Box Jelly Fish (homes, allergy, live in)

[MACDONALDO67]

Aloha

Just and enquiry to cure my curiosity if you can help please?

My wife and I last visited Hawaii, (Oahu, Waikiki), in 1995. Loved it and plan to come back one day soon. We also took a day trip around the Big Island and at the end of the day watched the sun go down into the drink. Might not sound much or mean anything to others but to us we really loved it over there.

I was reading only the other week about Box jellyfish and how they swoon in so many days after a full moon and Hawaii was on the list of locations where these jellies live.

That cast my mind back 16 years to when I was 27 years old and the lifeguard at the Hilton told us to watch out for the jellyfish in the water, (Can't remember if he specifically referred to the Box type). I didn't think much about it then and I certainly didn't know then that Box Jellyfish were deadly. At that age I guess you don't really think. I remember being aware about the Tiger sharks but not the jellies or how dangerous they actually were/are.

It has only been the past few years, upon studying species of dangerous creatures in and around Australia that I really took notice. (Sorry to sound thick lol )

Anyway I was interested to know does Hawaii really have a problem with the Box Jellyfish? How do you manage to swim without accidentally coming into contact or is it just rare occasions?

Just interested in information from people that live in Hawaii and what experiences you have had with them.

Thanks

Allan (Warrington, Great Britain)

[jeffington]

The box jellyfish is a very interesting and dangerous little creature. It has eyes and appears to be able to distinguish light from dark, but does so with not nervous system.

It's ability to deliver pain-inducing toxin is very high. The (and I forget their name) spikes that fire out and deliver the poison do so at an incredible rate of speed. It is like an inside-out sock suddenly being squirted right-side out.

It is my understanding that some have been found under certain conditions in Hawaii. I don't think they are the exact same species found in Aus, but similar. Very small and hard to see (about size of little finger).

[Calico Salsa]

My neighbor has hosted barbeques at which several Maui lifeguards told stories of visitors versus jellyfish. The box jellyfish here are not generally fatally poisonous, unless you have an allergy or other specific reaction (e.g. you panic and drown).

There are a few sites up that can give you better information than I could. Try this one:
808jellyfish is Hawaii's guide to the box jellyfish arrivals on the south shores of Oahu. Keep your family safe and know when to go to the beach!

The site (and the lifeguards' stories) notes the arrival of the box jellyfish as a few days following a full moon.

Maui beaches with lifeguards will fly a hazard flag warning people not to go in the water. It is strongly suggested you don't, not only to save yourself the pain of the stings, but to save yourself the irritation and possible dunking from the lifeguard who might have to go in after you and get stung him- or herself.

[jeffington]

Originally Posted by Calico Salsa

My neighbor has hosted barbeques at which several Maui lifeguards told stories of visitors versus jellyfish. The box jellyfish here are not generally fatally poisonous, unless you have an allergy or other specific reaction (e.g. you panic and drown).

There are a few sites up that can give you better information than I could. Try this one:
808jellyfish is Hawaii's guide to the box jellyfish arrivals on the south shores of Oahu. Keep your family safe and know when to go to the beach!

The site (and the lifeguards' stories) notes the arrival of the box jellyfish as a few days following a full moon.

Maui beaches with lifeguards will fly a hazard flag warning people not to go in the water. It is strongly suggested you don't, not only to save yourself the pain of the stings, but to save yourself the irritation and possible dunking from the lifeguard who might have to go in after you and get stung him- or herself.

People hit with the Australian varieties such as the Irukandji are most often hospitalized with pain that is intolerable, even under strong medication. And they have another one that is even worse because of its size (Fleckeri), which is claimed to be the most venomous animal on earth..

I saw a TV article about the collection of related box jellyfish in Waikiki. As I recall, they were attempting to collect venom for study.

It is my understanding that jellyfish populations are expanding globally possibly due to fertilizer runoff. Japanese fisherman are especially plagued by them. They would cut them into pieces, which would make the situation far worse and many of the pieces would develop into jellyfish themselves.

I was hit with the tentacle of an unknown variety of jelly that I had cut in two with my knife to see how firm it was as it swam by. It cut cleanly in two and seemed very fragile, but a piece hit my neck and it was like fire. Far worse than mustard coral A hot fiery bitter burn.

[Calico Salsa]

Yikes, let's hope the Hawaiian varieties don't mate with the local centipedes and start a whole new threat!

Just discovered a centipede in our bedroom. First ever! Cut it into 3 pieces with some scissors, and the head portion kept wiggling away until I cut through the very first section. Ugh.

[mdgilmore]

Originally Posted by Calico Salsa

Yikes, let's hope the Hawaiian varieties don't mate with the local centipedes and start a whole new threat!

