Florida Insects

[cabinetman]

I can only speak about the critters here in South Florida. I will admit that there are some parts of the world that may equal what's in my yard. With all the rain lately, the mosquitoes have emerged. These aren't your regular bite and run type. These are the smart ones. They must be a strain right out of the Congo. They are HUGE, and SMART. Once outside, if you stand still you don't see anything at all. Then within seconds, they are on the back of everything...legs, arms, and neck. Not on the front where they can be smacked. They just laugh at Deet. They must use Off as underarm deodorant.
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[stormdog74]

I can only speak about the critters here in South Florida. I will admit that there are some parts of the world that may equal what's in my yard. With all the rain lately, the mosquitoes have emerged. These aren't your regular bite and run type. These are the smart ones. They must be a strain right out of the Congo. They are HUGE, and SMART. Once outside, if you stand still you don't see anything at all. Then within seconds, they are on the back of everything...legs, arms, and neck. Not on the front where they can be smacked. They just laugh at Deet. They must use Off as underarm deodorant.
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Never seen Florida mosquitoes, but I have seen (and felt!) the ones in Alaska and they are amazing - wind doesn't faze them much at all. I remember being stopped up near the arctic circle and mosquitoes swarming around the car looking for a way in - it felt like I was in "The Birds". I did not get out of the car! They call their mosquito the state bird for a very good reason!

[Richard in Smithville]

Mosquitoes nothing! Come try out our black flies. Not only are they small enough to squeeze through most door/ window screens, but tough enough to chew through the rest!

[Uncle Cracker]

I can sympathize with C-Man about the salt-marsh skeeters we have in FL, but I'd gladly sacrifice blood to them before I'd go through another swarm of yellow deerflies like the ones I experienced while I attempted to play golf on the Jersey shore... We literally had to run the course, and shoot on the move like Happy Gilmore. We lasted 3 holes...

[dlminehart]

One of the nicer things about the Bay Area is the relative scarcity of insects. No mosquitoes, an occasional fly or yellow jacket or butterfly. Well, and black widow spiders. And tarantulas. But these baddies are seldom seen unless you know where to look (e.g., wood pile in my side yard!)

[Nilt]

I did basic training in Alabama in June and July years ago. I remember there were some huge suckers there. More recently we've had a lot of skeeters in our neighborhood the past few years. This year is pleasantly free of them, though, due to the freezing snap (with snow, now less) we got in April.

While somewhat silly to have snow that late in Seattle, it seems to have killed them off nicely this year so I'd be happy to have it every year. I suppose they'd adjust to it, though.

[cabinetman]

After a walk through with my realtor of a home I wound up buying we walked outside, got into his car and we both noticed something really unnerving. We both had millions of fleas all over our pant legs from about the knee down. They were also all up inside our pants. We both jumped out and did what neighbors might have thought was a tribal dance.

The previous owners were pet lovers, and the place was unoccupied for a while, and loaded with fleas.
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[Uncle Cracker]

After a walk through with my realtor of a home I wound up buying we walked outside, got into his car and we both noticed something really unnerving. We both had millions of fleas all over our pant legs from about the knee down. They were also all up inside our pants. We both jumped out and did what neighbors might have thought was a tribal dance.

The previous owners were pet lovers, and the place was unoccupied for a while, and loaded with fleas.
.

Fleas are designed to last. What usually happens is that an adult female flea usually dies shortly after a blood meal and laying her eggs. However, when a host vacates, such as what happens when a family moves out and takes their pets, the female fleas do not get their meal, so they can't lay their eggs. Instead of dying off, Mother Nature gives their lifespan an extension, wherein they will do little else but attack anything that moves (including people) in legion with other generations that have hatched. Hence it looks like they suddenly bred wildly in an empty house. Nasty little buggers...

[Bruce Cohen]

Nah,

You guys have nothing on the cockroaches in NYC, When I was going to college, I lived in the lower East Side, I was able the hear the suckers walking on an area rug.

Ever have a tug of war with a bug for your food? I have. These suckers are BIG.

Bruce

[cabinetman]

Nah,

You guys have nothing on the cockroaches in NYC, When I was going to college, I lived in the lower East Side, I was able the hear the suckers walking on an area rug.

Ever have a tug of war with a bug for your food? I have. These suckers are BIG.

Bruce

Is that it? Let me tell ya about Florida cockroaches. If you walk into a dark room, you can hear them yelling and swearing to shut off the darn light. If they find a small crumb on the floor, they kick it to the wall and yell out "Is that all ya got?" They beat the krap outta mice. They move into the Roach Motel, and install their own training grounds out back. They grow wings here and are also called Palmetto Bugs, which permit them to fly around and dive bomb for prey. They have organized into "room gangs", sporting tattoo's and leather jackets.

So, if you're playing tug-o-war for your food, who wins?
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[Bruce Cohen]

I surrender!!!!!

Bruce

[iceman61]

I can sympathize with C-Man about the salt-marsh skeeters we have in FL, .....:

Got a skeeter on my
knock him off...
Got a dozen on my cousin
knock'em off.....

[eezlock]

Florida insects

Huh well, you might call them insects...but I don't think they are at small.
In Florida, the insects (bugs) came straight in from the tropics near the equator. The have mosquitos in Florida that are larger than a hummingbird!
Then there are those flying varmits you see all over vehicle windshields
splattered all over the place...they are called "lovebugs"...go figure!
No wonder, why all Florida residents have to have a screen installed
on their car or truck grill,..... to keep the bugs out of the radiator! eezlock

[Pappy]

What are all you boys complaining about? If'n a bug ain't big 'nuff to lasso and saddle break, it ain't worth gettin' yore dander up fer! Jest keep the scatter gun handy for the little 'uns.

[dkerfoot]

We have lived in several States: CA, VA, WA, SC, MI

Nonetheless, my kids were astounded by the mosquitoes in MN. They do a much better job of control nowadays, but if you time it right, you can easily have dozens of the buggers biting you at once.

I'll agree that the tiny black flies (no see ums) are worse though - there is no escape.

Flea eggs go dormant when they have nothing to eat. They wait until the vibrations of a person of animal wake them up for their meal. When conditions are just right, it can look like the carpet is alive.