Another Florida Question - Retirement location

[JoeWras]

Come on now, any love for fire ants? They need their place in the Florida sun and discussion of infamous FL pests.

Although fire ants have spread across the southeast, Florida is one of the dense areas.

Of the pests mentioned above from love bugs, to snakes, to roaches, to alligators -- it was the fire ants that got me the most.

Not a fan at all!

 

[Dtail]

If one doesn't remove the love bugs off the front car bumper on a regular basis, it will kill your paint. I walked on a sidewalk into a swarm of the love bugs. Tip of the day - Don't open your mouth. When you swallow one it is not pleasant.

This is true. I wipe down the bumpers of the cars around every 2 days. At least they don't bite and are around perhaps 2 weeks.

That is truly amazing. Cockroaches and palmetto bugs are an everyday occurrence. The snakes though are the ones to watch. A black one rapped around me leg when I was cutting the grass. I unleashed a scream jump up and the snake untapped itself and slithered away.

I am probably jinxing it, but truly no. Many other FLA pests though. I think the east coast of FLA has a higher concentration of the palmetto bugs.

 

[Dtail]

Come on now, any love for fire ants? They need their place in the Florida sun and discussion of infamous FL pests.

Although fire ants have spread across the southeast, Florida is one of the dense areas.

Of the pests mentioned above from love bugs, to snakes, to roaches, to alligators -- it was the fire ants that got me the most.

Not a fan at all!

We were walking in a cemetery and saw the fire ant hills all over and was wearing slip ons with no socks.
I accidently stepped on one small hill and was bitten immediately. Got the shoe off easily and brushed away about 10 fire ants. No pain or swelling after the initial bites.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I lived in Naples from 1982-1984. Much nicer area then.

Naples was one of the cities we reviewed, even in communities that have multi million dollar homes, they do not compare where we are now. Yes they have resort style pools and clubhouses, that was our favorite part, but for our budget and desired home styles, $3m or less, the communities we saw were way too far from the beach. Also, when one did want to go there the traffic was unbearable. Waiting for hours to get a seat at a restaurant was also off putting. That is before we looked at sky high (If you are lucky enough to get it) insurance and Real Estate Taxes.

For 5 years we have been looking to move a little further south to take the bite out of our already quite mild winter, but one month is below what we like. So far we have not found a comparable alternative to offset the one month of slight discomfort.

 

[Badger]

Came back to my white car and it was covered with giant bugs, maybe palmetto bugs, not sure. They were kind of hard shelled but were winged and could fly. Did not want to open the car door as I thought they would get in the car. They were about 3 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long. Only saw them like this for about a two week period in late summer, but it was like something out of a horror movie. Jurassic Park type bugs!

I don't know what you saw but an insect that size would get my attention. I can tell you that there is no Palmetto bug that gets anywhere close to that size. Although, the largest cockroach, Megaloblatta longipennis, gets close it is mainly found in Peru and Ecuador. One mature roach can cover more than half of your hand. The ones you saw sound like the mutant bugs that escaped from a 70s Sci Fi movie.



Cheers!

 

[bigcmagor]

the largest cockroach, Megaloblatta longipennis

Responses should be auto-forwarded to the funny joke Thursday thread.

 

[JoeWras]

We were walking in a cemetery and saw the fire ant hills all over and was wearing slip ons with no socks.
I accidently stepped on one small hill and was bitten immediately. Got the shoe off easily and brushed away about 10 fire ants. No pain or swelling after the initial bites.

You were lucky! When I get a bite (sting), it isn't the thing that bothers me. It is the pus filled pimple that develops days later. Not everyone gets these. Those that do know how bad they are.

At least I'm very resistant to poison ivy. NC is poison ivy central. I literally have to grind it into my skin to cause a problem. Other people I know have severe reactions to just a brush against a leaf.

 

[Dtail]

You were lucky! When I get a bite (sting), it isn't the thing that bothers me. It is the pus filled pimple that develops days later. Not everyone gets these. Those that do know how bad they are.

At least I'm very resistant to poison ivy. NC is poison ivy central. I literally have to grind it into my skin to cause a problem. Other people I know have severe reactions to just a brush against a leaf.

