Bugs, Bugs and more Bugs

[snowball22]

Here are some sites to educate you on some of the Florida Bugs that you might run into on your trip.

NO SEEUMS
http://pelotes.jea.com/NOSEEUM.htm


FIRE ANTS
http//www.antcolony.org/fire_ants.htm

 

[Diznyqt]

LOL! Noseeums! That is a riot. I hate those things. Don't forget the dreaded FL Palmetto bug. When I first moved here, I saw one & started screaming that it was a mutant roach. I had never seen a bug so huge! Imagine my surprise when it started FLYING!

Yep, give me Texas anyday...crickets & June bugs are much easier to deal with than lizards & palmettos.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

Are the bugs bad during the day? Up here in Indiana they get nasty as soon as the sun goes down, but during the hot day they are nowhere to be found!
Bill

 

[lUVTOGO]

We were in Sanibel Island a few years back, went for a ride thru the wildlife refuge, got out of the car to look around, went back in the car when my dd(5at the time)screamed there is a giant bug eating you. Looked down and it was a GIANT palmetto bug crawling on my arm. My husband even screamed as i shook it off and it landed on him I love Florida but hate those bugs!(and the no-seeums)

 

[HoosierFantasia]

LUVTOGO:
I had to laugh at your post. there are bugs in the John "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge there on Sanibel that I have never seen anywhere before. Day or night they are nasty in there in the summer.
Skin-So-Soft works well for the noseeums!
A flick of your finger works well for the Palmetto bugs!
Bill

 

[dwfanatic]

This might be a silly question but... we usually go in May, and have never had to bring bug spray- we never had a problem with bugs. We only except encountered the love bugs. They didn't bother us, though. This year we are going in July- should I be worried? I'll bring bug spray, but I am afraid I'm going to encounter some huge critters!!

 

[Disneyolic]

We have been in July and in October and have never seen any bugs! I commented to my husband on that as we have terrible mosquitos in our own backyard. One year we went (1997), they were closing all the pools early (I think 6 pm) because of some sort of mosquitos and passing on disease. But, we never were bothered by any.

Funny speaking of Sanibel/Captiva - I just received a packet from the Chamber of Commerce today. We were considering going there the beginning of Nov as my father's company has a house there that they let their managers stay for free. It would be nice to tag along (he he).

 

[jwfla422]

dwfanatic-during the more humid months is when the palmettos are more socialable, i remember them coming up through some of the wooden planks at the BW, eeekkk, i'm a bugaphobic and I live in FL & will never get used to them!!My tip is---Just don't sit on the BW if you don't like big big bugs crawling on you, eeks. They always seem to find me.

The geckos can also be rather interesting, how they find they're way into everything. If you live north, don't try to take one home, they won't last in the lesser humidity

Diznyqt-yes first encounters with FL Palmettos can be more like close encounters with an alien, however I must admit the most heart stopping moment I can remember was when i was in San Antonio, TX a few years back and we were cruising down the riverfront (relaxing, kicking back, enjoying the evening) there and I felt a major tingle on my arm, I looked down and there was a super duper cockeroach, probably super de duper la cuckeracha from Mexico on my forearm and it took up most of my forearm, I almost had a major coronary!! Will never forget that. I had the hebegeebees the rest of my trip !!!

 

[nwdisgal]

Snowball22 - Thanks for the links! By the way, can anyone tell me what a lovebug is (besides Herbie ) I keep on reading about them on the bug threads and don't know what they are. We don't have them in the state of Washington (at least not west of the mountains).

 

[DisneyFanLisa]

I think they're referring to the ladybugs that are just about EVERYWHERE!! I know we have them all the way up here, too and they drive me NUTS!

 

[nwdisgal]

If lovebugs are ladybugs - then we do have them.

By the way, thanks for the heads up about the palmetto bugs. I fortunately haven't run into one yet, and at least won't have a cardiac, should I ever see one.

 

[WildGrits]

By the way, thanks for the heads up about the palmetto bugs. I fortunately haven't run into one yet, and at least won't have a cardiac, should I ever see one.

LOL, that's what you think. Being from a very wet area, we have come very accustom to these buggers. But I think it will unnerve anyone who finds a 2-3 inch roach climbing on your arm or shoulder. Especially because they mostly come out at night and you dont know how long they have been there.

Can I get a group YUCK !!!!!!!!

 

[nwdisgal]

Wildgrits - thanks for the warning. On second thought, I might have to scream. I have seen bees the size of birds in the Everglades and that was enough to send me out the door of a moving car.

I can hardly wait

 

[Poohbear123]

Eeeeeyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Thats how I yell when I feel/see a Palmetto BUG! UUuggghhh......

 

[takara]

Unfortunately we live next to the wetlands and are constantly hounded by those nasty no-see-ums!! They do tend to come out after dusk and it's a race from the car in the parking lot to our apartment door. For people with shorter hair, they go after your ears and believe me your scalp as well, it's terrible!!! Love Bugs aren't ladybugs and found a link that might help:

www.floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe00508.htm

I wish that we could find some sort of outside plant to place on our balcony that could keep the no-see-ums away.

 

[nwdisgal]

Takara - thanks for the update on the Love Bug. OMG! They look like an alien encounter (on the windshield no less). I was also interested in your post about noseeums. I had a problem with them last time, and just planning on slathering myself with Skin So Soft, next trip.