Garden safety

[jo-anne]

Is it safe to let children play out in the gardens outside the villas.
With the amount of pest control that has to go on I wonder how much incecticide is out there or even bugs etc that could sting or bite.[msntongue]
Jo-Anne

[fiteflynn]

Jo-Anne,
Don't want to freak you out or anything but our development has seen a few snakes around this year. There is a bit of construction near us that might be the cause of this but just to let you know. If there is no construction near you it will probably be fine.
C & S

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by fiteflynn
Jo-Anne,
Don't want to freak you out or anything but our development has seen a few snakes around this year. There is a bit of construction near us that might be the cause of this but just to let you know. If there is no construction near you it will probably be fine.
C & S
[/quote]

Its really the other way around......snakes don't like the vibes in the ground from the building work.......so you'll see them around construction because they are moving away from the area....when the building is finished they move back in.....we have one in our garden...he hisses at us when we pass....its the first one I've seen in our area......but the locals say they are moving back because construction is over...... not a worry for most visitors.....unless you want to do the villa gardening......[msnsmile2]

Young kids should always be watched in a FL garden.....I don't see any of our local parents let their young ones out alone......older kids play outside fine.....

[LiesaAnna]

good question, i see the villa we will be staying at in Sept,has a garden all fenced with a conservation area behind, was gonna let the grandson aged 22months play out there, am sure he will have an adult with him, just incase!! well you never know! (there is a grassed area behind the pool covering and a nice play space between that and the fence from what i can see in the photo)

[blott]

There are probably things that bite and sting lurking out there in your garden in the UK but Florida is a tropical place and, although it has things also that bite and sting, they're not necessarily the same types as the ones in the UK!

I've been travelling to Florida twice a year for many years now and I have so far never seen a snake. Snakes tend to hide away anyway so they're unlikely to be out in the middle of a grassy area unless they're going from one location to another.

There are fire ants which you'd need to watch out for which do bite and it stings! They are minute (much smaller than UK ants) and are red in colour. Identify potential nests by the tell tale small sandy mound in the grass. Check out the area for these before letting your toddler anywhere near the grass.

There may be mosquitoes (although I've never seen any or been bitten by any in Florida - unlike in Europe when I've been smothered with bites).

Possibly one of the worst things that's likely to happen to a toddler is to get sunburn or sunstroke so make sure that they're well covered (put an old T-shirt on them in the pool to cover their tender shoulders) and make them wear a hat that keeps the sun from the back of their neck as well as slapping plenty of high factor sun screen on them. Don't let them get dehydrated so make sure that they have plenty of fluids.

[ianderson]

Have been to florida a few times now, and certainly each time we have seen snakes, generally near entrances to villas (think it might have been coincidence though). I would definately suggest that young kids are not left to play alone. With the mesh screens around pool areas out back you should generally be ok as these are here to keep out the creepy crawlies, although again might be worthwhile checking mesh first for holes etc.[msnsmile2]

[ctgirlscout]

I don't think there is anything to worry about. I would just have the kids make sure they are wearing sneakers, not sandals, and stay away from tall grass. If you are still worried about bugs, just put some insect repellent on them, which you can buy at any drug store or places like Wal-Mart.

[LiesaAnna]

thanx all i will advise mum and dad so they can buy him a swim suit that covers the babies/toddlers all over:) also will keep trainers or doodles on his little feet, maybe let him wear old trackie bottoms to play out?

I would keep them inside the lanai, every time mine have gone out they got bitten even with repellent on, we saw two snakes down the side of the villa in 2001[msnscared]

[LiesaAnna]

am sure he will be well monitored by his bigger aunties! save my legs![msnwink]

[pieman790]

Fire ants dont like me and i dont like them very much.
I was doing some gardening outside the front of the villa last October and i accidently put my hand into a fire ants nest. Needless to say i was bitten from head to foot. Cathy chucked some water over me but i didnt work very well.
Apparently what i should have done is dive into the pool as the Clorine in the pool kills them straight away.
Never seem a snake outside the villa

[bellaepovera]

The fire ants are my only main concern and they sure do love me!! But they have a great med also for this if you happen to come across them and get bitten. The best thing to do is jump in the pool as that is what I did clothes, shoes and all.

[LiesaAnna]

will remember that one then![msnwink]

[chrizzy100]

Fire ants are nasty little things......but I'm always on the look out for ants spiders etc in the garden.......so I've only had one bite from a fire ant so far......its stings for longer than a normal ant bite.....and it leaves a mark for longer....I just kill the nests if we have any.....