Bug question (Sarasota, Palmetto: rental, house, scorpions)

[Pookahan]

OK, so I have heard a few things about bugs, some a little scary We are planning a move to Sarasota and I am wondering about the menacing fire ants. Will my children be able to run and play in the yard? Is gardening more challenging with the ants? I read another post about scorpions and black widow infestations. I am ok with most bugs, but I just want to know what to expect. I am sure this sounds ridiculous to some of you natives Thanks for your responses.

[phonelady61]

As a former floridian I would most definately reccomend you have your yard sprayed for fleas as well because all it takes is one neighbor who has fleas and wallah your kids are covered in them and they will get in your house . Fire ants will most likely move when they see you are spraying and after that should not be a problem . I would also spray my house on the inside for roaches and palmetto bugs . good luck to you

[SoFLGal]

Just get a good bug company and that should take care of everything. I have Truly Nolan and they are $95 per quarter. I'm actually thinking of switching to another company because we have some pesky fire ants in our yard that I'd like to get rid of. My neighbor has a company that's $70 per quarter and they said they don't see any bugs-inside or outside of the house. Just make sure you're clear with them on what they do and don't cover before signing any contract.

I'm a native Floridan but I have traveled quite a bit. It's a bit more tropical in Florida so you're probably going to have a few more bugs then in other areas of the country. Honestly, I don't even really notice most of them. The love bugs in the spring and fall are a bit annoying. Mostly because you have to constantly wash them off your car.

[Oobie119]

I agree that you should have the interior and perimeter of your house sprayed every 3 months--there aren't any huge problematic bugs, their are just many that are pesty. Palmetto bugs especially (Giant roaches the size of your pinky that fly)..not to mention some spiders and such. Fire ants can be easily controlled so I wouldn't worry : )

[justNancy]

I currently live in a rental and have had the owner's Pest Control service come by 3 times since I first moved here in May. They use a different service for the lawn, although the Pest Control company sprays around the outside of the house. I'm concerned about treating lawns with chemicals because of runoff, but most of my neighbors use a lawn service like Scotts. I guess as humans, we need to choose the lesser of 2 evils.

If you keep your home clean & well sealed (this is an older home with a lot of places for palmetto bugs to sneak in) you shouldn't have a big problem. However, they do fly off the trees and get into the garage. They're really harmless, so I don't know why they bother me so much.

[culturedmom]

I just stopped using my pest company so if anyone can hit me up with a recommendation, I'd be grateful.

[pcozad1]

I did the fire ant dance twice last time we were down.

[Old Man Winter]

Fire ants are the least of your worries, the mounds are easily spotted and easily treated. The black widow spider on the other hand..... I think it depends on your location, but for some reason we have an infestation. We are always killing them in the garage and around the pool. Normal pesticides do not kill them but bleach works fairly well. We kill 3-4 a month by our pool and several in the garage. We are hoping winter and cooler temps will slow them down.

[beachbum wannabe]

Originally Posted by pcozad1

I did the fire ant dance twice last time we were down.

Hey, just drove through Nebraska last week , holy cow you nebraska people grow a lot of cornnn!! millions of miles of corn,and trains waiting to pick up loads of cornnnnn,and then further down the road ,oh wait it was more freakin corrnnnnnn,then came South dakota, and that was lovely because there were mountains and no corn, dont take that to heart

[FauxPas]

buggy story:
http://www.yoursun.com/sunnews/portc...rname.html.csp