Things They Don't Tell You Before You Move To Texas
78I am not a native Texan, which of course will forever count against me here in the Lone Star State. The good thing is that I am proud to be a Canadian and an Albertan, so it really doesn't bother me at all. I will never forget making the decision to move down to Texas. It wasn't something that I took lightly but I have to admit the lure of the Old West, the legends of Texas and the images the name of the state conjures up in the mind made it much easier than moving to say - Idaho.
What I didn't realize is that there are a heck of a lot of things they don't advertise about the state. I still remember when I turned to my co-worker and said, "I'm moving to Texas" and he said, "Did you know there are more ways to die in Texas than almost anywhere else in North America?"
Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration but there definitely are some things that are very different down here. I am not going to do any topic full justice, but here is just a taste.
Brown Recluse Spiders
This small sized spiders are actually shy and try to stay away from people as much as possible but when they do bite they cause massive horrible looking wounds that take months to heal. The worse part is people that are sensitive to the venom will actually develop necrosis of the tissue that will lead to deep lesions of 10 inches or more. The poison can also spread to internal organs and lead to eventual death. While this is rare, who wants to take the chance?
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Venomous Snakes
Although there are only 4 (make a note they stress ONLY 4) types of venomous snakes native to Texas there are actually 15 subspecies that could potentially be lethal. There are snakes all over Texas. People find them in their gardens, their kid's sandboxes and of course the ever popular snake in the toilet complaint. Since many of the venomous snakes look similar to the less harmful snakes it is generally recommended you just stay clear of anything that slithers.
Bats
Bats are something you just can't plan for. They swoop in as you are sitting on the deck having a coffee or just enjoying the millions of frogs, crickets and other weird sounding bugs that strike up a chorus as the sun goes down. There are 32 different species of bats found in the state at any given time. Austin, the capital city of Texas, actually promotes the Congress Avenue bridge as a huge tourist attraction as the bats leave from under the bridge every night in the summer. There are millions of the little things that fly out from the bridge to circle the city. Bats on their own are creepy, but bats in your hair are even worse – trust me!
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Oh Wait There Are More
Of course Texas is also home to almost every other type of stinging, biting or menacing insect known to man. Fire ants, very aptly named as they seem to set your skin on fire with their bite, are all over the state. They make sitting on the grass a very dicey decision unless you are into that sort of thing
Finally, last but not least, are chiggers. I am not making this up, cross my heart. Chiggers are also known as Harvest mites and they chew a tiny hole in your skin, which will soon erupt into an itchy, puss-filled lesion that will drive you crazy.
But hey, what area doesn’t have its own little secrets?
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Thanks KKC, have been here for a few years now and really enjoy being in Texas. Oh and I have to add - you ride a toboggan! Great article you wrote on that, we have had that discussion many times here too.
Thanks Mardi! What part of Texas, if you don't mind me asking? We're in Central Texas.
I am acctually in the North East corner KCC but with my work I travel all over the state.
Hi Mardi,
I had to laugh when I read this. We love living in Houston but I grew up as a child in Wisconsin and my husband was a child in Iowa. I can relate to the toboggan comment. Loved riding sleds and toboggans as a child! And snowball fights hiding behind a snow built fort! Can't do that down here!
Fortunately in Texas I have never had a snake in a toilet; been bitten by chiggers; had a bat fly in my hair or been bitten by a brown recluse spider. I have seen snakes in the garden and I keep my distance! I think that most of them have been little garden snakes which are actually good.........but I don't care to get up close and personal with them.
We regularly put down insecticides in the grass several times during the year to avoid the fire ants. Ant bites are not fun!
What we REALLY LIKE about living in Texas are the abundance of friendly people. Folks are very open and welcoming here.....at least that has been our experience here in Houston.
Thanks Peggy. I do enjoy living down here and find the people are really friendly just as you have.
Hey hey nice writeup! Welcome!
Thanks Julie-Ann!
nice hub
<shiver>
not quite sure I could handle all those creepy-crawlies!
LongonGirl it isn't really that bad if you stay to the beaten tracks! We live out in the country so there are a few more opportunities to see the best and worst of nature.
Oh my god, u answered my questions. I recently moved here, so Im SCARED TO USE THE TOILET!!! I HATE SNAKES, as soon as i got here, my three year old got bites all over her body, horrible i had to call the exterminator, thank God, they are gone, but i still dont know what insects they were!
