[bmurphy]

I'm assuming, due to the climate, that bugs are pretty much an all year thing in Florida. Let's say we're talking about central inland Florida. Would the bugs be there all year? I would think so. If your apartment/home is exterminated quarterly and you use storebought bug spray, will that eliminate (at least about 90% anyway) the problem?

Should I avoid Florida purely because of bugs? I know in summer here, where it's almost as hot as Florida, the bugs pretty much stay away with just storebought spray (we don't exterminate this house...mother's choice). Would extermination plus storebought spray mostly keep the bugs out in Florida, or are they just rampant?

BTW: Lizards, frogs, whatever don't bother me as much. I'm talking pure insects like roaches, spiders, etc.

I like the sound of Florida - I worry about the bugs though!

[Callie_D]

I used to freak out about the bugs when I first got here, but you learn to deal with it after a while. The 2 major annoyances in Fla are fire ants and mosquitos. Fire ants have a nasty bite and you'll know them by the big sand mounds they leave on your lawn. Don't walk around barefoot! Mosquitos are a problem too, they are many and they are annoying, so get some repellent and you'll be fine. You can't leave standing water in your yard (like plant trays) because it will become a breeding ground for these pests.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I really thought that bugs would be a bigger deal than they have turned out to be.

[Prichard]

You can really do your own exterminating. Home Depot sells some good household insect spray. You can get good termite products at pest constrol stores. Fire ants are easily controled - just need to buy the fire ant products that are out there.

Mosquitos are the most dificult to control. Make sure you don't live near stagnant water. Also, if you want to avoid mosquitos, avoid living on a lake. During the summer time (7 months out of the year), if you are going to be out during dusk and nighttime, spray off or some other repelant product on you - it really works.

[BlueWillowPlate]

The bugs that I heard the worst horror stories about were the yellow flies, and we did experience them twice, and they were indeed feriocious, but it was two mornings in a row that lasted for 5 minutes--not exactly a prolonged battle.
The mosquitoes can be bad as well, but again, it never seemed to go on and on.
I heard that vinegar keeps the flies off well. Anyone else hear this?

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by bmurphy

I'm assuming, due to the climate, that bugs are pretty much an all year thing in Florida. Let's say we're talking about central inland Florida. Would the bugs be there all year? I would think so. If your apartment/home is exterminated quarterly and you use storebought bug spray, will that eliminate (at least about 90% anyway) the problem?

Should I avoid Florida purely because of bugs? I know in summer here, where it's almost as hot as Florida, the bugs pretty much stay away with just storebought spray (we don't exterminate this house...mother's choice). Would extermination plus storebought spray mostly keep the bugs out in Florida, or are they just rampant?

BTW: Lizards, frogs, whatever don't bother me as much. I'm talking pure insects like roaches, spiders, etc.

I like the sound of Florida - I worry about the bugs though!

I have lived in Tampa, Sarasota and now up here inland and north a bit in Dade City. IN Tampa and Sarasota we had major problems with roaches (really bad in Sarasota) which are the bugs I hate most. Mosquitoes are everywhere in Florida, but if you live in the city they spray. I am in the country with lakes and woods all around, and they are very bad here almost year round (no spraying). I don't have a problem with roaches though, even though I have a really old house and don't spray I have only seen one or two inside. Keep the bushes away from your house and you will usually not have a problem.

I like spiders and have a variety of them around - I like the pretty large striped ones that set up shop here from spring to fall - they are very beneficial as they EAT THE MOSQUITOES - also wasps and other predators. Most spiders are your friend.

I am pretty much a naturalist and don't care for sprays and such, but if you are in an apartment and some of your neighbors don't have good housekeeping habits you may need to resort to sprays for the roaches, which as I said are a big problem in Florida. I love the frogs and lizards!

[ElkHunter]

I lived in Thenonassasa. Thats a suburb of Tampa. It's higher up (if you can call anything in Florida, higher up) in elevation then most areas around there. I didn't have any bugs in the house, but I did have to put a squirt or two of bug juice on my arms and legs when I went out in the evening. That's all it took.

But, I had friends that raised canary's (professionally for pet stores) and the back of their property bordered one of the inlets. They had a nasty problem with bugs. But they installed a system that they had bought locally. Not sure what it is or exactly how it works. But it was powered by propane. Kind of expensive, about $1800. I heard you could get smaller units cheaper. Anyhow, this system did a fantastic job of keeping the bugs away. I visited several times after that and never saw a bug. And, it didn't seem to bother the canary's.

[wacahootaman]

Skeeters is real bad round these parts near Wacahoota. In fact, most folks put extre tie downs on their trailers and I will tell ya why.

In the Spring when the skeeters have a big hatch, they go into a feedin frenzy and try to get at people in their trailers. Most trailers round here have metal roofs and sometimes them big buck skeeters stick their stingers through the roof in their frenzy tryin to get at the people inside and they cant pull em back out so they get stuck on the roof.

Now if enuf skeeters get stuck on your roof trying to fly away they can lift yer singlewide off the foundation unless you put extre tie downs on it.

Had a feller from New Yawk City move in down the road who didnt believe this could happen. Last anyone saw of him and his trailer was it flyin away in the sunset wif a flock of sandhill cranes going north.

And the skeeters get big too. Big enuf to breed a turkey flat footed. An thats the gospel truth

[rperreta]

Originally Posted by Callie_D

I used to freak out about the bugs when I first got here, but you learn to deal with it after a while. The 2 major annoyances in Fla are fire ants and mosquitos. Fire ants have a nasty bite and you'll know them by the big sand mounds they leave on your lawn. Don't walk around barefoot! Mosquitos are a problem too, they are many and they are annoying, so get some repellent and you'll be fine. You can't leave standing water in your yard (like plant trays) because it will become a breeding ground for these pests.

Don't know if you know, They sell a Mosquito trap that works off of prophane. you can purchase different models that cover different areas of land. A close friend of mine has one here in NY for the summer. He was infested with them becuase behind his home is wooded lands that can't be built on with a pond. He would tell me stories that he would go out in the night time and the driveway lights kick in and you see hundreds of them under the light. Since he purchased this machine he has no bites, none in his patio or yard nor the front of the house. He does go through many filters tho....

Just something to think about...

-rjp

[nomoresnow]

Wacahootaman, you're about a crawdaddy short of a gumbo, aren't ya, bud?? ;-)

Thanks for the laughs.