Snakes, and other biting or stinging creatures in Bulgaria

If you live in the country ticks are a given most village’s have several farmers who keep sheep and they’re not dipped or treated for ticks therefore when you walk your dog through long grass the dog will pick them up
This is not a problem if you treat the dog monthly with a tick treatment
When I walk my dog in the morning I always wear Wellingtons because of the dew they seem more active and even in the summertime in the evening I always wear trousers to prevent me picking them up
This year I have lost 5 cats to snake bites so be aware when bringing small pets into the countryside
I would say this is unusual but a farmer keeps hay in an abandoned house across from my house and it’s an ideal place for them to hibernate over winter and hatch their eggs in the spring

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I am in the Balkan Mountains (near Kazanlak, Stara Zagora), and I walk the trails around my village almost every day.

I'm a little paranoid about ticks, as lyme disease sounds very scary... and I would prefer to avoid dying of a snake bite too. :-) So I tend to avoid tramping across country off trail, where the grass is much longer. I think it's a sensible recommendation to stick to the trails, if possible.

While it does get very hot here in the summer, I also avoid skimpy clothing like shorts and sandals when I'm out trekking. I feel it's prudent to cover up and give the ticks and bugs less bare skin to aim for (and it avoids scaring the locals). :-)

In my 3 years here, I haven't spotted a single live snake, and only one dead one. (Although, stupidly, I mentioned it to my partner, and that was enough to freak her out, so, even now, I can still barely get her to walk out of the village.) So far, no tick bites either, thankfully.

Can't avoid the mozzies and midges though, although a bit of insect repellant helps when they're particularly plentiful.

I've heard rumors of bears and wild boar, but I've never seen any. Maybe a few deer and rabbits... cows/horses/goats grazing... and a handful of Bulgarians... but that's about it. Usually, it's just me and the birds. (Bansko is definitely a bit livelier, there are always plenty of walkers and cyclists... and ditto Plovdiv's green spaces, especially around the Regatta Lake.)

I'm not sure, but I suspect the locals think I'm an eccentric foreigner doing all this walking... when I could be using a perfectly sensible dirtbike or 4x4 (or staying in bed until a reasonable hour). And they find my trekking poles strange too, they always ask about them like they're some exotic invention. :-)

I know not everyone is from Texas like I am but this thread got me laughing so hard I had to make an account to comment on it. I've lived in a village here in more or less central Bulgaria for 3 years now and haven't seen a snake yet and that's coming from someone who grew up in an area where you had to be very careful not to step on a copperhead. I got stung by a wasp last year and barely noticed it compared to the wasps back home. The ticks have been bad this year but we just make sure to keep the pets up to date on their treatments. I haven't noticed mosquitoes here but I got bit by so many swarms of mosquitoes growing up I barely notice them back home where they're much worse. I've seen a couple centipedes and scorpions but I just step on them and the problem is solved. A couple times I've been bitten by something that left an itchy bump for about a week but don't know what it was. Point of the story is that the most dangerous thing in Bulgaria is the drivers on the road and the rakjia and I'm in much more danger of pissing off my Bulgarian wife than being bit by something creepy crawly. I wouldn't worry about the wildlife too much.

Snakes and Mosquitos

We have been very aware of both.  We live in Sveti Vlas abutting the National forest at an altitude of 180 meters

Snakes are a very frequent problem where we are

We have found snakes exceeding 1 m in our garage on the roadway and in the garden
I do not know what type of snake these are but I have been told that they are poisonous by my neighbors


Our gardener has killed three snakes so far this year and I am surprised to find that a few others have experienced the same problem Count your blessings

As for mosquitoes they are a very big problem in late summer 

To combat both of these we have installed snake repellent noisemakers and scattered snake repellent around the property

We have also purchased a mosquito spray machine that sprays for 30 seconds every 15 minutes

@Jacob Bacchus

As a fellow Texas now living in Bulgaria and married to a local I agree with everything you say.  Our home overlooks Sveti Vlas and I have encoundered numerous snakes.  Some as long a a meter.  I have no idea if they were posionous however my handy man assured me that they were not and neighbors said they were.   As my neighbors are all city folk I susspect my local handyman is more informed and likely accurate.  . I did contract a blood infection from a swarm of mosquitoes that required antibiotic transfusions in an IV two days a week for a month. Chills, sweats and achy joints.  I have not been bitten by any bees and as we have lavender bushes there are many honey bees around with no incidents.

