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Orlando & The Freakshow

Florida City Ranked As 1 Of The ‘Roachiest’ Cities In America

Author Richie Ortiz
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 30: An aerial view of downtown Tampa at the Tampa Bay Lightning Victory Rally & Boat Parade on the Hillsborough river on September 30, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Tampa has gotten notoriety for many things in the last year.  We have been voted as one of the safest cities to drive in, one of the best cities for motorcyclists, a top city for recreation, and ranked as one of the best for renters. I guess you can say we’ve been having a good run, but the latest ranking is one that will end the streak. Now, Tampa is now ranked as one of the most “Roachiest” cities in America.

Thanks to Pest Gnome a list of the top 25 most roachiest cities was created to let us know where we stand against the rest of the country. After looking over data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and last year’s census, Tampa unfortunately came out on top. Not only was Tampa the roachiest city in Florida, but also the 3rd roachiest city in the nation. Turns out people aren’t the species that loves Florida, roaches do too.

Roaches love the heat and sun, so Florida makes an ideal place for them to live. Not as ideal as Texas though. The Lone Star State not only had the second roachiest city with San Antonio but also the winner of the roachiest city crown, Houston. In the past year, 37% of homes showed signs of pests in Houston compared to San Antonio’s 28%. Phoenix and Las Vegas finished out of the top 5.

If you are having problems with roaches, Pest Gnome also gives some pointers on how to prevent and get rid of them. If you don’t want them invading your home, make sure to not leave any crumbs around your home. Let’s be real, the kids are a mess and leave crumbs EVERYWHERE, so another way to prevent pests and be proactive is to seal all points of entry to ensure they can’t get in. If it has been a while since you’ve done some home improvements, make sure to check and fix your leaky pipes the next time you get a chance due to the fact they attract roaches.

What else would you suggest for people with a roach problem?

Here Is The Most Snake-Infested Lake In Florida

Raise your hand if you’re afraid of snakes!  Well, we love to do water activities here in Florida, so knowing which lake is mostly infested with snakes is important. “Here is the most snake-infested lake in Florida.”  Before looking can you guess which lake it is? This particular lake is about 2 hours from where I live in St. Petersburg.

There are only 6 venomous snakes that call Florida home

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission “most Florida snakes are harmless and beneficial and remove extra rodent populations. Even the venomous ones are not particularly dangerous unless stepped on or otherwise provoked.”

While 44 species of snakes live in Florida, only 6 are venomous. Those snakes include the Diamondback rattlesnake, canebrake rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead, and the coral snake.

The Cottonmouth is the only venomous snake that lives predominantly in or near water. Sadly, cottonmouth snakes can be found in the Florida lake that is mostly infested with snakes. Click here to see exactly how a cottonmouth snake looks.

If you get bit by a cottonmouth/ water moccasin the symptoms include:  Swelling, pain, discoloration, fatigue, nausea, decreased blood pressure and trouble breathing.  Please seek medical attention immediately if you become a victim.

Snake encounters?

Have you ever had a crazy encounter with a snake. I just had one on Monday. As I was taking groceries into my house, there was a black snake that slithered across my porch.  I have no idea what kind of snake it was and when I went to look on my ring doorbell camera, I still could not identify it.

According to the Florida animal control management, if you see a snake make a note of it’s location and they will come to you and humanely remove the it from your house or place of business.

According to AZ Animals, Below are 5 of the most snake-infested lakes in the United States. Apart of the 6 lakes, is the most snake-infested lake in Florida.

 

  • Lake Hartwell

    Lake Hartwell is located in Georgia. There are many species in this lake but one you will want to avoid is the eastern copperhead. Eastern copperheads have a grayish/tan color with red hourglass shaped markings. They look like chocolate kisses from the side.

    Little kid swimming in the lake.

  • 2. Lake Gaston

    Lake Gaston is located in Virginia . The cottonmouth and copperhead are the most active snakes in or around Lake Gaston. The cottonmouth and copperhead are venomous snakes. 

    Autumn Colours Throughout The UK

     

  • 3. Lake Texoma

    Lake Texoma is located in Texas! There are three types of venomous snakes common around Texoma Lake. They include cottonmouth, copperhead and three rattlesnake species.

    Campsite with orange tent.

     

  • 4. Lake Okeechobee

    Lake Okeechobee is the most snake-infested lake in Florida.  Lake Okeechobee is home to  34 of Florida’s 46 native snake species.  Yes, you can find the Cottonmouth in this lake! Please seek medical attention, if bitten by one.

    people enjoying the lake

     

  • 5. Lake Erie

    Lake Erie is located in Ohio and it’s water snake population is approaching  12,000. When the water snake is in the water,  it’s usually within about 150 yards from shore. The body is pale grey to dark brown.

    By Lake Geneva in Wisconsin

     

Rich grew up in the Bronx, NY but moved to Tampa in 2006 to attend the University of Tampa. Even though he completed 4 years at the University for Sports Management, Ortiz realized his true passion for radio after taking a couple of classes to fulfill his communications minor and volunteering at UT's WUTT radio station as a sports director. Rich also worked at several clubs in Tampa as a host/promoter where he would meet and work alongside Davy Rolando, who would be the one who would help him get a job at WiLD 94.1. From there, Rich worked his way up from Promotions assistant to promotions coordinator, to eventually full-time on-air. Rich loves to write about his favorite Tampa food spots, concert reviews, and the WiLDest Florida man/woman stories.

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Author Richie Ortiz
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