Florida is known for its gorgeous beaches with crystal clear bluish-green waters and bright white sands, as well as its beautiful wooded trails and unique wildlife.
However, before you decide to drop everything in your hometown and move to this stunning oasis, you may be wondering; how bad are the bugs in Florida? Well, you are in the right place.
In this article, we talk about the bugs in Florida and what bug is the worst problem! Keep reading to find out more!
How Bad Are the Bugs in Florida?
Florida is home to many different types of insects, and since the weather remains fairly warm all year long, the insects don’t go away for nearly as long as in some other places in the US. But how bad are the bugs in Florida? The short answer, according to residents, is pretty awful!
1. How Bad Are the Ants?
Ants are everywhere. However, one species of ant, in particular, is fierce in Florida. This is the Fire Ant. Fire ants are set apart from other ants because they are red instead of black.
Along with being red, fire ants also are venomous and have a vicious bite. While a few fire ant bites won’t kill you, they are extremely painful. Also, keep in mind that stepping on a fire ant bed could turn potentially fatal if you are highly allergic to the venom of fire ants.
2. How Bad Are the Mosquitos?
Out in the summer and go in the winter, everyone looks forward to the cooler months when they don’t have to worry about their blood being an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitos.
Mosquitos are the most prominent in the southern states due to the high heat and humidity levels, however, Florida seems to have it worse when it comes to these little vampires than other southern states like Georgia and Alabama.
Unfortunately, due to Florida’s tropical climate, mosquitos are prominent basically the entire year usually. They are also more prone to be found in large numbers in swampy areas due to the standing water, and swamps are everywhere in Florida state.
So, make sure you wear mosquito repellent in Florida, especially in the evenings when mosquitos tend to come out more. Mosquito bites can cause complications such as the West Nile Virus and Encephalitis. Both of these complications can cause serious damage to your health.
3. How Bad Are the Ticks?
Much like mosquitos, ticks are also bad in the sunshine state. While you may only think of sandy beaches when you think of Florida, the state also has a lot of wooded areas that are great for hiking but are also a tick’s favorite place to find a host.
If you are going to be in Florida, make sure you protect yourself from ticks, especially if you are going for a hike. Tick bites are known to cause serious problems such as Lyme disease potentially.
4. How Bad Are the Wasps?
We all know the utter terror one experiences when one walks outside and sees wasps swarming around. Usually, it is the tall tale sign of the warmer months arriving. However, since the climate in Florida is always on the warmer side, wasps are always a problem for residents and tourists alike.
Since they don’t die off in the cold like most of them usually do, they have more time to reproduce, meaning a higher wasp population. Yikes!
They are also a big problem on Florida beaches since the sand is almost white, and they are notorious for being attracted to the color white.
5. How Bad Are the Bees?
Similar to wasps, bees are also a huge nuisance in Florida! Bees also usually hibernate in the winter when the weather gets colder, so they are usually out all year too.
There are a plethora of bee species in Florida. However, Florida is known to have the highest population of honeybees. This may sound like a bad thing, but it is actually good! Honeybees are an important piece of our ecosystem and are becoming extinct in some places.
So, if you see a honeybee hive in Florida, whatever you do, just don’t harm it! If you are extremely allergic to bees, you should choose somewhere where it is cold to call home.
6. How Bad Are the Spiders?
Creepy, crawly spiders are everywhere across the planet, and it is impossible to escape them entirely! However, some places have a higher population than others when it comes to spiders. Some also have more good spiders than bad (venomous) ones.
While the majority of the spiders in Florida are harmless, there are four types of widow spiders and three types of recluse spiders to watch out for: The Northern Black Widow spider, the Southern Black Widow, spider the Red Widow spider, the Brown Widow Spider, the Brown Recluse spider, the Mediterranean recluse spider, and the Chilean recluse spider.
These species are extremely venomous, and untreated bites can actually be fatal. They are usually found under firewood and other places that are hidden.
7. How Bad Are the Cockroaches?
Even though cockroach infestations occur in many places, residents report cockroach infestations are much, much worse in Florida! In fact, what most people know as palmetto bugs are actually called Florida wood cockroaches!
Florida’s high cockroach population is thought to be because cockroaches love damp, warm, and humid environments. All of which Florida has year round.
What’s worse, Florida’s German cockroach population is among the highest! German cockroaches are the most harmful of all cockroaches and they can not even live outside.
These disgusting critters carry a plethora of diseases and allergens, and can only live indoors! Yes, that is disturbing.
8. How Bad Are the Bed Bugs?
If you were expecting good news with this one, I’m sorry to have to burst your bubble. Three cities in Florida ranked on the list of the top 50 cities with the highest bed bug population!
Bed bugs are a huge nuisance and very hard to get rid of. You may think of bed bugs as only living in your bed, but bed bugs are travelers and they love anything fabric. This means they not only live, reproduce, and lay eggs in your bedding but also in your clothes.
Since Florida is a huge tourist area, you can see why this can be problematic when it comes to the spread of bed bugs. And, since bed bugs are extremely hard to see, rental owners won’t notice a few straggler bed bugs.
However, these bugs reproduce quickly, and a few can easily turn into thousands before you even realize you have an issue. Usually, the only way to get a bed bug situation under control is to call a professional.
You will also have to wash anything and everything that is material in hot water that is as hot as you can get it and dry it on the highest setting to kill these creatures.
The Worst Bug In Florida
Now, for the absolute worst bug in Florida! According to studies, termite infestations are worse in Florida than in any other place in the US.
This is likely due to humid conditions and the proximity of houses to the ocean. Termites love wood that is moist and decaying and they thrive in warm environments. Because of this, Florida is the ultimate hotspot for termites.
Termites can cause extensive damage to your home ad property. So, if you have a termite problem, you should call a pest control company immediately to prevent any further damage to your home.
Other Insects in Florida
There is another insect that loves this tropical paradise, but these guys are pretty much harmless: Love bugs!
Love bugs are a kind of somewhat invasive bug from the fly family. They get their name from their mating style. When they mate, they stay back to back for up to four days. That’s a long time.
They swarm the great Flordia state from late April to early May and from late August to early September, basically spring and fall.
Although they are a nuisance to Floridians, lovebugs are not only harmless but actually quite beneficial to our ecosystem!
Conclusion
If you are looking to move somewhere without a lot of bugs, Florida is probably not the place for you. The state seems to rank high for almost every bug and pest people try to avoid at all costs!
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