@Jacob Bacchus
As a fellow Texas now living in Bulgaria and married to a local I agree with everything you say. Our home overlooks Sveti Vlas and I have encoundered numerous snakes. Some as long a a meter. I have no idea if they were posionous however my handy man assured me that they were not and neighbors said they were.  As my neighbors are all city folk I susspect my local handyman is more informed and likely accurate. . I did contract a blood infection from a swarm of mosquitoes that required antibiotic transfusions in an IV two days a week for a month. Chills, sweats and achy joints. I have not been bitten by any bees and as we have lavender bushes there are many honey bees around with no incidents.
-@Johnavann

Why not don't you look on the internet and compare pictures with the names you see?

There are both venomous and non-venomous snakes in Europe so they are both correct.

Hi all,

Were over near Balchik, and get both grass snakes and adders the latter are poisonous. We get many lizards, slow worms which look like a small snake but are a lizard and the odd tortoise which is always nice to see and tons of butterflies of various types.

You all need to watch for ticks in the long grass and trees as can be a problem check your pets too if you have them.

Never been stung by bees and our neighbours a few doors up have some hives but have been hit behind the knee by a large wasp which felt like a bolt of lightening and caused swelling.

As in the UK there are many biting insects but as were near a forest you get sort of used to it and learn which ones to watch out for.

How's the wild or ferile dog and cat situation in Bulgaria in 2023?

I heard stray dogs and cats, mainly the dogs, as they bite more, was a big problem in Bulgaria and Romania, so much so that if you go out walking it's best to carry a stick to fend them off.

But the government was busy neutering the stray dogs so eventually they'd die off.

Is it evident yet that the number of them is dropping?

Do you carry a stick when out of your plot of land?

...But Wherever in the world it truly is a jungle out there.

I'm far more concerned about the potential of other humans to cause harm than animals. Humans have this thing called a mind that can go seriously wonky, that can make them the biggest danger and liability to other humans, on foot, behind a steering wheel etc. Especially men. Especially young men. Look at the crime stats. One just doesn't know who is carrying a concealed weapon.

Take care

пази се

pazi se

I was surprised to see no stray dogs on my last two visits to Bulgaria after not travelling there for four or five years, though I visited villages in a different region on my previous visits. It's now compulsory for pet dogs to be microchipped and registered with the local municipality. Stray dogs that aren't chipped and registered, rather than being neutered and released are more likely to be killed, at least I believe that's the policy in the region my house is in.

Dogs in packs might attack, but my feeling is that dogs born feral will be more likely to be fearful of humans and will only bite if they feel threatened. The most dangerous dogs are pet dogs, in any country.

@Johnavann

That's very interesting, wouldn't have expected, as a foreigner from the UK, snakes in a place like Sveti Vlas!

I'm interested to know if the snake repellent noisemakers and scattered snake repellent made any difference?

I'm looking at a place now near Razgrad, and I saw a snake by the patio, near the house. I've heard Pest Control people can help, or even keeping hedgehogs near the property. I understand they are there in the countryside, just don't want them near the house!

@kristiann WOW!   I have been here for close to 7 years and have had good and bad experiences.  Mostly good but any bad one has been horrific.  Bulgaria is the "Wild West", with a corrupt government and even more corrupt people down the food chain but it is a land of opportunity.   I sayto people that if you don't want to visit the Wild West don't come here.  This is not a country for sissies.   There are no consumer protection rules here.   The state is not your helicopter mother.  Men need to be men not girly men.   No one looks out for you and a man is expected to look out for himself and his family.  So thi about your provisions and your attitude and if your are up to the challenges of a country with ethics from the stone ages where flesh is torn fro the nearest morse without notice.   If you are up to it and protect yoursef you will do fine. 

