They’re everywhere right now but they’re honestly not too much of an issue. It’s very rare you hear anyone got bitten. 

Cockroaches are more of a problem because they’re *everywhere*. In the UK they tend to be associated with poverty and squalor- in fact I don’t think I ever saw one in all my years there. 

In terms of the countryside and grassy areas, snakes are a problem. You can’t just run barefoot or in sandals through long grass without some sense of caution. They also have these ghastly things here called bindis which are spiky seed pods you can get on lawns that make going barefoot horrific. However you can treat lawns for them.