Minneapolis hazards (Duluth, Virginia, Maple Lake: houses, living, store)

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

The wild animal hazards seem a bit overstated to me. Mostly, you'll see squirrels and raccoons. There can be a lot of deer in the suburbs. The man-eating stuff is rather rare. As to mosquitos, yes, Off works fine. Mosquitos are also quite rare in the city proper.

True, though here in Highland Park I have seen deer, foxes, raccoons and opossums wandering around. They are not hazards, though. Biggest hazards in MN IMHO are deer ticks but I've never seen one in the city.

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by crushingcupcakes

I can't believe there are deer in the metro area. When I think of Minneapolis, I think of a smaller New York, I just can't see a deer running out in the road. I'm gonna love this place.

Last summer I saw a panicked deer running down an alley between 2nd and 3rd Ave N downtown Minneapolis. There were pics a couple years back of deer wandering down Marquette near Pete's Diner. And I often see deer while drive through Wirth Park.

[uptown_urbanist]

I suppose lake safety would be one, although mostly that's common sense. Wildlife isn't a danger here (not even any poisonous snakes in Minneapolis!), so the biggest issue I warn my son about is the same stuff you'd warn your kids about in every city: being safe around cars.

That said, I (yes, I am a wimp) don't like dangling my feet in lake water, as I have visions of a large fish chomping on my toes.

[audadvnc]

Swimming pools are much more dangerous than wild animals. I know people involved in two pool drownings this summer.

[Ghengis]

we got muskies in Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis that would swallow a fully grown alligator in one bite I tell ya!

[osirisascending]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

As to mosquitos, yes, Off works fine. Mosquitos are also quite rare in the city proper.

Mosquitoes are most definitely NOT rare in the city proper. They get bad enough that we get chased off our deck by them several times every summer.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by osirisascending

Mosquitoes are most definitely NOT rare in the city proper. They get bad enough that we get chased off our deck by them several times every summer.

ohhhhhh no! a mosquito! run inside, run inside!

[Kebinminn]

If you're sensitive to mosquito's they can make late summer pretty miserable. We took our son to urgent care one year because one leg was larger than other, turns out it was from a few mosquito bites. Allergy medication helps. We also have a Thermacell that does help thin them out. For some reason they go after some people more than others.

They're thick here. Maybe in the core urban areas where there's not a lot of grass they're not but even in areas with smaller city sized yards they can be horrible.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Kebinminn

If you're sensitive to mosquito's they can make late summer pretty miserable. We took our son to urgent care one year because one leg was larger than other, turns out it was from a few mosquito bites. Allergy medication helps. We also have a Thermacell that does help thin them out. For some reason they go after some people more than others.

They're thick here. Maybe in the core urban areas where there's not a lot of grass they're not but even in areas with smaller city sized yards they can be horrible.

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, not grass. Why does grass matter?

[Kebinminn]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, not grass. Why does grass matter?

They may breed in water but they rest during the day in tall weeds or grass and will also lay eggs in moist soil. Both will eat nectar while females also feed on blood to help lay eggs.