Yeah, no pus filled pimples. Just some redness and a little bit of itchiness.
In general, I don't have much reactions to bee stings/mosquito bites.

 

[Amethyst]

I've seen two kinds of snakes in my yard - black racer (like a shiny black garter snake) and corn snake (orange and red, very colorful). Both are harmless to people, and eat lots of bugs.

That is truly amazing. Cockroaches and palmetto bugs are an everyday occurrence. The snakes though are the ones to watch. A black one rapped around me leg when I was cutting the grass. I unleashed a scream jump up and the snake untapped itself and slithered away.

 

[JoeWras]

I've seen two kinds of snakes in my yard - black racer (like a shiny black garter snake) and corn snake (orange and red, very colorful). Both are harmless to people, and eat lots of bugs.

The only snake I saw down in South Florida were black racers.

I know dwarf rattlers and the dreaded coral snake exist, but I never saw one. Bites from either are very rare. I recall one local coral snake bite that made the news. The kid handled the snake for 20 minutes before it bit him! He thought it was a king snake. He forgot the old "friend next to black, friend of jack." 20 minutes of messing with it before it had enough.

He recovered after a 2 day induced coma and subsequent physical therapy.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I do not understand how folks make a decision on any particular location based on Bugs and Snakes. I am just waiting for someone to complain about the Alligators, let a lone make a big deal about it. There are way more IMPORTANT things to take into consideration that bugs hardly deserve a mention.

 

[garyt]

My wish list looks a lot like yours. I'm not ready to make a move yet but I'm looking at Solvita in Poinciana as I want a place with a lot of activities and it seems to have a more balanced mix of views than some of the other larger communities. I don't plan on driving a lot so I figure I can deal with the traffic a couple of times a month.

My inlaws lived there for years. We were just there last Nov. Great place with tons of activities, but like you say the traffic was horrendous and that turned us off to it. Two nice golf courses if you play.

 

[JoeWras]

Bugs aside, let's talk about moving to Florida, and not just your location.

I think OP's specific questions have been answered. (BTW: I endorse JAX-STAUG for OP's requirements.)

So, in case you are reading this thread wondering about moving to FL (anywhere), I have one bit of advice for you.

Before you buy or permanently move, rent or make an extended stay at your target location, in multiple seasons, not just winter.
​

I had so many new neighbors come down, and then move because they didn't realize the other aspects of FL living outside of being a tourist. It is amazing the view you get when you live somewhere, and not just visit. It can be anything from off-season weather, to the types of stores, to the traffic, to the full-season resident vibe.

I never saw anyone leave because of bugs. I saw them modify their houses because of it. The biggest issues I saw with new residents were: oppressive summer weather, dealing with the seasonal influx when you are not part of the influx, and crime. These were reasons given to me from my neighbors who did not last more than 18 months.

I was a young single man who liked to drive and explore. One reason I left was that the ideal I had in my head of meeting someone to share my life with was difficult to obtain. Many young transplants come with baggage. I probably came with baggage. Another reason was the driving-exploring issue: if you live in S. Florida, do not underestimate how isolated you are. If you like long drives to explore around you, forget it. The peninsula will cut you off. It is too long of a drive once you get below Orlando.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Bugs aside, let's talk about moving to Florida, and not just your location.

I think OP's specific questions have been answered. (BTW: I endorse JAX-STAUG for OP's requirements.)

JAX more so than St. Auggie.

 

[Chuckanut]

There was a great opinion in the wsj over the weekend, debunking the myth of Florida. It is in the 'Opinion' section so take it as such.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-message-to-the-haters-from-florida-man-11610147402?page=1

According to USA Today, Florida is only the 21st most dangerous state, with a per capita violent-crime rate less than half that of Alaska, a state mocked for its weather and paucity of women but not its stupidity or violence. MSN reported in 2018 that there are 33 states with more smokers per capita than Florida.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put Florida in the middle of the pack for suicide rates, teen birthrates and firearm-accident mortality. The state doesn’t make Forbes’s list of 10 most corrupt states, and its personal-bankruptcy rate is lower than the national average. Does this sound like America’s Dumbest State to you?

