Ok I Know You All Are Going to Think I'm Crazy!

I moved here 20 years ago and have never had a problem with alligators although have seen them and heard a couple of horror stories but they are very rare. The things that bother me the most in Florida are the lizards, roaches and palmetto bugs. Howevre I have always lived on the 3rd or 5th floor of a building. Recenly bought a house backed up to a pond but have a fenced yard. Am more worried about lizards and things getting inside my house. Ugh!!!

I moved here 2 years ago and like you, I too was terrified at the thought of alligators. I had a 6 and 2 3 year olds at the time. We live on a lake that backs up to Brooker Creek. We immediately saw gators in the pond. Mine (we have 3 at any given time) are not aggresive. They just bask on the banks. They have been such a delight to watch. My children know not to go near the water. I have put the fear in them. But we still fish and walk around the lake. My dog also walks around with us. He has never been attacked. You just have to look for them and give them their due respect. We had a trampoline for a while, next to the lake, and whenever the kids would jump, the gator came out to see what it was. He never approached them, just sat in the water watching. (They hunt by vibration, so naturally it was curious.) We even fish and have caught them numerous times on the line. They just pull until the break the line. To be honest, the alligators I can live with. They are easily detecable when you know what to look for. It's the snakes that worry me more. I have just taught my boys not to put their hands in the bushes looking for balls or what have you,but to kick it or shake it first. Just in case, you never know. I am getting ready to move out of state and I think I will miss the gators the most. Best of luck, R.

Hi J.-

Please don't worry. Moving brings enough stress of it's own :) Yes, florida does have alligators. We also live on a conservation pond, not too far from where you are moving. We do have an alligator in the pond and have seen it on occasion. We have lived here for 5 years and have only seen him out of the water once. He was sunning and then proceeded to go back home and mind his own business. We have never ever been afraid. of course, use common sense and don't allow kids to play right by the pond. My son is 3 also and we have taught him about alligators and that they are to be left alone, not fed, etc. There are proffesionals who will come and remove an alligator from a residential area if it gets too big or may pose a threat but they really do keep to themselves. Good luck with your move- I'm sure you will like the area as it has so much to offer for stay at home moms and their kids! :)

The unfortunate fact about Tampa is that there are alligators everywhere. But, there are only certain times a year that they are seen quite frequently so it isn't an all year thing. You should just be causious of them and ask your neighbors when you move it if they see them frequently. The answer is probably no, but better to know than not. With young children like you have, it isn't like you are going to be sending them down to the pond by themselves, so I wouldn't be too concerned - just aware. They aren't here to live off of us - you will mostly just see them from a distance. Fear not - Tampa is a GREAT place to live. I was born here, but not raised - I have been all over FL and GA - but as an adult, Tampa is my home. Congrats on the move and good luck to you and your families transition!

It's interesting that alligators would be the top of the list and not hurricanes! :) Personally, I'd rather deal with alligators, snakes and other creepy-crawlies than those persistent tropical storms who don't know when to leave (FAY)!

Alligators are shy by nature and it's a misdemeanor in FL to feed them ... as long as they stay timid it's easy to coexist. I have lived in FL for 7 years and had only one in my front yard ... he was 3 foot long and eventually made his way into the storm drain to never be seen again. My neighbor called the wildlife commission and the officer said they (gators) travel up to 7 miles a day and that as long as no one is feeding them - they will move on.

BTW - I am not sure you know this but just in case - don't feed sand cranes - they are by far and large more destructive and obnoxious moochers than you can imagine!

Welcome to the sunshine state!

It take it ya haven't seen the place and already signed the lease...If ya didn't, don't until you see what the situation is. Ya don't want to get stuck there, plus with the economy the way it is, you'll find another rental in no time. Ya never know and ya have two small kids...Can never be too paranoid when it comes to them..If ya can't get out of the deal if desired, "tell" (nicely)the landlord that you want a fence built. Hopefully there is none, but ya never know with FL...lol...

I have to agree with Lynn. It's not usually a problem in this area. My friends live right on a huge lake and we go swimming in it all the time. Never seen a gator yet. Again, I wouldn't disregard the warning, it is always possible. A fence is a good idea especially with your son being 3 then he can play play play and you won't have to worry as much.

we have never had a problem with alligators. They usually sit in the reservation and don't bother with people. Well, unless you taunt them. :) The only time I saw an alligator get close to a house was last year when we had a drought. I find the million love bugs that come once maybe twice a year to be more of a pain. Pesky useless bugs!

I've lived in Tampa my whole life and grew up swimming in lakes. My kids swim and go tubing in lakes as well. Having said that, you do have to be careful about alligators. Where there is a body of water in Florida, there will usually be alligators. Your children are young so I'm sure they will not be outside by themselves, but alligators linger in the very shallow waters at the banks of lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. You should be very careful , even if you are outside with your children that they do not go down to the bank of the pond without you. I would also invest in some type of fence if your 3 year old has learned to unlock doors and get outside by himself.

Yes, you definitely want to worry about the gators and drowning factors. These accidents are things we always here about in the news. If you have any dogs beware of the gators in regard to their well-being too. You should not be afraid but just cautious. Good luck on your move. Enjoy the great beaches!!

J., I live in Oldsmar & back up to a pond (maybe you'll be a neighbor!) We've been in this house 10 yrs & I have young kids. We occasionally see an alligator, but for the most part they keep their distance. Spring is mating season & they are moving from pond to pond & can be aggressive (I've never seen it), but as long as you don't let the kids play at the water's edge or have small animals that go out by themselves, there really isn't a problem. We like to watch them & they just float in the water & watch us, but if they are on land & we walk out, they go right into the water - generally more afraid of you than you are of them. Really big ones might stay put if they're sunning themselves on the pond banks, but mostly nobody is stupid enough to go near them & they don't come near the homes. Just don't ever feed them, because they can become used to people doing so (like squirrels) & can approach people thinking you have food (which, for an alligator, includes small children & pets).

I also live in Oldsmar. Moved from Hawaii a year ago. And I also live with a pond just a few feet from our backyard. Yes, there are alligators but from what I was told from my neighbors, the alligators are more afraid of you. I was so amazed at seeing these creatures up close -- I feel like its Wild Kingdom here. There are alligators, turtles, wild turkey, armadillos, and deer. Of course we take precautions by not going near the pond. Homes here have covered pools and lanais so we feel pretty safe. With that said, "Welcome to Florida!"

I too was worried when I moved back here, even though I grew up in this area and used to do lots of swimming in lakes, tubing down rivers, etc. They say gators are in every body of water in Florida, but you are going to see them more in the summer (not sure where they are the rest of the time). I would say to stay away from the edge of the water. But they aren't going to aggressively chase you. Most are small (like 4 feet). Gators don't need to eat often and stay really still most of the time to conserve energy.

In this area, I don't think alligators are a major problem. When you do hear about a problem with one, it's usually after somebody's pet.

If you live that close to the pond, you might want to consider putting up a fence. That would set boundaries for your kids and if you have pets. Pets seem to run to the pond and there's the water safety issue with the kids.

I lived on a HUGE pond up in Wesley Chapel for 8 years. When I moved in, my neighbor told me they saw one in there a few years before that. We never saw any alligators the whole time we lived there. I had four dogs and there was never any problems.

So I don't think it's anything you need to be worried about. Just be aware that it's always a possibility.

Enjoy your move and welcome to Florida!

I'd be more worried about the year round sweating than gators. Man is it hot here.