Florida vs. Texas

[Cobra9777]

Being in a Northern state, I have to ask about the BUGS, here we get mosquitoes in spring and summer if you walking in woods, and there could be deer ticks in the woods as well.
In the suburbs a few mosquitoes, maybe regular ants once in 10 yrs started coming in until I poisoned them. Oh and some spiders in the basement, might see one every couple of months.

What are the bugs in FL / TX / NV like ? I heard people have to poison their house every year

No, I've lived in the south my whole life and we've never done that. In North Texas, I'd say the bugs are very minimal. But I grew up on the Louisiana Gulf coast where termites were always a problem and mosquitoes were horrible, and that's my only comparison. We live near a small lake with some marshy type areas, so we have more mosquitoes than most. Other than that, it's not a problem at all; very similar to what you described. We do get fire ants in the yard occasionally. If you make the mistake of stepping in one of their hills, you could end up with some very painful stings. Also, every couple years, we get a heavy cricket season in late summer or early fall. But that mostly affects businesses as they are attracted to the mercury vapor lights in parking lots. I spray the perimeter of our house at the foundation once each spring and that prevents most bug issues.

 

[Nunthewiser]

We don't see very many big roaches here in FL- the snakes take care of them once they get to a decent size.

 

[meierlde]

Nowadays, just about every year we get a warning that mosquitoes carrying West Nile have been found in our town. (just north of Houston and I'm signed up for email alerts). This is one of the reasons we leave for the whole summer each year.

I once got really sick, DW had to drive me to the Doc, who called in a colleague to check his findings, and one question I was asked was, "have you been bitten by a mosquito recently?". I was a soccer referee, I get bitten all the time. They thought I had encephalitis. Luckily I only had meningitis

Just as a point of reference I suspect that Alpine Tx (north of Big Bend) does not have a mosquito problem being in a desert and not along a big river like El Paso.

 

[Moemg]

My little sister lived in FL for eight years. They take their bugs seriously down there - she said the mosquitoes can carry off a small child. Roaches are out of a science fiction movie.

Takeaway - if large bugs freak you or your DW out, do not move to FL.

I have lived in Florida for twenty years and have never seen a mosquito here .Love bugs , Palmetto bugs and an occasionally snake but no mosquitoes unless you go to the everglades .Now in new Jersey we had mosquitoes we could have thrown on the grill and called it dinner .

 

[Moemg]

My little sister lived in FL for eight years. They take their bugs seriously down there - she said the mosquitoes can carry off a small child. Roaches are out of a science fiction movie.

Takeaway - if large bugs freak you or your DW out, do not move to FL.

I have lived in Florida for twenty years and except for the everglades I have never seen a mosquito . Love Bugs , Palmetto bugs & an occasional snake but no mosquitoes . Now in New Jersey we had mosquitoes that were so big we could have grilled them & called it dinner .

 

[Badger]

I've have lived in Florida (central and north east) as well as been all over the state visiting friends since 1962. There are plenty of insects including, a couple of different kinds of termites, a few species of mosquitos (some that carry a few diseases), carpenter ants, fire ants, roaches including the "Palmetto Bug" that can be 3 inches and can fly, Love bugs that are seasonal (they swarm so thick at times they squash on you windshield, block your view, and peel the paint off your car if not washed off that day, etc. There are also 4 species of poisonous snakes and a few alligators. The worst hazards, however, are driving cars. Just so you know.

Cheers!

 

[eytonxav]

There are also 4 species of poisonous snakes and a few alligators.

Cheers!

You forgot to mention the 20' pythons

 

[Silver]

I lived in PA and IL prior to FL, and the bugs in FL are no worse than the other states. We have a lawn service that treats the lawn for insects, but have never needed to do anything inside the house for bugs.

We do have a lot of little geckos and chameleons running around everywhere, which I love. They eat most of the bugs.

 

[Sunset]

The termite thing and cockroach bugs, if you don't have them in your house, does it mean you are pretty safe from getting them ?
Or does it mean if you don't have them , that you should be spraying outside the house each year to prevent them ?
Are the termites more of an area problem , meaning they are in some areas but not say 50 miles away in another ?

 

[meierlde]

The termite thing and cockroach bugs, if you don't have them in your house, does it mean you are pretty safe from getting them ?
Or does it mean if you don't have them , that you should be spraying outside the house each year to prevent them ?
Are the termites more of an area problem , meaning they are in some areas but not say 50 miles away in another ?

Termites come in several types there are subterranean types that come up from the ground, and in Ca and in Fl at least, that treatment involves tenting the house and treating the whole house. (The first type is treated by treating along the outside of the house and any holes in the slab)

 

[fritz]

I didn't know that Alabama had those kind of tax advantages. Looks like Mobile might be a good area. Now to find a job for the wife there. That's the tough part.

You might want to look at this website before committing to a state. Both Alabama and S.Carolina tax retirement income. Although both listed as a "tax friendly" states - I ruled them out due to the taxes they take on my retirement income.

http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/retirement/T055-S001-state-by-state-guide-to-taxes-on-retirees/index.php

The state of Illinois where we live is listed as "mixed", but Illinois does not tax retirement income (ie. 401K, IRA, or SS). They do tax any taxable accounts - was 5% last year, but dropped to 3 3/4 this year. Mississippi kind of follows Illinois tax pattern. Property taxes are high in Illinois, but Mississippi is not. Always pays to look over the tax scenario (above link), and another website called Area Vibes for State feedback.

Get Your Livability Score & Find The Best Places To Live - AreaVibes

 

[Sunset]

You might want to look at this website before committing to a state. Both Alabama and S.Carolina tax retirement income. Although both listed as a "tax friendly" states - I ruled them out due to the taxes they take on my retirement income.

http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/retirement/T055-S001-state-by-state-guide-to-taxes-on-retirees/index.php

The state of Illinois where we live is listed as "mixed", but Illinois does not tax retirement income (ie. 401K, IRA, or SS). They do tax any taxable accounts - was 5% last year, but dropped to 3 3/4 this year. Mississippi kind of follows Illinois tax pattern. Property taxes are high in Illinois, but Mississippi is not. Always pays to look over the tax scenario (above link), and another website called Area Vibes for State feedback.

Get Your Livability Score & Find The Best Places To Live - AreaVibes

+1
I also find the Kiplinger site good as you can read the details of each state to see how it affects your income sources and lifestyle.
Of course once you start, its easy to see how complex it all can become, as some States get better the older you are.

 

[dm]

As a new Florida resident I can tell you it's not the bugs that will get you, it's the drivers. And we are full, move to Texas.

 

[HFWR]

As a new Florida resident I can tell you it's not the bugs that will get you, it's the drivers. And we are full, move to Texas.

We're pretty full [-]of it[/-] here too...

 

[eytonxav]

We're pretty full [-]of it[/-] here too...

Thats right, if they don't like your looks or driving you could get shot

 

[W2R]

As a new Florida resident I can tell you it's not the bugs that will get you, it's the drivers. And we are full, move to Texas.

We're pretty full [-]of it[/-] here too...

Move to Louisiana, and bring money because nobody here has any.

 

[heirloom]

Whatever state you think you may choose, you should rent a place a couple yrs in the summer and fall seasons to make sure you can tolerate the heat.

 

[timo2]

Whatever state you think you may choose, you should rent a place a couple yrs in the summer and fall seasons to make sure you can tolerate the heat.

+1

not only the heat, but the ambiance and also the local populace