 

[Amethyst]

I spent 7 teen/young adult years in south Florida - Palm Beach County, to be exact - and knew what we were in for with the 7-month summers.

The 5-month beautiful weather never quite makes up for it, but there is such a thing as a/c.

As for isolation, Joe has described matters accurately. However, once we left the workplace cocoon, we felt almost as isolated in Maryland as in Florida. To go anywhere meant either going in the middle of the night, or dealing with horrific traffic, particularly going south. Or having Uber deal with the traffic; and some of the drivers were a bit better at it than others, let's put it that way.

An issue for us is that Florida possesses no upper-level culture. Prior to COVID, we were flying to D.C. every few months and staying overnight just to see quality theater.

The biggest issues I saw with new residents were: oppressive summer weather, .

 

[Bamaman]

In Florida, we had a snake in the house, I nearly swallowed a dead roach, have had several lizards in the house, had citrus rats in our garage and shed, had a poisonous bufo toad in our yard. Last week we were swarmed by no-seeums. But it's warm

And don't forget about the subterranean termites that abound in Florida.

It's not of a matter of if. It's a matter of when they're going to be in your home. And they're heading north in Georgia too.

 

[Lewis Clark]

... An issue for us is that Florida possesses no upper-level culture. Prior to COVID, we were flying to D.C. every few months and staying overnight just to see quality theater. ...

Not true at all.

Plenty of touring Broadway shows come through Florida. Lots of opportunity to see them in the major cities, and sometimes in the smaller cities. We've seen touring Broadway shows in Lakeland (between Orlando and Tampa) and Sarasota. We have had season tickets to these shows in Tampa for 5 or 6 years and look forward to starting up again post-COVID.

I've also seen plenty of good community theater productions in St Petersburg, Clearwater, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Venice and Cocoa.

 

[Dtail]

Not true at all.

Plenty of touring Broadway shows come through Florida. Lots of opportunity to see them in the major cities, and sometimes in the smaller cities. We've seen touring Broadway shows in Lakeland (between Orlando and Tampa) and Sarasota. We have had season tickets to these shows in Tampa for 5 or 6 years and look forward to starting up again post-COVID.

I've also see plenty of good community theater productions in St Petersburg, Clearwater, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Venice and Cocoa.

+1
Lots of good stuff at the Straz theater.

 

[arbeadub]

No one has mentioned sinkholes, or how to avoid them. Bugs and heat I could deal with, fear of the unknown, of an improbable catastrophe of your home disappearing into the earth is my concern.

 

[Dtail]

No one has mentioned sinkholes, or how to avoid them. Bugs and heat I could deal with, fear of the unknown, of an improbable catastrophe of your home disappearing into the earth is my concern.

Sinkholes are not rampant throughout Florida. There exists websites which detail where the sinkholes have occurred and/or are common. In my larger area, there has been one case of it.

 

[arbeadub]

Perhaps I should have underlined Improbable.

 

[Amethyst]

It is not cheap, but the pest control places can put out fire ant poison (different from that used for regular ants). It takes several months to penetrate the colonies and kill the queens.

Come on now, any love for fire ants? They need their place in the Florida sun and discussion of infamous FL pests.

Although fire ants have spread across the southeast, Florida is one of the dense areas.

Of the pests mentioned above from love bugs, to snakes, to roaches, to alligators -- it was the fire ants that got me the most.

Not a fan at all!

 

[JoeWras]

Not true at all.

Plenty of touring Broadway shows come through Florida. Lots of opportunity to see them in the major cities, and sometimes in the smaller cities. We've seen touring Broadway shows in Lakeland (between Orlando and Tampa) and Sarasota. We have had season tickets to these shows in Tampa for 5 or 6 years and look forward to starting up again post-COVID.

I've also see plenty of good community theater productions in St Petersburg, Clearwater, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Venice and Cocoa.

At least back in the 80s... A lot of rock bands started their tours in late winter in FL. It was great. Saw a lot of good bands.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

At least back in the 80s... A lot of rock bands started their tours in late winter in FL. It was great. Saw a lot of good bands.

We still get a lot every summer at The St. Auggie Amhpi.