Mosquitos, Roaches, and Rats, Oh My!!

Living in South Florida has been quite a challenge when it comes to the wildlife. I have delt with rats under the bed, flying cockroaches in the kitchen, and invasions of ants everywhere and anywhere. Outside, in the yard, I have fought off iguana infestations, lizards in the light fixtures, and even more rats. The other day, as Chandler and I were coming back in from walkies, a small snake slithered across the front porch and into the garden. I just hope it isn't a harbinger of what's to come.

Nearly 10-foot python captured in Everglades on first day of Fla.-sanctioned trapping program

1st day of Fla. hunt nets nearly 10-foot python

By BRIAN SKOLOFF Associated PressJul 17, 09 3:47 PM CDT

A program to eradicate invasive pythons from Florida's Everglades began Friday with a slithering success: Trappers caught a nearly 10-footer within about an hour of setting out, a shock to even the experts."It surprised us," said Shawn Heflick, a herpetologist who helped capture the snake Friday. "If you would have told me yesterday I was going to go out there today and that quickly find one, I would have called you a liar."

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced just this week the state would allow a few permitted snake experts to begin hunting, trapping and killing the nonnative pythons in an effort to eradicate themfrom hundreds of thousands of acres in South Florida. The number of pythons in South Florida and throughout Everglades National Park has exploded in the past decade to potentially tens of thousands, though wildlife officials aren't sure exactly how many are slinking around South Florida.

Scientists believe pet owners have freed their snakes into the wild once they became too big to keep. They also think some Burmese pythons may have escaped in 1992 from pet shops battered by Hurricane Andrew and have been reproducing ever since.

Officials say the constrictors can produce up to 100 eggs at a time.