Relocating to Northshore: Need BUG advice! (Morgan City: for sale, house, buy)

[lakelady]

Hi folks! My family is relocating to the Northshore Area / St. Tammany Parish within the next few months - and honestly, I am freaking out about the bugs and other creatures I might encounter one we move down. (We are from Michigan - and our biggest challenges are ticks and mosquitoes).

So, here are some really dumb questions that I hope someone will "educate" me about:
1. Should I expect roaches?

2. What is the most troublesome insect(s) in the area? spiders? mosquitoes?

3. Do most folks use exterminator services for their homes? Any recommendations? What do you pay for these services?

4. I have young children who LOVE to play outside. Will I need to worry about snakes, bees, dangerous spiders, gators :-) ... anything else?

Thanks for the advice in advance . . . I just don't know anything about the area, and I really appreciate some honest, truthful, practical advice :-)

THANKS!

[Anole]

Lakelady, yes there are lots of bugs here, I don't know what you mean about troublesome. Lovebugs, craneflys, deerflys, mosquitoes, biting gnats, roaches are a pain but we get use to them. Don't let the bugs ruin your day. If you don't want the roaches and other bugs in the house, get an exterminator-sorry but I don't know about the services north of the lake. Personally, I like bugs, I grow plants that attract bugs, birds, and butterflies. You may even get a Mediterranean gecko (nocturnal) that comes in the house but don't kill it. They eat the spiders and mosquitoes. During the day you may see a green lizard (anole). Don't kill them-they eat the bugs! I don't know how to say this any other way but everything down here bites or is eaten by something else. Buy an insect book and go to a 7-11 at night and look around the lights, the insect show is free. Honestly, it is a wonderful place if you have an open mind.

[Drouzin]

Holy Moley; I didn't know those lizards were anoles! We just called 'em lizards they're all over the house and I'm constantly having to put them outside along with the tree frogs. FIL loves those anoles, and gets upset with his cat when she catches one. Reps for having me learn something new!

BTW: Lovebugs are in the Parish and my Devil's Horses (Easter Lubber Grasshoppers) have hatched so I can expect giant crickets in a couple of months.

[Micktooth]

Bugs were here before us and they will be here after us. With that said, it seems like most of the bugs really like southeast Louisiana! I would recommend a pest control company for your house. Termites are a major problem in the area. You should get a termite "contract" for your house. The outdoor "roaches" are very large and they do fly! If you find one in your house, don't worry too much because it came in from the outside. It's the small ones that you can't see which are the problem. Most importantly, you and your children should get educated on fire ants. These ants make dirt mounds in the grass. If you step on a mound, they will swarm on you and inflict many painful stings. For small children this can be extremely serious! Fire ant killers are available at most stores. You usually put in on a mound, and after a few days the mound dies. It is often a never ending battle, just stay away from the mounds! Didn't mean to scare you, but these are the realities of living in this part of the country.

[Anole]

Yikes!!! Drouzin I forgot about the lubber grasshoppers, around Morgan City during the summer time the road is black with their smashed bodies. Do we also tell lakelady about assasin bugs, cow killers, green tree frogs in the air conditioner, red wasps, yellow jackets, praying mantis, amphiuma, garter snakes, green snakes, king snakes, big rat snakes, mud snakes (the orange and jet black ones), giant water bugs--wow the list goes on an on. We have touched on just a few--- lakelady this area has a natural beatuy if you know where to look and the right frame of mind. Don't fear the unknown-educate yourself and you'll be rewarded.

[toupsee]

Originally Posted by Anole

Yikes!!! Drouzin I forgot about the lubber grasshoppers, around Morgan City during the summer time the road is black with their smashed bodies. Do we also tell lakelady about assasin bugs, cow killers, green tree frogs in the air conditioner, red wasps, yellow jackets, praying mantis, amphiuma, garter snakes, green snakes, king snakes, big rat snakes, mud snakes (the orange and jet black ones), giant water bugs--wow the list goes on an on. We have touched on just a few--- lakelady this area has a natural beatuy if you know where to look and the right frame of mind. Don't fear the unknown-educate yourself and you'll be rewarded.

Don't worry, I think I just heard her taking her for sale sign down.

[lakelady]

HA! Thanks to all for the responses. Now I know what to expect!

It's not that I don't like insects, reptiles, etc. I just wanted to know which ones I needed to educate myself about because they could be harmful to children.

My kids love creepy crawlys, but I do want them to understand which ones they should leave alone. (Mutual respect is best in my opinion.)I KNOW they're going to LOVE the lizards!

But, I must admit I'm really not excited about the roaches!!!!!

In fact, I just came across this website for welovebugs.org for the new Audubon Insectarium in NO. Check it out - looks very cool.

[holloway1010]

Wasps seem to love Louisiana. Fortunately, they are easy to control. Just go the the local wal-mart and get a can of Wasp spray. Keep an eye out for nests during the spring, summer, and fall. If you keep a close eye, you can knock them out before they get to be anything serious. I don't have a roach problem because we are germaphobes and we don't have little ones living with us. Louisiana has some fierce looking spiders, but there are only two you have to fear. The Black Widow and the Brown recluse. Both are rather tiny. Black Widows are jet black with a blood red marking on the abdomen, pretty easy to identify, even from a distance. Brown recluses are a little more difficult to pick out from a distance. They are brown with a light colored guitar shape marking on the back. Don't let it keep you from feeling safe in your own yard, they only like places that aren't disturbed often or at all, and your local medical center will probalby have more antivenom than it knows what to do with. Be sure to teach your children about snakes. There are rattlesnakes, water moccassins, etc. If you see ANY snake, it is best not to take chances, just stay out of their way. You may also encounter possums and raccoons if you leave food out on your patio or if you leave your trash can lid opened. Both of which you should also avoid, since they can turn agressive if they feel threatened.

[Laura707]

FIRE ANTS!! They are your biggest fear! Educate yourself fully on them and how to reconize their mounds. When I first moved down here from Virginia and heard some kid scream and Mama said "Ugh Oh, they got in a ant bed!" and take off running...I would think how silly... a measley little ant and such a ruckus?

It takes being bitten to fully understand the power of these nasty little creatures! I had a friends toddler fall into a ant bed and before they could get to her, she had been bitten all over and ended up in the hosptial because of it. The closet way I can describe it is just hold a lit cigarette to your hand had leave it there. That is what they feel like to me. The bite blisters and itches like mad!!

The best way to handle the ants is to prevent them from even getting in your yard by putting stuff down to kill them and keep them away.

The pesky misquito's like to have drove me nuts when I first came down here. One bite and I was up all night scratching that itch.. I have, built up and immunity of sorts and the bite no longer keeps me up all night but it still itches.

Always remember, the little lizzards are our friends... Keep those around and teach the kids to respect them. They are cute too!

[lakelady]

Thanks - this is great advice! This is just what I was looking for :-) Thanks for sharing.