On average what does it cost for a gardener who also trims bushes and palms as needed and for bug control?
I pay my gardner $120/month and he is exceptional. I have over 1/3 of an acre, which is huge for here. He and his wife come every week. All of this is included in the $120:
- Mows all the grass, right down the bank to the lake
- Trims all edges with a weed-whacker
- Prunes and shapes all my shrubs as needed, and I have about 30 around the house
- Trims my 6 palm trees
- Cleans up everything, ties up the trimmings and the city picks up yard waste every week.
- I paid for the mulch, I have a huge flower bed out front and ringing the entire house. Jorge went and bought the mulch and they spread 90 yards of mulch by hand, and didn't charge anything for labor!
- His wife weeds the flower beds by hand
- They are amazing, so I tip them a few times a year.
My 2 annual contracts with the pest control company is approximately $575/year. They come every 2 months, alternating between the spraying and spreading on the turf. And, if I see any bugs, I call them and they're here within 2 days re-treating everything. I have absolutely no problems with bugs because of them.
You didn't ask, but since I have a pool....
I never had one, so no clue how to take care of one. I had to invest heavily in repairs, but that was due to the previous owners. I have a pool service. $80/month for weekly visits.
- Check and adjust chemicals
- Skim and vacuum the pool
- Scrub the tiles
- Take apart the filter and completely flush it
- Twice a month, they completely hose down the lanai
- Springtime, February/March, they come twice a week due to the pollen
- When I have visitors, using the pool and jacuzzi a lot, they come every second day to check the chemicals.
The only other annual contract besides the security system is for the AC. $185/year, 2 service visits, no charge for labor if something breaks, just the cost of the part. (I used to purchase a lot of those parts, and they don't mark them up). And whenever I've had a problem they've come the same day.
So, overall, the costs are very low, especially compared to New England. I've got great people, trustworthy and honest. That's rare these days!!!!
Anything else? I'm happy to answer questions if I can. I'm thrilled living here. I can't see myself moving back to the frozen north. I do miss autumn, but it's okay, I can go visit the people who descend on me in the winter!
I don't think any massive bugs here will kill you- the spiders can be scary, but I think most things are similar to the dragonfly you saw. Snakes... well, yeah. That one might be harder to avoid. But again, I rarely see them and when I do it's always something non-venomous. 
