Seriously, how bad are the bugs in Florida?

[Apiphobic]

I seem to be fixating on this. It might be because I'm not enjoying the bugginess of Texas and know that Florida is just as bad, if not worse.

 

I've lived in dry climes most of my life and was pretty proud of myself for adjusting well (at least I thought so) to the huge spiders in England. So I thought I'd adapt to big, bad Texas and all (oh okayyy, most) its critters. But the spiders in Texas are just ... ugh! I'm having flashbacks to scifi movies.

 

And here I thought having two cats would be great on controlling the unwelcome visitor population (of the spider and insect varieties, not the homo sapiens one). They find the little buggers but haven't quite grasped the concept of annihilation, eradication, evisceration, in essence, Buffy-vaporizing said home invaders. There goes their Christmas bonus.

 

So, really, how bad is it in Florida? How about the humidity? Those are the two biggest things that are making think twice, thrice, umm, fourice?

 

Oh, yeah, I'm also worried about homeschooling there. Is the cover/umbrella/private school route the most common? Or do most of you choose the home education program option? Coming from states that have either little or no reporting requirements whatsoever to Florida means navigating some road bumps, so I'm a little concerned about it. But mostly about the bugs. Priorities, you know. :tongue_smilie:

[mommaduck]

When I visited a relative in Lakeland, the bugs were a major issue. But I take it as a fact of life in that area.

[MamaT]

I was born there and spent the first 38 years of my life in Florida. The bugs are bad, but you get used to it. If you absolutely hate large roaches and big banana spiders, you may have a problem. :001_smile:

 

The humidity is bad enough that sometimes you feel like you are breathing water, are wet from sweating before you get from your door to the car, etc.

 

BTW, even though I moved to NC, I absolutely love Florida. I feel like it never really gets hot enough to be called summer here.

[TraceyS/FL]

Overall i would say bugs aren't a major deal - but when we have them, they are normally BIG! LOL!!

 

humidity doesn't phase me/us either.... but i moved here for the weather.

 

We have used the Private/Umbrella school since moving here and it's not been a big deal. I think it's about 50/50 of the people i know using that vs the county option.

[Kfamily]

We don't use a cover school and most of the homeschoolers I know do not either but, of course, you can go that route. We just filed our letter of intent and every year submit either test scores (we did that with my eldest this year-we took the CAT at a local private school) or have a certified teacher evalutation (my younger dd had this done). The evalutations are not really that bad. Most of the evaluators are home-school friendly and simply ask dd to read a little , answer some basic questions like, "What was your favorite subject this year? and "What were some things you found interesting that you learned this year in science?" The teacher and I sit together (sometimes they come to my house and sometimes I have gone to their house) and talk as she examines their portfolio. This is usually a notebook with work samples. I usually type up a list of all the resources we used for each major subject and a list of books she read and ones I read to her. This takes no more than an hour and then she signs our form and leaves. I submit it to the correct person by mail and this person calls me to let me know she has received it. On this form is a sentence asking if we will continue to homeschool the following year and I sign this affirming that I will be. That's really it.

 

HTH

 

P.S. I can't stand bugs either but ever since we got a contract with Pest Control it has been a lot better around our house. Not nearly so many this past year.:D The humidity....well, you get used to it. We school year round because of this-the girls stay inside (unless they get to be in the water) in the heat of the summer anyway so we do partial mornings of school.

[Janet in WA]

"Bad" is pretty subjective. But I was born and raised in Florida, and I consider them bad. Mosquitos, fire ants, roaches, fleas, dust mites (are dust mites bugs?). No thanks.

[sassenach]

The bugs are bad. BAD. Do yourself a favor and get a service. It's worth the money. I thought of it as an investment in my sanity.

 

That said, I LOVE Florida. Love it. Homeschooling is easy there, don't be intimidated by the portfolio. Hsers in FL get a lot of perks from the school system. If you don't want the perks and would rather fly under the radar, umbrella or non traditional private schools are always an option.

 

The weather is fierce, but I grew to love it. What is not talked about much is Florida's beautiful winters. Dry and mild temps from Oct till April.

