[timberline742]

The ticks I get in lawn situations are almost always wood ticks, not deer ticks.

[squarpeg]

I have lived in Southern Vermont for 40 years, cut my own wood, do my own yard work out in the brush regularly and maybe I have had 2 ticks on me in all those years and no they did not give me Lyme disease. Dismiss this issue unless you want to live in a bubble. Like choosing not going to Florida because there are snakes.

[Demolitionman2]

I have lived in Southern Vermont for 40 years, cut my own wood, do my own yard work out in the brush regularly and maybe I have had 2 ticks on me in all those years and no they did not give me Lyme disease. Dismiss this issue unless you want to live in a bubble. Like choosing not going to Florida because there are snakes.

Squarpeg have they started work on turning the old Kmart into an Ocean State Job Lot yet?

[squarpeg]

I live near Brattleboro. We have never had a Kmart here.

[Demolitionman2]

I live near Brattleboro. We have never had a Kmart here.

Okay.....thought you were in Bennington....

[MassVt]

It's hard to justify a move across the country based upon the mere possibility of a (non-existing?) teaching job. Most of the collegiate positions would be a bit north, in the Burlington area. If you're in the academic field, you should know this already. Albany, NY isn't far away, and would have even more academic opportunities than Burlington, but it's quite urban , and old ( but inexpensive, though)...

[Scorpio60]

Originally Posted by Bill the Butcher

I just like how the area looks. And some of the homes.

Here's an example of a house that I think is pretty nice.

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-61352?view=qv

Unfortunately though it seems we have hit a bit of a snag in our interest in Vermont. Ticks! How big of a problem are they? Is it common to find them in your lawn if you keep it mowed to a shorter length?

A review of some older posts on this forum regarding ticks didn't really elevate the concerns we have regarding ticks. Actually probably made them worst. People commenting, "oh i had three on me just yesterday" "I had Lyme disease twice in the last year", I wear two layers of clothing and take off the outer layer before getting in my vehicle", "we inspect for ticks every night before we shower".

Sounds like a big problem.

Hi, I have been living in Shaftsbury (about 15 minutes from Bennington) for over 10 years. I had chronic lyme disease many years ago and I was bit by a tick in Long Island (thank goodness I healed). Ticks are everywhere (even New York City) so it doesn't matter where you live you could get bit by a tick.

The bottom line is how healthy are you? If you have a strong immune system then I can almost guarantee you will not get lyme disease because your immune system will naturally kill any bacteria. Ticks are not the only vector that transmit lyme. Fleas, ants (red), spiders, (any vector that feeds off the host which is the white footed mouse) can transmit lyme.

I hope this helps!

[Judder]

Houses are cheap in Bennington for a reason. The economy has been on a steady decline for decades, with factories and businesses closing and few replacing them. It's the main hub for the region and has all the social services, court systems, and services so it attracts a certain demographic. That said there are some nice neighborhoods and villages in the area. The downtown is pretty rough with the drugs, poverty, and crime that you would see in similar places like Barre, Rutland, Brattleboro, and Springfield. A quick 10 minute drive around will give you a flavor of the town: single moms in sweatpants and pajamas pushing strollers while talking on their cellphone, middle aged shirtless men with neck tattoos riding bmx bikes, kids running truant from school while their parents spend all day on their front porch smoking and drinking. If you have school aged children, find a school-choice town in Vermont so you have both public and private school options.

[Scorpio60]

Originally Posted by Judder

The downtown is pretty rough with the drugs, poverty, and crime that you would see in similar places like Barre, Rutland, Brattleboro, and Springfield. A quick 10 minute drive around will give you a flavor of the town: single moms in sweatpants and pajamas pushing strollers while talking on their cellphone, middle aged shirtless men with neck tattoos riding bmx bikes, kids running truant from school while their parents spend all day on their front porch smoking and drinking. If you have school aged children, find a school-choice town in Vermont so you have both public and private school options.

Most towns in the U.S. have the same problem as far as drugs, poverty, and crime.

When I moved here over 10 years ago I saw women wearing pajama bottoms while shopping because that was the style (they want to be comfortable) as well as men wearing shorts in 20 below degree weather. Nothing new there. When I drive into the town of Bennington I don't see kids running truant from school (maybe I just haven't noticed).

Anyway there are beautiful towns not far from Bennington such as Manchester, Shaftbury, etc. No town is perfect just as people aren't perfect.

[ArtsVT2015]

Hi.. there is an issue of contaminated water in Bennington.

https://dec.vermont.gov/pfas/pfoa

This may be why some of the houses are less expensive. Be sure to do a deep dive into why a property seems too good to be true.