Yes, there are snakes and there are solutions.   I have no snakes in my mountain vila however I did 5 years ago and found out how to rid them.  Everything is solvable. 

This might be the most popular post on the site???    Yes there are snakes and there are big horseflies, and people are somewhat agressive depending on the situation.   I love it here.  A Beautiful country that requires a very mature evaluation of everything and to put away the trusting attitude of home countries like GB and USA.   

Be alert, be adult and check everything twice with a proven expert.   It is worth the effort and you will enjoy what this country has to offer. 

Hello everyone,

@ Please note that I have removed some off-topic posts from this thread and created a new thread from those off-topic here : Expatriation to Bulgaria and Bringing my dogs

All the best

Bhavna

It is scaremongering. There is more danger from fake news than snakes in Bulgaria.

As a single woman I find it very safe. I have never seen a snake yet.

Hello,

Many thanks for this information.

Why, you say there are snakes.

I hope it's a joke.

Beautiful day

Sophie

Why, you say there are snakes -@sophiefreilich

Sophia, this is a thread titled "Snakes, and other biting or stinging creatures in Bulgaria", so mention of snakes and biting creatures goes with the topic!

It looks like you accidentally commented on the wrong thread, as I see Bhavna has moved your first comment.

@janemulb

Ok I'm sorry.

Sophie

@Jacob Bacchus
As a fellow Texas now living in Bulgaria and married to a local I agree with everything you say. Our home overlooks Sveti Vlas and I have encoundered numerous snakes. Some as long a a meter. I have no idea if they were posionous however my handy man assured me that they were not and neighbors said they were.  As my neighbors are all city folk I susspect my local handyman is more informed and likely accurate. . I did contract a blood infection from a swarm of mosquitoes that required antibiotic transfusions in an IV two days a week for a month. Chills, sweats and achy joints. I have not been bitten by any bees and as we have lavender bushes there are many honey bees around with no incidents.
-@Johnavann

we’ve seen some near Vlas, normally sleeping under bits of tin where the builders have disturbed them. In 17 years we’ve never been bothered by them either in Vlas or out in the sticks - we have a pond in the garden and the frogs get excited by the snakes but they are easily picked up and put into a pop bottle and released a few miles away.

@Johnavann
That's very interesting, wouldn't have expected, as a foreigner from the UK, snakes in a place like Sveti Vlas!
I'm interested to know if the snake repellent noisemakers and scattered snake repellent made any difference?

I'm looking at a place now near Razgrad, and I saw a snake by the patio, near the house. I've heard Pest Control people can help, or even keeping hedgehogs near the property. I understand they are there in the countryside, just don't want them near the house!
-@DarryllP

We’ve on;y seen snakes in Vlas when the builders are working and moving bits of tin etc - they normally kill then with a shovel/spade etc - but I’ve never seen them around the apartments/ beach etc.

@Lee4

Hi Lee,

I dont know if you are still around. In 20 years travelling BG I never see a snake as such. On the other hand just outside varna we have this wonderfull variant of a centipide. They love nice warm bed clothes and damp apartments....

Its got skin like a challenger 2 tank,  100 legs (of course) virtually unkillable and attacks for sport not just eats. The bite is really dangerous especially for kids. They originate from the old grape vines.

Cheers

David

we see loads of snakes.

A lot sadly dead on the road, we have had grass snakes in our garden and in our pond, they love the frogs we have also had Aesculapian Snakes in the garden and they can be 6 feet long.

A few years ago we were at Primorsko and there was a snake swimming in the sea.

Adders and horned vipers are here too and are venomous.

If you do see a snake just let them go on their way, they normally avoid humans