 

What part are you moving to? We lived in Orlando for 7 years.

[Tammy]

When I lived in SC....they were worse. I even live out in the 'wooded' area of town.....

[Ibbygirl]

I'm a native Floridian too and have never lived anywhere else so I cannot compare with other places, but I know if I leave my front door open for longer than 10 seconds flies will fly in. There are cinch bugs that come swarming out of the grass when it rains hard, lots of mosquitoes and cockroaches and worst of all palmetto bugs! (shudder) YUCK!! They're so nasty. The humidity is a given. I live in South Florida and we have always have a lot of humidity especially in August and September. It's good for the skin though! :)

[Lilymax]

I lived in Orlando a couple of years after college, and now I only like to visit there. In the wintertime. ;) But you have to understand that I wilt in humidity and get very irritated when I'm hot for long periods of time. And in Florida, that's pretty much February through November. The first year I lived there, it was so hot we only had one month (January) that we did not have to to use the a/c at home.

 

We were also stationed in Pensacola for a couple of years and that left a bad impression, too. I have no desire to ever live in Florida again.

 

The bugs are awful, and the worst are palmetto bugs. Google them if you dare; massive nasty cockroaches that FLY (one flew into my hair once...so disgusting!). I found them just as prevalent in P'cola as Orlando. They live in pine trees and only come inside looking for food or water. We used to get them lots in P'cola because we had a lot of pines around the house. One time, we'd ordered a pizza, and went into the kitchen for another slice. When I raised the lid, I saw a big honkin' cockroach sitting on top of it, eating my pizza! It was so big, I swear to you, you could see the teensy bite marks it made into the edge of the cheese! They also used to leave droppings under the kitchen sink. I thought I had a mouse problem until an exterminator told me what that actually was. SO gross!

 

You also get reptiles in the house in central Florida. We'd often move the sofa to vacuum and find these flattened, dried up tree frogs that had gotten in and died underneath. However, our cat loved chasing the lizards that also crept in from time to time.

 

Oh, and don't forget the lovebugs. They come twice a year and spatter all over your car when you drive. They're very acidic and if you don't wash them off right away, they can start damaging the paint job.

 

I know every area has its ups and downs, and Florida can be pleasant during the wintertime. But the rest of the year the weather and the bugs make it too miserable for me.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Lilymax

[Ibbygirl]

I lived in Orlando a couple of years after college, and now I only like to visit there. In the wintertime. ;) But you have to understand that I wilt in humidity and get very irritated when I'm hot for long periods of time. And in Florida, that's pretty much February through November. The first year I lived there, it was so hot we only had one month (January) that we did not have to to use the a/c at home.

 

We were also stationed in Pensacola for a couple of years and that left a bad impression, too. I have no desire to ever live in Florida again.

 

The bugs are awful, and the worst are palmetto bugs. Google them if you dare; massive nasty cockroaches that FLY (one flew into my hair once...so disgusting!). I found them just as prevalent in P'cola as Orlando. They live in pine trees and only come inside looking for food or water. We used to get them lots in P'cola because we had a lot of pines around the house. One time, we'd ordered a pizza, and went into the kitchen for another slice. When I raised the lid, I saw a big honkin' cockroach sitting on top of it, eating my pizza! It was so big, I swear to you, you could see the teensy bite marks it made into the edge of the cheese! They also used to leave droppings under the kitchen sink. I thought I had a mouse problem until an exterminator told me what that actually was. SO gross!

 

You also get reptiles in the house in central Florida. We'd often move the sofa to vacuum and find these flattened, dried up tree frogs that had gotten in and died underneath. However, our cat loved chasing the lizards that also crept in from time to time.

 

Oh, and don't forget the lovebugs. They come twice a year and spatter all over your car when you drive. They're very acidic and if you don't wash them off right away, they can start damaging the paint job.

 

I know every area has its ups and downs, and Florida can be pleasant during the wintertime. But the rest of the year the weather and the bugs make it too miserable for me.

