Sick of BUGS!

Well I have to get this off my chest!

I have never really had an issue with "bugs" in general... probably my least favorite is spiders, (tramatized as a child, long story, LOL), but other than that, I'm "ok" with them... (I have to do the roach squishing for my wife hehe).

I live in Florida, and we have some of the biggest roaches ever! (Actually palmetto bugs, but people call them roaches).

Back in January for financial reasons, I moved from heavily populated and industrialized Pinellas County, FL (Clearwater), to a little place called Hog Valley (its about 40 mins NE of Ocala). I live literally IN the national forest, in a special section they cut out of the forest for private campsites.

Back in January when I moved in, it wasn't much of an issue, but as we got into April and it really started heating up, the bugs have literally come out of the woodwork!

I have a new found HATRED of bugs!!! I have encountered all sorts of new bugs I never even new existed! Giant moths, giant grasshoppers, the mosquitos and chiggers are completely out of control!

Some sort of Giant bumblebee called a carpenter bee is eating my newly built shed... (it tunnels in the wood like a termite, only about 100x bigger). I never even knew there was a bee that destroyed wood! (these things are big too!)

carpenter bee

This past week I have encountered TWO SCORPIONS! in my trailer, one small, the other about 2 inches long... (I'm glad I saw them before I sat down, one would have gotten me right in the rear!)

To top it off, last night some sort of giant flying pincher beetle thing landed on my screendoor... (If it had landed on me I am sure I would have messed my pants).

Here is a pic of it on the door:



After I sprayed it with some Raid, (yes I keep a can at my side at ALL TIMES), it dropped off the screen. I fetched it up this morning, and took a picture of it next to my cell phone for a size comparison... this thing is HUGE! The pinchers on it are viscious looking!



Actually, for some reason it seems all the bugs out here are just giant compared to what I am used too, maybe I live in some sort of old nuclear testing ground or something! LOL (well there is that navy bombing range in the southern half of the forest... hmmm.....)

I really think insects are the dominant species on the planet, and I have a new found dislike for them!!! ... hopefully when finances permit, I can get out of here and back to civilization! I will gladly deal with squishing the occasional palmetto bug versus fighting the constant insect war I am dealing with here!

Sorry for the rant, lol, I am just so sick of dealing with the bugs out here, I think I'm losing my mind!

Num

Re: Sick of BUGS!

I'm a Florida native...

The carpenter bees will return to the same place every year. You can spray and kill them. Some people nail up soft pine lumber to make a "habitat" for them. I've never tried that approach but is seems like it might work.

Have you seen the big orange and black "locust" grasshoppers yet? They will hiss at you when you pick them up. They were a menace to my Granny's garden. She'd pluck them off her veggies, twist their heads off like a shrimp, and feed them to the chickens!

Those little black ants. Argh! Never leave a crumb of anything edible in your car. Nothing like ants blowing out of the AC vents on you.

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I know what you mean, seen all kinds of creatures that I believed to be imaginary. Now I'm working in Ohio, and I have never seen such huge horse flies. These things dive-bomb my windshield while I'm parked, and I'm afraid one of them may chip it! Those flying beetles are pretty cool, I don't mind them. I am not scared of spiders, however, there are a few things that will make me jump on a chair: frogs (they pee on you, for crying out loud), mice, rats, and roaches. Basically it is because they are NASTY, God only knows what kind of diseases they carry. Working outdoors all the time, I have up close and personal encounters on a daily basis. I have seen some things that an entire can of company-issued (highly concentrated) spray cannot kill. Those jokers just laugh at me when I spray them!!

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Yeah I am a Florida native too, so bugs are nothing new... but I am just amazed at the difference in the quantity and size of them up here in the forest...

I have no idea what that beetle thing is that landed on my screendoor, but like I said it was huge and had some deadly serious pinchers on it...

I am sooooo glad it landed on the door and not me!

If anyone has an idea of what it might be, I would love to research it a bit!

Thanks

Num

Re: Sick of BUGS!

I live in SoCal and I think they imported all of our bugs to you guys because I only get spiders(Black Widows and the long leged ones) and ants and I can handle that.

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Vermont is too cold for much but Mosquitoes and horseflies but the Ticks are coming in strong from CT and beyond and you don't find them till they dig into you for a couple days and get big with your blood. Lyme disease is big around here and it cripples people.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

"I live in Florida, and we have some of the biggest roaches ever! (Actually palmetto bugs, but people call them roaches). "

Those are roaches, cockroaches, that some people call palmetto bugs. I think some chamber of commerce dude thought up the palmetto bug moniker.

