3 guesses what I just saw in my yard!

[CathrynRose]

:

We just moved here and now I am afraid to go back outside and take the dogs out... I have been taking them out at night in my slippers with the lights off. Geez... I am gonna have a coronary.

That is truly not a good idea.

We had a Bob-Cat who would wander around where we lived... and the snakes were everywhere.

Im suprised you didnt get some sort of Pamphlet when you moved in, about the creatures Florida has to offer - we did.

And we get questioned why we dont like Florida. They give you a manual upon moving into the state about all the "things" they have. BLAH!

Nothing like seeing my 13 y/o whom doesnt normally wander around naked, run from the bathroom, wet and nude, covering his wee-wee, screaming ROACH!!!! when one of those giant things was on his shower poof.

I thought I'd be able to rinse him down. Nope.... too big to swoosh down the drain. He gave me the evil eye, too. And raised a fist at me.

Ohhhh yeah - but theyre called Palmetto Bugs. But thats not what my son screamed..... it was quite distinctly - ROACH!!!!

 

[Aurora63]

I think I'd rather that then seeing an 8ft long iguana stroll into my garage. Oh boy what an adventure that was.

Actually, we have one of those that lives on the campus of the school where I teach. My class saw him one day, he was just strolling across the sidewalk from one green area to another. I kinda like him.

And I've rescued many a snake at my school. Since it's South Florida, we have what you might call an "open"campus, meaning the classrooms open up to the outdoors and the hallways are outside. Anyway, I will find grass snakes all the time that have gotten up onto the sidewalk and can't get a grip on the concrete to move back to the grass. So I kinda do a Steve Irwin, grabbing it by the tail and getting it to a safer location, before a kid comes along and stomps on it. They're not poisonous so I'm not worried about them hurting the kids. But I like snakes enough to do that.

 

[Aurora63]

Nothing like seeing my 13 y/o whom doesnt normally wander around naked, run from the bathroom, wet and nude, covering his wee-wee, screaming ROACH!!!! when one of those giant things was on his shower poof.

I thought I'd be able to rinse him down. Nope.... too big to swoosh down the drain. He gave me the evil eye, too. And raised a fist at me.

Ohhhh yeah - but theyre called Palmetto Bugs. But thats not what my son screamed..... it was quite distinctly - ROACH!!!!

You gotta love those Palmetto bugs. Have you seen the Death Head roaches? They supposedly swam over from Africa sometime in the '80's...they are lovely.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Gotta love Florida. My stepson lives over in Naples. They have been having a lot of problems with scorpions in their house. Let's see: snakes, scorpions, lizard, iguanas, alligators, and let's not forget.....the scary Palmetto Bug.

Is there a smilie for "skeeved out"? I'm from Texas (back here, actually) and we have Asian Flying Cockroaches that are huge and scare the you-know-what out of me.

But nothing and I mean NOTHING grosses me out like the Palmetto bugs that used to be on my back porch in the evening, when I lived in Destin. The only good thing about them, is that they don't fly.

Here, you have to watch out for them going airborne.

We have snakes here bad too. Wherever there are frogs, there are snakes. I killed... well, a neighbor had to help me... a 5' 1/2" Water Moccasin in my backyard one day and then the next a baby Copperhead. I don't think I walked in my grass for a year after that.

Has anyone killed a big snake like that before? Let me tell you, it's not easy! Those things are tough and I mean, literally. You can't just chop 'em in two with a shovel. We had to choke it with one! It took two full-grown women. My ex-DH was so amazed, he took the thing to work the next day in the back of his work van.

 

[jonestavern]

Snakes= one more reason I'm glad we only have 2 months of that hell some people call summer

cold or snakes cold or snakes...
cold (but there do seem to be snakes , too, just more discreet little brothers!)
Freezin' Jean

 

[lucyanna girl]

Lord, I'm scared to death of snakes. I was raised in the country with a river in front of the house, a bayou that had been dammed up to make a pond and a bayou behind. The water moccasins used our yard as a path to get from one to the other. Mean, a stump-tailed water moccasin has to be one of the meanest snakes around.
I'm not too fond of lizards either, they look like a snake with little tiny legs. When I was a young bride I woke up one morning with something tickling my neck. It was a lizard. I screamed and jumped straight up. Well, I couldn't seem to get any traction and neither could the lizard. For several minutes we played that game. Me, screaming and bouncing up and down in the bed like a rubber ball and the lizard falling under me, then jumping on top when I came down, only to fall back under when I next screamed and went up. Seemed like forever before I finally managed to get out of that bed.

 

[icebrat001]

UMMMMMMM. Maybe you shouldn't move to Florida. We have all of the above animals. Gotta love those tree frogs. Nothing like looking at the sliding glass door and see the little suckers on the bottom of thier feet. Lizards just love to fall in your hair when you open the door. Also if you have animals be prepared for at least one episode of foaming at the mouth due to the poison frogs. Of course it will most always be in the middle of the night, which will entail a visit to the 24 hour emergency vet clinic (ask me how I know!). And ants......girlfriend......it isn't pretty!!!!!!!

We spray and spray and spray our yard. Nothing like a hundred mounds of fire ants. They have their name for a reason. They hurt like fire when they bite. Then your whole foot and leg swells and they leave huge white blisters. Then once the bite come to a white head you have to pop it to get any relief from the pain. Of course that leaves scars--ask me how I know that one also.

Yep gotta love Florida.