 

Oh yes the love bugs! :) I remember then when I was a kid, but we don't get them down south anymore. I think it's just too much city now. I haven't seen lovebug clouds since I was a kid and lovebug season is a non-issue where I am (near Miami). The winters are gorgeous though! :)

[Hockey Mom]

Yeah, the bugs are bad. Pest Control companies help, but they don't completely eliminate.

 

I've lived all over the US and in England. I've never seen bugs in any other state/country like they are here. I've lived in Southwest Florida for over 20 years.

 

I actually don't mind the big spiders because they eat the palmetto bugs. Palmetto bugs = evil. Big cockroach-looking things that FLY!

 

We also have: lizards (but they're kind of cute), snakes, tree frogs, iguanas, monitor lizards (this is a recent problem where I live, but they are not native to the state), and legless lizards (which look like big, fat snakes).

 

The humidity is stifling during the summer months. After a while you get somewhat used to it, but it's never really enjoyable. Winter down here is beautiful though (weather-wise). I do miss the beauty of snow sometimes but being able to go boating in the middle of January makes up for it. :)

[Paz]

We have lived here for about 5 years. We live in South Florida a little away from the city and have a lake behind our house. We get a pest control service and really don't have any problems. They also spray for mosquitoes so we don't really have much problem with them either. We register with the public school system it has been fine. They are very helpful and don't really want much contact or oversight into our program. We do a yearly portfolio review but you can also do yearly testing.

[lynn]

They are nasty, nasty, nasty and pretty much overrun the place. They are bad so you have to decide bugs or chemicals sprayed regularly to keep the nasty bugs away. That alone was one of the many reasons I hated living down there. Oh then there are the tree frogs someone mentioned that make loud noises all night long, at mother's house. hated the place I tell ya absolutely hated living there.

[Ibbygirl]

They are nasty, nasty, nasty and pretty much overrun the place. They are bad so you have to decide bugs or chemicals sprayed regularly to keep the nasty bugs away. That alone was one of the many reasons I hated living down there. Oh then there are the tree frogs someone mentioned that make loud noises all night long, at mother's house. hated the place I tell ya absolutely hated living there.

 

 

I like the sound of the tree frogs. :) Plus I think they're cute! hehehehehe I don't mind them, but the palmetto bugs! (shudder!) Those things have to come straight from the pit of hell! I'm convinced of it!

[mom2att]

If you live where there are a lot of trees the palmetto bugs can be especially bad. But they don't generally infest a house, they just squirm their way inside occasionally. And if you have a good, yearly pest-control service, they don't stay alive very long inside (but I always keep a can of Raid handy, just in case).

 

Summers are long, hot, and humid. Coming from an area in the midwest which also has hot, humid summers, I thought Florida would be similar. I had no idea. The difference is that in Florida summer lasts from May - November (and even longer farther south in the state) with very little break. It's 90+ degrees and 90% humidity every. single. day. But I love summer, and winter in Florida is waaay worth the summer!

 

Homeschooling is easy. The end-of-year evals are no big deal, and in our area anyway the school board is not at all intrusive. Most everyone I know registers with the county and does not use the umbrella school option. There are also great state and local homeschool organizations here.

[katilac]

Bugs aren't a huge problem in Florida, as long as your kids are big enough to fight them off :D. The scrawny ones are in most danger of being dragged away . . .

 

I live in Louisiana, also proud home to numerous bugs. It's close, but Florida 'wins' by a nose for interesting critters turning up in your yard and house. Bugs and . . . other things.

 

Weather-wise, I found Florida to be pretty pleasant. I know some people think that Florida has crippling humidity, but those people were not born in Louisiana, *g*.

 

We loved Florida, though, and had a great deal of fun living there (Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers).

[Jenny in Atl]

So, really, how bad is it in Florida? How about the humidity? Those are the two biggest things that are making think twice, thrice, umm, fourice?