Just discovered a centipede in our bedroom. First ever! Cut it into 3 pieces with some scissors, and the head portion kept wiggling away until I cut through the very first section. Ugh.

Yikes! Not cool. It sounds like you rarely see them (centipedes) though, right? If you live in a home that is 2 stories with bedrooms upstairs are you less likely to end up with them in your bed? My big fear is one getting into my little ones' beds I love bugs and teach my girls that they're our friends, but that doesn't extend to the ones that sting my bebes. I've been looking at as many 2 story homes as I can find for that reason, but does it even make a difference?

[Calico Salsa]

This is the first time in 7 years that we had one inside our house, and we're one story. First few years we had Terminex spraying the perimeter inside & outside. Then the last couple of years we've been doing our own spraying with Home Defense, but admittedly not as regularly.

Our front door screen doesn't go all the way to the lintel (or is it threshold?). In any case, that leaves a gap. And the kitchen slider has a curtain style screen that use sometimes when we are going in & out and don't want to keep moving the regular screen.

I wish I could reassure you about a 2-story house, but in fact creepy crawlies can find other means of getting inside. One can crawl up a plant that overhangs or touches the house, drop onto the roof, and get in via vents. Or one can crawl up the side of a house, and come in via any open window. The best method to keep out unwanted critters is to close gaps and make sure you have good screens.

We see centipedes outside, mostly when we do some digging that disturbs them. They tend to be nesting under rocks or plastic pots or in among the lower growth. A few evenings (just a few over 7 years remember) we would see one crawling down the street, at which point all of us standing around talking story would rush over and stomp the life out of the poor beastie.

I am not sure how the centipede got in our bedroom. Probably via a vent, since there's no open window there. We have the ductless AC in the bedroom, which of course isn't entirely ductless, it just has a much smaller pipe for the air exchange. We'll have to check it out to make sure any holes are screened or caulked.

Well, I feel better after laying down some sticky boards. Let's see what else we catch.

[RedJacket]

Beware the Irukandji.

[McFrostyJ]

From 808jellyfish is Hawaii's guide to the box jellyfish arrivals on the south shores of Oahu. Keep your family safe and know when to go to the beach!

Two concepts are key to treating box jellyfish stings. One is to prevent firing of any undischarged nematocysts remaining on the skin, thus preventing the injury from getting worse. The second is to treat the symptoms and pain caused by already-fired nematocysts. The following first aid treatment, based on current Australian research, is recommended for the stings of all species of box jellyfish:
1. Immediately flood the area with household vinegar to keep undischarged nematocysts from firing. This does not relieve pain, but prevents additional stings.

2. Never rub the area with sand or anything else.

3. Irrigate exposed eyes with copious amounts of room temperature tap water for at least 15 minutes. If vision blurs, or the eyes continue to tear, hurt, swell, or are light sensitive after irrigating, see a doctor.

4. Pluck off any vinegar-soaked tentacles with a stick or other tool.

5. If the victim has shortness of breath, weakness, muscle cramps, palpitations or any other generalized symptoms, immediately call 911 or take them to the nearest emergency room.

6. For pain relief, apply ice packs. If pain becomes unbearable, go to an emergency room. No studies support applying heat to box jellyfish stings.

Contradictory studies exist on the effectiveness of meat tenderizer, baking soda, papaya, or commercial sprays (containing aluminum sulfate and detergents) on nematocyst stings. These substances may cause further damage. Some kinds of meat tenderizer, for instance, can cause skin peeling. In one U.S. fatality from the box jellyfish, Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, rescuers placed meat tenderizer almost immediately on the affected arm. The child was soon comatose and later died.

Alcohol and human urine are common nematocyst remedies, but both can be harmful. An Australian study reports that both alcohol and urine caused massive discharge of box jellyfish nematocysts.

Most Hawaii box jellyfish stings disappear by themselves. Because of this, even harmful therapies can appear to work. A key concept in the first aid of any injury is: Do no harm. Therefore, avoid applying unproven, possibly harmful substances to stings.

Occasionally, nematocyst toxins cause lymph nodes near a sting site to swell. If a red streak develops between the two areas, or if either area becomes red, warm and tender, see a doctor immediately.

Few box jellyfish stings in Hawaii cause life-threatening reactions, but this is always a possibility. Some people are extremely sensitive to the venom; a few have allergic reactions. Consider even the slightest breathing difficulty, or altered level of consciousness, a medical emergency. Call for help and use an automatic epinephrine injector if available.

[Dthraco]

Last month when they were at Waikiki the lifeguards had signs posted and warned people to not go in the water. But, people on vacation can be bull headed.

Needless to say she got quite the entertaining show...people going in after being warned...then coming out freaking out because they got stung.