FL - Quarter-sized gallinippers to invade Sunshine State, entomologists predict

[TrackerSam]

I've had quarter size skeeters in my back yard before. Of course I'm in Texas so we thought it was just normal. Good thing is they are not as quick as the little ones so they are easier to swat with my over-sized Texas shaped fly swatter.


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I'm one of the chosen. Mosquitos,..................... for whatever reason ?, don't land on me. I'm like immune or something.

 

[noZme]

Giant snails, rats as big as cats, giant mosquitoes....why don't any of these pests get smaller instead of larger?

Just to cover all angles, every coastal region in The Sunshine State also has a bajillion no-see-ums every summer....itty-bitty gnats that sting like the big boys.

And let's not forget fireants. Small but ferocious bugs.... everywhere. I am going to firebomb a hill in my backyard tomorrow.

 

[TGIRecovered]

I'm all itchy


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[CHERIE.T]

Tgir lolololol

 

[Nova]

There are so many reasons I got the heck out of Florida, as an adult, after my parents inexplicably moved me there when I was 8.

Never mind all the unsavory stuff--the mosquitoes and palmetto bugs, the drug dealing, the boiler-room operations in Boca Raton, our inability to complete a presidential election properly--I still have no idea why anyone willingly moves to a place where, 90% of the year, there is no reason to take a shower because once you step outside you will be dripping with sweat and humidity anyway.

Amen. I was raised in Florida, but left as soon as I was old enough. I was there for a few days last month, but only because my favorite aunt has breast cancer. Before that, it had been 15 years since my last visit.

 

[Nova]

Just to cover all angles, every coastal region in The Sunshine State also has a bajillion no-see-ums every summer....itty-bitty gnats that sting like the big boys.

And let's not forget fireants. Small but ferocious bugs.... everywhere. I am going to firebomb a hill in my backyard tomorrow.

And I just heard on a TV doc the other night that alligators grow to 2 feet larger than the biggest recorded saltwater crocodiles!

 

[Justiceforever]

We are in a tiny town in TX not far from the border,staying in these cute little cabins. The other day my SO said, " Take a look out the window and tell me what you see."

So I look out the window, it took me a few seconds and then I saw the biggest grasshopper that I have EVER seen in my life clinging to the window screen. :what: I'm talking 3 or 4 inches long!

Okay.

I'm cool with grasshoppers, but WHOA, this ones HUGE!!

So everytime I went out on the porch, I kept my eye on this critter. He didn't bother me and I didn't bother him.

My SO came out on the porch and got ready to squash it.

Much to my horror! "NO! don't kill it! It's just a grasshopper! " I exclaimed.

Later, I was inside the cabin, getting ready to lay down and call it a night.

I pulled back the comforter and lo and behold there was the critter in my bed!

I shreiked! Terrified!

I just reacted! I grabbed a book and hit it as quickly as I could, before it hopped away. God forbid it get away and crawl back into bed with me later!

I felt SO bad as I smashed it that I said, " I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

The next day when I went out on the porch, much to my surprise, there was the grasshopper, still clinging to the screen.

It hung around for another day or two and then left.

I can't help feeling guilty.

I think maybe, they were a couple and the one on the outside was waiting for the one on the inside to come out!

God forgive me.



My SO was at work when the murder was committed. I felt Ike a total hipocrate when I told him I had killed the grasshopper.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Justice Forever, I'm sure you are forgiven. Lol
I've come to love this thread and its stories.

 

[Nova]

I don't think grasshoppers mate for life. I'm sure the survivor has already mated (if it's the season for it).

 

[Justiceforever]

Nova and Cherie, Thank you. Your words are a small comfort. I am coming to terms with my capacity to kill something that as a child I used to catch and play with.

Crazy thing is, if it were a spider or a fly, or a mosquito, I would have had no compunctions @ killing it and wouldn't have given it a second thought.

I guess I was cool with the monster grasshoppers UNTIL one of them invaded my space

Then it HAD to die. Oh the shame!

 

[JustJudy]

Nova and Cherie, Thank you. Your words are a small comfort. I am coming to terms with my capacity to kill something that as a child I used to catch and play with.

Crazy thing is, if it were a spider or a fly, or a mosquito, I would have had no compunctions @ killing it and wouldn't have given it a second thought.