 

 

You moving to FL? :party: I'll drive down and help you chase away all those bugs. :lol:

[Ibbygirl]

You moving to FL? :party: I'll drive down and help you chase away all those bugs. :lol:

 

 

Bring a cooler for the car. It's a loooooooooong drive. ;) :p

[Sandy in Indy]

The first night we stayed in our new home (new to us, anyway) in FL, I woke up with a palmetto bug on my arm! I was 8.5 months preggo with #1 and we almost had an early delivery. :-)

 

I hate, hate, hate palmetto bugs. Ick. And it doesn't matter how clean you are...they come in anyway.

 

Personally, I think FL has 3 seasons: hot, hotter and hotter then h*ll. Can you tell I've had my fill of FL? I'm so much happier in IN.

[Imprimis]

Well, let's see....mosquitoes are a huge problem----especially this time of year, we have mounds of fire-ants, palmetto bugs, fleas, occasional "what-the-heck-is-that-thing?" sightings, and the ever-present daddy long-legs spiders in our house (which we leave alone to help control the indoor mosquito population:glare:).

 

As much as I don't love these pests, we very rarely use an exterminator. I just don't want the chemicals in my house.

[Renee in NC]

There are a lot of bugs.

 

My mother does not have bugs in her house. We have had an occasional tree frog or lizard, but no bugs.

 

The house we are moving into, however, was INFESTED. As in the worst thing you have ever seen. Palmetto bugs are really American Cockroaches. They leave behind incredibly foul smelling feces (which you wouldn't notice unless there was a LOT of it.) We bug bombed and killed hundreds. My mother spent 4 hours cleaning the "debris" (feces, parts, etc.) out of drawers and cabinets (some of the drawers were entirely covered.) She still isn't done - under the stove and refrigerator were the same. We will bomb again on Thursday and then spray long acting repellent around and under the trailer.

 

The infestation was caused by absolutely filthy conditions and water leaks (they like moisture.) I have never seen anything like it in my life!:001_huh:

[Brenda in FL]

Well, I'll take the bugs in FL over the bugs in GA any day!! My neighbors in GA could not figure out why I was freaking out about all the gigantic cock roaches that I kept finding the first couple of weeks in our house (that had been vacant for a year!!)

 

In Fl - they will occasionally crawl inside, but like another poster said, they don't generally infest the homes. (Unless you are poor Drama Queen!).

 

The bug situation and heat and humidity will also vary depending where in the state you are living. The suburbs of South FL weren't so bad. And actually not as hot as central FL.

 

I personally think ants are the worst problem.

 

Homeschooling was easy - we did the evaluation or test score option. It's easy to find evaluators and they often have their own "standardized test" they use which can be helpful and reassuring.

 

There are some umbrella schools that make it very easy - they only require attendance reporting.

 

If you move anywhere with CHAA locations - that is a great PE program!!

[Renee in NC]

In Fl - they will occasionally crawl inside, but like another poster said, they don't generally infest the homes. (Unless you are poor Drama Queen!).

 

 

It could have been avoided, trust me! Again it was the absolute filth and the moisture that caused the infestation - you are right that normally they do not infest houses like that.

[Mommyof4ks]

We visit Florida, never lived there, but the bugs have never been a big issue. The alligators a bit more of an issue lol. It is VERY humid there, and that is coming from a Texan that knows humid!

[AuntieM]

Well, I think they're not as numerous down there as they are on this dad-gum prairie, because at least in Florida there are a lot of beautiful LIZARDS to eat the creepy-crawlies!

 

Actually, there are only two types of mosquitoes there: those small enough to squeak through the holes on the screen door, and those that are big enough to just open the door and walk in!

 

Honestly, there are bugs everywhere you go, you just have to get used to the local variety. Down there it's skeeters and roaches, up here it's deer ticks, brown recluse spiders and a gazillion species of flies.

 

And I really do miss my lizards....

[Ibbygirl]

Double post! Sorrryyyyyyyy! :blushing:

Edited August 16, 2009 by Ibbygirl

[Ibbygirl]

There are a lot of bugs.

 

My mother does not have bugs in her house. We have had an occasional tree frog or lizard, but no bugs.

