Texas bugs!! (Austin, Victoria, Post: wood floors, apartments, rental)

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Kooter

June bugs horrible! June bugs are really neat little bugs... As as kid I used to catch them and tie a string on their leg and let them fly around.

How about lady bugs - are you afraid of lady bugs? Sometimes they aren't very lady-like when they get into a big swarm and attack you.

They are strange bugs which a lot of native Texans don't like to be around. It's the dive bombing that gets me the most as I don't like to duck and dance worrying about them landing in my hair and buzzing loudly. Yes, they're harmless, but annoying. I don't think lady bugs pose a problem although a few years ago, many of them were getting in my house, something that had never happened before. I always liked lady bugs even as a child in California. Every time I would see one, I'd recite the poem my grandma taught me about them.

How do you like head lice? I had never even heard of lice until I moved here, but thank goodness I've never had them nor have my children. Epidemics in schools can be rampant at times, but we were lucky.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by calimama

Thank you for all the information! We are considering the Dallas/Ft. Worth area or maybe Amarillo. We know people in Dallas, but we are looking to be a little more out in the country, so we are taking a trip out to Texas next month and try and narrow it down to one spot. Thank you Canine Castle for all of your posts and detailing your experiences with various critters. I don't know what June bugs are, but they sound horrible! I am familiar with chiggers because I went to boot camp in South Carolina and I remember lots of the girls had scars on their arms from scratching so much. I also would not want to be around a bunch of bats. They are just really scary. I'm sure I would get used to the bugs after awhile; I just want to know what I am dealing with before we make a big move like that. It makes me feel a lot better that some of you haven't even really had any run-ins with them. I am used to mosquitos. And you are right Canine Castle, my husband doesn't want to chance it if he thinks I am going to be acting like a big baby every day crying over all the bugs. He would be fine with them.

Well, they really are something you have to get use to and in time, I'm sure you will. It isn't too bad. Other than bats which I don't deal with, I think the next worse thing is the cockroaches but as I said, that's something I ended very quickly in my 2nd home in Texas. Yuck!!

That's a great idea to live out in the country as in my opinion, rural living is the way to go. You'll be here during a very hot month, but even the heat one learns to deal with even though I sputter about it.

I totally agree that if one is going to make a huge move, he or she definitely needs to know all the pros and cons of any particular area.

I wish you the best of luck; please keep us posted.

[jsoto3]

Of course, you are much more likely to encounter most of these bugs in the country vs. in the city (although less so near Amarillo than in central Texas).

[latetotheparty]

with exception of the 1-inch++ cockroaches, this thread has just described missouri as well.......

chiggers and ticks and junebugs and bats and scorpions.......

[tstone]

I never had head lice growing up here and neither did my siblings. Not saying it's not possible, but I think worrying about it is a bit of a stretch.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by tstone

I never had head lice growing up here and neither did my siblings. Not saying it's not possible, but I think worrying about it is a bit of a stretch.

I must admit when I first moved here and my daughter was in the 1st grade, I kept her home for one day when I heard about the epidemic. Needless to say, I was incredulous. The next day, the school was closed (Friday) and they had the weekend as well to clean up the mess. Yes, I was worried, but I'm not anymore. In 30 years, I've never gotten them although I've been around people who had them.

It's definitely possible because it happens, but if one gets them, they can be alleviated but from what I understand, it's quite a production. No thanks!!

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by jsoto3

Of course, you are much more likely to encounter most of these bugs in the country vs. in the city (although less so near Amarillo than in central Texas).

I'll agree with Amarillo, but my daughter lives in Arlington and she gets the same bugs in the city as I get in rural central Texas. In fact, she claims huge roaches she has had and I have not. Of course, she has an exterminator come once a month. I don't.

[kdennis86]

Yes, its silly not to move to Texas because of bugs. I have lived all over Texas. Starting with Dallas: you're going to have your roaches and other critters running around here but it's not as bad as southern Texas. When I was at Baylor in Waco, I saw 1 roach in my apartment over 4 years. The further south you go the bigger and badder the bugs. Austin has scorpions and roaches. My fiance's house in central Austin by UT had a lot of flying roaches outside but only in the house like 2 times out of the 4 years she lived there. But they will fly at you...so run past them fast! I was born in raised just outside of Houston and I have to say this is the city where the big and bad bugs are. It's because it a humid/tropical climate and close to the ocean. I grew up with flying cockroaches that live in the trees (we called them "tree roaches") and fly around at night. If you get flying cockroaches in your house its not because your dirty its just because they live outside and get in just like any other bug (the big ones usually travel alone). Aside, from the big bugs in Texas you have to move here its one of the greatest places to live!

[bigskydude]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Some as big as Godzilla, right?

Yeah ... and driving Hummers ..

[TT Dave]

Originally Posted by bigskydude

Yeah ... and driving Hummers ..

Of course, everything is bigger in Texas right? Bugs included!