Jissell,
I hope all is well with your little one. You do get used to it I promise you. Really most of the snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them, but still I know how you feel.
There are some great websites on snakes and insects in Texas that can help provide an easy identification for anything slithery you might come across.
I love Texas so much! It is the best state ever. :) And snakes don't bother me, but I hate spiders. Thankfully there aren't that many spiders around where I am.
Parkerk393 - I hear ya! I really enjoy living here it is a terrific place to call home.
I had to laugh when I read your Texas hub. I first lived in Fort Worth about twenty years ago and it's true about everything being bigger in Texas - as least the insects. Now i'm back in the state and dealing with those insects all over again!
Thanks for the comment Queen of the Lint and glad it made you laugh. Also welcome back to Texas!
I live for some of the time in Southern California and wish they had told me about the black widows and the brown recluse spiders - and the rattle snakes.......
I guess every place you travel has their own hidden secrets they don't tell you about. Thanks for reading and commenting EverythingMouse, stay safe!
Thank you for the warnings!!! I'm planning a move in July from Northern California to Southern Texas. Big move YAY me!!!
Well welcome to Texas luvrgrl. It is really beautiful here, not sure how far south you mean but lots of different country to see. Safe travels!
Bats are a good thing. Just think how many mosquitoes you would have. The fire ants are the worst in my mind. How can anything that small wreak so much havoc.
Al,
Thanks for your comment and you are so right about bats. I have come to enjoy watching them swoop around the lights at night hunting insects.
The fire ants are a huge problem, I completely agree. Last year they were terrible, hope they are less numerous this year!
Great article, I have lived in Texas in both Austin and Fort Worth and loved it but I agree they don't warn about these things. Personally I didn't like the scorpion which I almost picked up when I saw it thinking it was a rubberband! But recently my husband was bit over 100 times by fire ants... he actually had a very serious reaction to it. After 2 drs visits and scars to go with it we both think twice before standing anywhere!
vballkel,
Thanks for your comments. Fire ants are horrible little things aren't they? I hope your husband is OK, they can be very bad when you get that many bites at one time I can just imagine the pain he was in.
Of all the insects you should of covered, what about the scorpion?! Here in S TX they are in abundance...I hate those little cridders! I can handle the snakes and spiders, but not them little monsters...lol. I grew up on a ranch and have been stung by scorpions so many times I've lost count. I love my state and all it's crazy wonders. There's truly no other place quite like it ;)
Hi there jhnsn283,
How did I forget those nasty little things? We always get a few in the house right as fall arrives. So far I haven't been bit but I think the cats and dogs all have.
I appreciate you stopping by and commenting and I enjoy being here in your wonderful state!
That's a funny hub. I also came to live in Texas and I'm loving it. I love the very fact of diverse flora and fauna and terrain.
Thanks so much for your comment moncrieff and welcome!Texas certainly is diverse, that is for sure.
thank all of you for your comments on the creep crawley things thats in Texas I to am thinking of moving to Texas and your comments will make me think twice I do like the fact you said about people being so friendly I am from Wisconsin also but been South several times and loved the southern hospality , thanks yall
bam bam,
They really aren't that bad, honest! You just have to watch out for the little critters and all will be well.
In moving to el paso in november to be with a friend whos husband in the armed forces.... Im kind of nervous... Im from maryland I have a feeling its going to be very very different
Mdgirl,
You will find the people are wonderful. Just go with the flow and all will be fine!
You forgot Black Widow spiders. My brother lived there for 10 yrs,.and my sister 20 yrs.,among other nasty's. I went to visit them once, in a (new) housing developement, and someone pointed out a (fire ant) hill,just a few hundred yrds. from their house, the size of a small car. I couldn't believe it. One bite is like a bad bee sting, (or worse). Apparently, no one leaves garbage out, or uncovered, because the cockroaches are so bad, no matter HOW clean you are.I saw a (tree roach) the size of a mouse,I'm (not) kidding.I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes (no thanks).
Hi Laura,
Roaches and ants are all across the southern United States. The worse roaches I ever saw were in Las Vegas, so this is certainly not unique to Texas!
KCC Big Country Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
Welcome to Texas and welcome to HubPages! My English husband had the same reaction when he moved here. In fact, I wrote a hub about it. I also have a hub about the Brown Recluse Spider. Check them out if you get a chance. :)