You need some geckos and maybe an iguana or two and some chickens or guineas. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

having own a place on Lake Delancy, not far from Hog Valley, i understand. some people move there just for the nature. chlordane power, dissolved in water, put in a hose sprayer, will cut down on the critters, spray as far as you can. start at the house first, and spray away from it. if you start on the outer, and spray toward the house, it will run them into or under the house.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlordane

edit: looks like they took it off the market, but i swear i bought some at home depot not long ago.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Diatomaceous earth, sprinkled around, can help with some of the bugs.

Chickens are great for this too, plus you get eggs for 'free'. They will wander around about 1-2 acres from thier coop - but will return at night, so you don't have to worry about loosing them.

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If your in Ohio long enough wait till your introduced to the cicada's. They can get so thick you cant see to drive and they make the loudest annoying noise.

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Scratching Florida off my travellers list. ewwww. Thank God we just have mosquitos, black flies and a few horse flies. And only during the warm months. You got some nasty bugs down south. grossss.

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Oh, I have been introduced to cicadas, we have them in Florida as well. It seems like everybody loves Florida's tropical climate: humans, bugs, sharks, animals, and old people from up north that can't drive (I don't classify them as humans.)

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Too bad you missed the Mufflehead invasion Shane. It happens every spring. A big mosquito size bug that is totally white. When the season hits and they are swarming, your wipers are not enough to drive. They come in off of the lake. Was out on the lake one year and was cruising back in. No wipers on the boat and you didn't dare stand up as your face would get plastered. Its good that they don't hang around long.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

HAV2FISH said:

If your in Ohio long enough wait till your introduced to the cicada's. They can get so thick you cant see to drive and they make the loudest annoying noise.

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LOL HAV2 your right about the cicada's every 17 years they come out of the woodwork. I grew up in Tmpa ,Fl. and the " palmetto bugs " have nothing on them .


Num if you want to see big Palmetto's go to Hawaii we caleld them skateboards over there .


Rick

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Heh no thanks! I have had my fill ....

I know you will all think I am making this up, but it's god's honest truth...

I fell asleep at the computer and was just woken up by... you guessed it a bug and whats worse it was one of those giant pincher beetle things.... heard a loud buzzing noise, stirred from my sleep, and blam! It landed on my chest... I just jumped about 3 feet!

It dropped on the floor and I got it with my shoe...

Its not quite as big as the one that was on my screen door, but still pretty awful to think it was just on me! I wonder how it got inside

well I'm awake now so time to catch up on the new posts! Yeesh

Num

/edit - Also rick my rebuild thread is all caught up if you havent seen it yet.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Num I will be sure to go check it out .


Rick

Re: Sick of BUGS!

UUHHH, Now I know were I am NOT moving!!

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Numlaar said:

Heh no thanks! I have had my fill ....

I know you will all think I am making this up, but it's god's honest truth...

I fell asleep at the computer and was just woken up by... you guessed it a bug and whats worse it was one of those giant pincher beetle things.... heard a loud buzzing noise, stirred from my sleep, and blam! It landed on my chest... I just jumped about 3 feet!

It dropped on the floor and I got it with my shoe...

Its not quite as big as the one that was on my screen door, but still pretty awful to think it was just on me! I wonder how it got inside

well I'm awake now so time to catch up on the new posts! Yeesh

Num

/edit - Also rick my rebuild thread is all caught up if you havent seen it yet.

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I'm pretty sure I would have crapped my pants.

Ditto on the above comment on knowing where not to move....


That has got to be about the best darned reason for living up here in the great white north, no more than 4 months of bugs, the rest of the year is pest free.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

The huge beetle is a type of borer. We have cottonwood borers around here. They drill holes in the trunks of tree to lay their eggs, and will bite the c-r-a-p out of you if you pick them up. They are slow and otherwise harmless.

Re: Sick of BUGS!

Lightnig said:

I'm pretty sure I would have crapped my pants.

Ditto on the above comment on knowing where not to move....


That has got to be about the best darned reason for living up here in the great white north, no more than 4 months of bugs, the rest of the year is pest free.

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LOL well fortunately I was half asleep otherwise I probably would have if I knew exactly what it was... I was groggy when waking, and heard the buzzing, started to wake up and felt it on my shirt near my waiste line, jumped up, and it dropped on the floor where I smacked it, then I could see what it was and was like HOLY Bleep! I took a picture just to prove it really happened hehe but it looks the exact same as the one above, but only about 2inches long. Has some nasty pinchers on it, glad it didnt bite me!

I just can't wait till my cabin is finished and I can move back to clearwater! yeesh!