 

The house we are moving into, however, was INFESTED. As in the worst thing you have ever seen. Palmetto bugs are really American Cockroaches. They leave behind incredibly foul smelling feces (which you wouldn't notice unless there was a LOT of it.) We bug bombed and killed hundreds. My mother spent 4 hours cleaning the "debris" (feces, parts, etc.) out of drawers and cabinets (some of the drawers were entirely covered.) She still isn't done - under the stove and refrigerator were the same. We will bomb again on Thursday and then spray long acting repellent around and under the trailer.

 

The infestation was caused by absolutely filthy conditions and water leaks (they like moisture.) I have never seen anything like it in my life!:001_huh:

 

 

Oh EWWWW!!! We had an infestation of cockroaches in one of the houses I lived in when I was a kid! I'm still traumatized by that! YUCK!! That new roach kill gel from Combat is great stuff! I cannot spray for bugs in my house because of my son, but that gel attracts them, they eat it and then take it back to their nests and then when they die, the bugs in the nest eat them and they die!! :eek: It sounds pretty awful, but I haven't seen a roach since I've been using it over a year now! The palmettos fly in sometimes, but we kill them pretty quick with my heavy chunkyheeled cuban sandals! ;) :D

[PollyOR]

I grew up in FL and spent a big portion of my adult life there. I do NOT miss the bugs. We lived in an old wooden house and no matter how clean my mom kept the kitchen (get a trashcan with a lid or the roaches will feast on the refuse, oh and I think they like glue also), there were roaches...especially when it rained. Then of course we had honkin' big spiders which were attracted to the roaches. My parents wouldn't let us kill them. I could hear them running across the floor they were so big.

 

And playing outside? That was impossible in the evening with the mosquitoes and deer flies. Teach your kids to avoid fire ants and snakes.

 

Real positive post, huh? Want to move to Oregon? ;) We have fewer bugs, but I do miss the beautiful warm sunshine.

 

My advice? Get a new house that is tight. Fewer cracks means fewer bugs inside.

 

Good luck. :)

[Janet in WA]

Oh then there are the tree frogs someone mentioned that make loud noises all night long, at mother's house. .

Another thing that drove me crazy was getting a cricket in the house. Kept us awake all night, and we were seldom able to find them because when we turned on the lights to look for them, they got quiet.

[Apiphobic]

Another thing that drove me crazy was getting a cricket in the house. Kept us awake all night, and we were seldom able to find them because when we turned on the lights to look for them, they got quiet.

 

We get crickets in the house here, but I don't hear them. But this comment does remind me of the cicadas we heard in Vegas. I do miss those beautiful nights outside with the cicadas chirping.

 

I'm a native Floridian too and have never lived anywhere else so I cannot compare with other places, but I know if I leave my front door open for longer than 10 seconds flies will fly in. There are cinch bugs that come swarming out of the grass when it rains hard, lots of mosquitoes and cockroaches and worst of all palmetto bugs! (shudder) YUCK!! They're so nasty. The humidity is a given. I live in South Florida and we have always have a lot of humidity especially in August and September. It's good for the skin though! :)

 

Oh, the flies drive me nuts here in Texas! There are no screen doors on the house here, and it just amazes me. I've never seen a house without a storm door/screen door except for in England.

 

You moving to FL? :party: I'll drive down and help you chase away all those bugs. :lol:

 

That's the plan, but it's a year away so a lot can change between here and now. I'm definitely checking out Atlanta if we move to Florida and we'll have to meet up!

 

If you absolutely hate large roaches and big banana spiders, you may have a problem. :001_smile:

 

 

B-b-b-banana spiders?

 

We school year round because of this-the girls stay inside (unless they get to be in the water) in the heat of the summer anyway so we do partial mornings of school.

 

Well, that's good. We school year-round, too, so that'll fit nicely.

 

When I visited a relative in Lakeland, the bugs were a major issue. But I take it as a fact of life in that area.

 

You know I have the Facts of Life song stuck in my head now. ;)

 

The bugs are bad. BAD. Do yourself a favor and get a service. It's worth the money. I thought of it as an investment in my sanity.

