your home and spray for termites, insects and so on. These company's generally will also look for signs of other pests such as rodents, ants and so on. One thing about warm climates are insects. I have lived in the mid-Atlantic all my life and almost every year I see some kind of bug I have never seen before. You see quiet a few spiders as well. They all have a place in nature and I am generally tolerant of them as long as they stay outside. That's where the exterminator comes in to spray to help keep them out of my house. Occasionally some kind of bug will get in. That is where you get a tissue, pick it up and promptly give it a burial at sea with a flush. That is typically going to be your most terrifying pest issue.
We had the dirt within the foundation sprayed for bugs and termites before the slab was poured. We also had the area around the foundation treated. Is it necessary, not sure with a raised slab, but I did it as a precaution. If you are building on a crawl space it is important, along with encapsulation.
If you want to see a gator, just go by the lagoon by the beach club. Also, some ponds within SJP have gators. Not the size of the ones you will see in SC, but they are there. There are a lot of snakes, also in the pond areas but also under crawl spaces and in the areas around the AC enclosures. They like places where it is cool. If you want to live by a pond, make sure you like the sound of Frogs (which I do) and they sing "all night long" (sorry for the Lionel Richie quote).
Oh ... and I have a gator in the pond behind my house (end of Breffin Court) under construction. Coming from Florida, unless the gator is 8+' long, it will be merely a curiosity to me. However, if I were a small dog, I might feel different, lol.
Seriously, 99.99% of gator incidents are due to stupidity on the person's part OR a gator that has been fed and no longer fears humans. One thing about NC gators, they are much smaller than the southern gators.
Here is a picture if one of the two gators I've seen at SJP. This one was by the beach club and I have a picture of another that was in the pond by Harborwalk. As you can see, he is not that large.
And the best part about gators is they eat snakes. All in all, I'd consider a gator a welcome bonus. Snakes ... not so much. From an online source ....
'Alligators in North Carolina are not likely to attain anything near the size of those in Lousiana/Florida because cool winters mean they spend at least part of their lives lying dormant in muskrat-style dens that can be accessed from underwater.'
Attachment 136154Here is a picture if one of the two gators I've seen at SJP. This one was by the beach club and I have a picture of another that was in the pond by Harborwalk. As you can see, he is not that large.
Gonna have to make the decision soon ..... Zoysia or Bermuda grass. I have ruled out Centipede and St. Augustine.
I have read thru the comments on this forum (and others) and still undecided. The yard will be mostly sunny. My intent is to have a lawn service and I have no problems with liberal watering.
So anyone with hard opinions, I am all ears (Zoysia or Bermuda).
Gatorbyter
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