Okay no you scared me to be honest, by dog doesn't even care for the heat. How big are those frogs? I hope she doesn't eat one, she's only 9 lbs, it'll probably kill her

Yuck at those fire ants. Maybe I can find a job working from home and never leave the house.

I swear, if I see a snake in my house, I will be the first person out and into a hotel until we figure out how that bad boy got in. I've watched one too many episodes of venom er and snakes are just yucky!

 

[icebrat001]

We have snakes here bad too. Wherever there are frogs, there are snakes. I killed... well, a neighbor had to help me... a 5' 1/2" Water Moccasin in my backyard one day and then the next a baby Copperhead. I don't think I walked in my grass for a year after that.

Has anyone killed a big snake like that before? Let me tell you, it's not easy! Those things are tough and I mean, literally. You can't just chop 'em in two with a shovel. We had to choke it with one! It took two full-grown women. My ex-DH was so amazed, he took the thing to work the next day in the back of his work van.

I guess there isn't any way to spray for snakes like you would other creatures.

You are right, reptiles are really "tough" creatures.

I'm going to tell you a story from when I was 10 years old. Please keep in mind that my parents and I are estranged and haven't spoken in over 4 years so don't blame me!

When I was 10 years old, we had a house in Diamond Bar, CA (Southern California) in a hill side area with plenty of snakes and lizards, a rattle snake even killed my dog. Nonetheless, one day a lizard got in my mothers whirlpool bathtub and she freaked out. She ran hot water on the sucker and nothing happened, then she added bleach and ammonia, the little guy started having a seizure and died. no lizard ever went into the bathtub after that. Harsh isn't it. I guess she didn't like reptiles either. While I hate them, I would never do that.

 

[slo]

Yikes!!!!

I hate snakes!!!

 

[Serena]

I would hate to be surprised by a snake.

 

[icebrat001]

There are roaches too! OMG, :: I've only seen one roach in my life, and that was at an upscale San Diego hotel, I called and have someone remove it, more kept coming out of the shower. They said they were water roaches because we were near the beach. It was yucky!

 

[Pop Daddy]

no matter what he says dont eat the apple

 

[Sparx]

eh. I actually like snakes. I just skimmed the thread, do you know what kind it was? there are several breeds of snake that aren't dangerous at all. Well they bite, but what can't bite you is the better question. Sorry that it scared you.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would hate to be surprised by a snake.

That's it for me. I like them fine if I know what kind of snake they are and if we are at a nature program where they let the kids touch the snake I'll be right up there with the kids. When I was little my brothers used to find snakes and would bring them home to scare my friends and me. I learned not to react--many of my friends ran home.

 

[Southern4sure]

That is truly not a good idea.

We had a Bob-Cat who would wander around where we lived... and the snakes were everywhere.

Im suprised you didnt get some sort of Pamphlet when you moved in, about the creatures Florida has to offer - we did.

And we get questioned why we dont like Florida. They give you a manual upon moving into the state about all the "things" they have. BLAH!

Nothing like seeing my 13 y/o whom doesnt normally wander around naked, run from the bathroom, wet and nude, covering his wee-wee, screaming ROACH!!!! when one of those giant things was on his shower poof.

I thought I'd be able to rinse him down. Nope.... too big to swoosh down the drain. He gave me the evil eye, too. And raised a fist at me.

Ohhhh yeah - but theyre called Palmetto Bugs. But thats not what my son screamed..... it was quite distinctly - ROACH!!!!

I didn't get any information upon moving to FL. I have been in FL soon to be 1 yr and the only snakes I have seen were two tiny ones that my cat killed and brought to the lanai. I have not seen any "roaches" or Palmetto bugs yet. We have our house sprayed every 3 months. I have seen a spider or two but they were dead.

I have read your other posts about FL. I do not know what it was like in Meadow Pointe and I'm glad your happy back in Chicago, but what you describe and your experience in FL is very different from my experiences.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

There are roaches too! OMG, :: I've only seen one roach in my life, and that was at an upscale San Diego hotel, I called and have someone remove it, more kept coming out of the shower. They said they were water roaches because we were near the beach. It was yucky!

ROFL... whatever you do, don't come to Texas!!!! I FREAK when I see them! Show me a mouse any ol' day, but keep the roaches away!

 

[CathrynRose]

There are roaches too! OMG, :: I've only seen one roach in my life, and that was at an upscale San Diego hotel, I called and have someone remove it, more kept coming out of the shower. They said they were water roaches because we were near the beach. It was yucky!

No, theyre not just roaches. Theyre gigantic, enourmous roaches, that the Floridians like to call "Palmetto Bug" which is another word for "Ginourmous Roach that will give you the evil eye - HUGE!"

Check it out:
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache...ps/pests/cockroaches.html+palmetto+bug+&hl=en

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomology/444-288/444-288.html

And for a good laugh!!! http://www.conman.org/people/spc/writings/murphy/ml203.html

 

[mommaU4]

Gotta love Florida. My stepson lives over in Naples. They have been having a lot of problems with scorpions in their house. Let's see: snakes, scorpions, lizard, iguanas, alligators, and let's not forget.....the scary Palmetto Bug.

I had no idea all these creatures were in FL!! I have to agree with Minnesota and say that I will never complain about the snow again. Well, okay I will but not for at least a day or two.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Here's our Texas friends! Keep in mind, while this is much larger, these suckers still get almost 2" long.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/images/8643840

 

[mommaU4]

Here's our Texas friends! Keep in mind, while this is much larger, these suckers still get almost 2" long.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/images/8643840