 

That said, I LOVE Florida. Love it. Homeschooling is easy there, don't be intimidated by the portfolio. Hsers in FL get a lot of perks from the school system. If you don't want the perks and would rather fly under the radar, umbrella or non traditional private schools are always an option.

 

The weather is fierce, but I grew to love it. What is not talked about much is Florida's beautiful winters. Dry and mild temps from Oct till April.

 

What part are you moving to? We lived in Orlando for 7 years.

 

Thanks, Shannon! It's nice to hear some good stuff, too. I am stressing about the bugs and the humidity, but I'm also hyperventilating a bit about homeschool regs.

 

We're moving to the panhandle, so I hear it isn't as bad as further south.

 

Overall i would say bugs aren't a major deal - but when we have them, they are normally BIG! LOL!!

 

Bigger than a breadbox? Animal, vegetable or mineral?

 

When I lived in SC....they were worse. I even live out in the 'wooded' area of town.....

 

What is it with the woods? Is it kind of like the haunted forest in the Wizard of Oz?

 

But you have to understand that I wilt in humidity and get very irritated when I'm hot for long periods of time. <snip>

 

Oh, and don't forget the lovebugs. They come twice a year and spatter all over your car when you drive. They're very acidic and if you don't wash them off right away, they can start damaging the paint job.

 

 

That sounds like me but in the cold. I've started saying I've developed an allergy to that powdery white stuff.

I've never heard of lovebugs. Well, Herbie comes to mind.

 

I actually don't mind the big spiders because they eat the palmetto bugs. Palmetto bugs = evil. Big cockroach-looking things that FLY!

 

We also have: lizards (but they're kind of cute), snakes, tree frogs, iguanas, monitor lizards (this is a recent problem where I live, but they are not native to the state), and legless lizards (which look like big, fat snakes).

 

The humidity is stifling during the summer months. After a while you get somewhat used to it, but it's never really enjoyable. Winter down here is beautiful though (weather-wise). I do miss the beauty of snow sometimes but being able to go boating in the middle of January makes up for it. :)

 

I had to get used to spiders in the house in England to keep the other insects in line. (Imagining a couple of nuns tapping their rulers in their hands while walking down a line of students.) But when I got back to the States it was back to the kill 'em on sight rule.

 

We had lizards in Vegas. My brother wanted them as pets.

 

Boating! Yes, that's something I'd love to do. Good childhood memories.

 

We have lived here for about 5 years. We live in South Florida a little away from the city and have a lake behind our house. We get a pest control service and really don't have any problems. They also spray for mosquitoes so we don't really have much problem with them either. We register with the public school system it has been fine. They are very helpful and don't really want much contact or oversight into our program. We do a yearly portfolio review but you can also do yearly testing.

 

YAY!

 

They are nasty, nasty, nasty and pretty much overrun the place. They are bad so you have to decide bugs or chemicals sprayed regularly to keep the nasty bugs away. That alone was one of the many reasons I hated living down there. Oh then there are the tree frogs someone mentioned that make loud noises all night long, at mother's house. hated the place I tell ya absolutely hated living there.

 

Oh noes!

 

If you live where there are a lot of trees the palmetto bugs can be especially bad. But they don't generally infest a house, they just squirm their way inside occasionally. And if you have a good, yearly pest-control service, they don't stay alive very long inside (but I always keep a can of Raid handy, just in case).

 

 

Raid, check.

 

We loved Florida, though, and had a great deal of fun living there (Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers).

 

This is what I keep hearing and what I'm trying to keep in mind.

 

The first night we stayed in our new home (new to us, anyway) in FL, I woke up with a palmetto bug on my arm! I was 8.5 months preggo with #1 and we almost had an early delivery. :-)

 

 

Eww, eww, eww!

 

As much as I don't love these pests, we very rarely use an exterminator. I just don't want the chemicals in my house.

 

Do you use any home remedies? Boric acid?

Natural Born Pest Killers: Home Remedies for Pest Control

 

There are a lot of bugs.

 

 

Yes, that's what worries me. I think I read somewhere about tubes being placed in the walls of newly built homes with insecticide to combat infestation. They have to be replenished periodically. Is that something new?

 

In Fl - they will occasionally crawl inside, but like another poster said, they don't generally infest the homes. (Unless you are poor Drama Queen!).

<snip>

Homeschooling was easy - we did the evaluation or test score option. It's easy to find evaluators and they often have their own "standardized test" they use which can be helpful and reassuring.

 

 

whew, that's good to hear!

 

We visit Florida, never lived there, but the bugs have never been a big issue. The alligators a bit more of an issue lol. It is VERY humid there, and that is coming from a Texan that knows humid!

 

You met up with an alligator?!

 

Honestly, there are bugs everywhere you go, you just have to get used to the local variety. Down there it's skeeters and roaches, up here it's deer ticks, brown recluse spiders and a gazillion species of flies.

 

Honestly, I never had to worry that much about bugs up in Montana. Now if we went hiking in the mountains, we'd have to check for ticks. And there were flies, but nothing like I'm seeing down here in Texas. The mosquitoes were pesky but, again, nothing like the ones here.

 

My advice? Get a new house that is tight. Fewer cracks means fewer bugs inside.

 

 

I certainly hope to!

Edited August 16, 2009 by Apiphobic
forgot to use multiple quotes

[Apiphobic]

Thanks for all your help! My imagination ran wild last night and I couldn't sleep because I just knew I felt all sorts of creepy crawlies in my bed. :D

Edited August 16, 2009 by Apiphobic
forgot to use multiple quotes

[Kari C in SC]

I lived in FL for 17 years. When we first moved into a vacant house, the wood spiders were pretty scary. We had pest control come out for one year and after that - rarely would we see one. Occasionally, we would get a big roach here or there. I now live in SC and can say the bugs are awful here. Different bugs though. We have flies and gnats here that drive me BUGGY!!! I hate being outside in the evening because of gnats. I have solved the horrible fly problem in our house by having a fly eating plant. Last summer, I thought I would lose my mind with the flies that would come in everytime you opened the door. Anyway, I really would not worry about bugs that much in FL. Nothing that can't be dealt with.

 

I registered with the county as a homeschooler for 10 years in FL. Pinellas County is very homeschool friendly and never had a problem. I like my new place and friends, but I will always be a Floridian at heart. Good luck!

[Ibbygirl]

The homeschooling regs are pretty easy. I send my letter of intent each year to the school board along with a pass/fail slip from a certified teacher. I do portfolio evaluations which are really just samples of the work dd does throughout the year. The evaluator looks at her portfolio, asks her some questions and that's pretty much it. She gives me a copy of her scores for my records and gives me a paper saying she completed the grade that I send in to the school board. I've never been contacted by anyone from the school board and have never had any problems. There are several support groups in my county alone and there are lots of opportunities for homeschoolers to get together for field trips, monthly meetings etc. We have annual school pictures, student id cards, a year book, senior prom and promotion nights. We also do spelling bees, georgraphy bees, science fairs, co-op etc. In Broward County we have His Players drama group where they put on wonderful (professional quality) plays and we also have SAINTS which is a p.e. program for homeschoolers. :) There's lots going on for homeschoolers. :)

 

**edit** I just thought of this. http://www.fpea.com/ This is the link to the Florida Parent Educator's Association. There is tons of information in there about homeschooling in Fla, requirements, laws etc. :)

Edited August 16, 2009 by Ibbygirl

[Imprimis]

Originally Posted by Imprimis

As much as I don't love these pests, we very rarely use an exterminator. I just don't want the chemicals in my house.

 

Do you use any home remedies? Boric acid?

Natural Born Pest Killers: Home Remedies for Pest Control

 

Yes, we occasionally dust with boric acid, especially under appliances and sink cabinets. I also have used cinnamon with some success. When the fire-ant mounds in our yard become overwhelming, we do,at times, use chemicals---but again, we don't do this frequently. If there are just a few present, we use boiling water and pour it directly onto the mound. It does work, but it's time consuming (not to mention water consuming) if you have a large property, as we do.

[Apiphobic]

I have solved the horrible fly problem in our house by having a fly eating plant. Anyway, I really would not worry about bugs that much in FL. Nothing that can't be dealt with.

 

I registered with the county as a homeschooler for 10 years in FL. Pinellas County is very homeschool friendly and never had a problem. I like my new place and friends, but I will always be a Floridian at heart. Good luck!

 

A fly eating plant? Those are real? I'm remembering Little Shop of Horrors now. :)

 

Anyway, I really would not worry about bugs that much in FL. Nothing that can't be dealt with.

 

I registered with the county as a homeschooler for 10 years in FL. Pinellas County is very homeschool friendly and never had a problem. I like my new place and friends, but I will always be a Floridian at heart. Good luck!

 

Thanks, I am feeling better about it now.

However, I am watching the news about tropical storms Claudette and Ana and hurricane Bill. :001_huh:

 

The homeschooling regs are pretty easy. I send my letter of intent each year to the school board along with a pass/fail slip from a certified teacher. I do portfolio evaluations which are really just samples of the work dd does throughout the year. The evaluator looks at her portfolio, asks her some questions and that's pretty much it. She gives me a copy of her scores for my records and gives me a paper saying she completed the grade that I send in to the school board. I've never been contacted by anyone from the school board and have never had any problems. There are several support groups in my county alone and there are lots of opportunities for homeschoolers to get together for field trips, monthly meetings etc. We have annual school pictures, student id cards, a year book, senior prom and promotion nights. We also do spelling bees, georgraphy bees, science fairs, co-op etc. In Broward County we have His Players drama group where they put on wonderful (professional quality) plays and we also have SAINTS which is a p.e. program for homeschoolers. :) There's lots going on for homeschoolers. :)

 

**edit** I just thought of this. http://www.fpea.com/ This is the link to the Florida Parent Educator's Association. There is tons of information in there about homeschooling in Fla, requirements, laws etc. :)

 

Awesome, thanks!

 

As much as I don't love these pests, we very rarely use an exterminator. I just don't want the chemicals in my house.

 

Do you use any home remedies? Boric acid?

Natural Born Pest Killers: Home Remedies for Pest Control

 

Yes, we occasionally dust with boric acid, especially under appliances and sink cabinets. I also have used cinnamon with some success.

 

Cinnamon? I haven't heard of that one. Is that for ants?

 

When the fire-ant mounds in our yard become overwhelming, we do,at times, use chemicals---but again, we don't do this frequently. If there are just a few present, we use boiling water and pour it directly onto the mound. It does work, but it's time consuming (not to mention water consuming) if you have a large property, as we do.

 

I guess if it were easy everybody'd do it. :)

Edited August 17, 2009 by Apiphobic

[*********]

A fly eating plant? Those are real? I'm remembering Little Shop of Horrors now. :)

 

Yes! My stepson has a venus fly trap. It's a plant that actually eats bugs. anything that flies into one of the 'heads' on the plant will get eaten. It's quite fascinating; you may want to google it. DS6 wants his own now, but dss12 just recently confessed to me that his has already lost it's appeal; it lives at mom's house, and dss admited that she takes care of it mostly already. And he's only had it for two months or so. No thanks, I've got enough living things to take care of, I don't care to tend to a bug-eating plant. :lol:

[TKDmom]

We have lived in FL for 6 years and I almost never see spiders. I suppose it depends on where you live. We're out in the coastal scrub--maybe spiders like it better inland. I do hate all the ants. Sometimes I think a pet anteater would be great to have. We also have a really good pest control company, so that may be why I don't see spiders. The lovebug swarms in the spring drive me batty, too. And the mosquitoes. But, we have cicadas, too. It always brings back fond memories of living in Southern AZ when I hear the cicadas.

 

I'll tell you one good thing about the humidity--I never get nosebleeds anymore. I used to get them fairly regularly when we lived in the desert.