I guess I was cool with the monster grasshoppers UNTIL one of them invaded my space. Then it HAD to die. Oh the shame!

:therethere:

 

[momrids6]

Just to cover all angles, every coastal region in The Sunshine State also has a bajillion no-see-ums every summer....itty-bitty gnats that sting like the big boys.

And let's not forget fireants. Small but ferocious bugs.... everywhere. I am going to firebomb a hill in my backyard tomorrow.

I live in South Georgia- the term " no-see 'um" is reserved for gnats in New York ; the sand gnats here are so big, you can almost see teeth! As for the fire ants- if they are small, feed them some dry grits- they explode when the grits swell in their bellies. As for the larger ones- nothing but fire or a heck of a lot of Amdro seems to work

 

[wfgodot]

I scoffed when the ex- told me to beware of the fire ants in San Antonio - that is, until one day I went barefoot beyond the back gate to take out the trash, and the fire ants nearly ate off my left foot!

More skeeter-geddon: 'Giant' mosquito invasion? Nope, just another Florida critter (floridatoday.com)

 

[Justiceforever]

:therethere:

:floorlaugh: Thanks Judy. I've just about forgiven myself and have to admit that if another critter gets in my bed, it's dead too!

 

[Ausgirl]

Having never heard of "gallinippers" I choose to believe they are actually micro-black ops helicopters based on alien technology derived from the Area 51 incident, and programmed to take DNA samples from Floridians in the quest to develop a new race of humans who don't mind living in swampish conditions with reptilian species.

Cause clearly the croco-people are among us.

Clearly. /coughcough

 

[teedie2]

ROFLOL!

This has GOT to be the "Thread of the Day."

 

[my_tee_mouse]

We are in a tiny town in TX not far from the border,staying in these cute little cabins. The other day my SO said, " Take a look out the window and tell me what you see."

So I look out the window, it took me a few seconds and then I saw the biggest grasshopper that I have EVER seen in my life clinging to the window screen. :what: I'm talking 3 or 4 inches long!

Okay.

I'm cool with grasshoppers, but WHOA, this ones HUGE!!

So everytime I went out on the porch, I kept my eye on this critter. He didn't bother me and I didn't bother him.

My SO came out on the porch and got ready to squash it.

Much to my horror! "NO! don't kill it! It's just a grasshopper! " I exclaimed.

Later, I was inside the cabin, getting ready to lay down and call it a night.

I pulled back the comforter and lo and behold there was the critter in my bed!

I shreiked! Terrified!

I just reacted! I grabbed a book and hit it as quickly as I could, before it hopped away. God forbid it get away and crawl back into bed with me later!

I felt SO bad as I smashed it that I said, " I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

The next day when I went out on the porch, much to my surprise, there was the grasshopper, still clinging to the screen.

It hung around for another day or two and then left.

I can't help feeling guilty.

I think maybe, they were a couple and the one on the outside was waiting for the one on the inside to come out!

God forgive me.



My SO was at work when the murder was committed. I felt Ike a total hipocrate when I told him I had killed the grasshopper.

I empathize. I once accidentally shut a window on a poor defenseless chameleon who was doing nothing but minding his own business. From time to time I still think about that and feel totally rotten.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

I scoffed when the ex- told me to beware of the fire ants in San Antonio - that is, until one day I went barefoot beyond the back gate to take out the trash, and the fire ants nearly ate off my left foot!

More skeeter-geddon: 'Giant' mosquito invasion? Nope, just another Florida critter (floridatoday.com)

My (then) 12-year-old son once got a "queen" fire ant down his shirt. He jumped up from the couch, screaming bloody murder and smacking at his back. I pulled his shirt off and knocked the queen beotch off him. She landed on the coffee table. It took a good dozen thwacks with a volume of the encyclopedia to do her in.

 

[Justiceforever]

Having never heard of "gallinippers" I choose to believe they are actually micro-black ops helicopters based on alien technology derived from the Area 51 incident, and programmed to take DNA samples from Floridians in the quest to develop a new race of humans who don't mind living in swampish conditions with reptilian species.

Cause clearly the croco-people are among us.

Clearly. /coughcough

CLEARLY!

 

[angela]

I am laughing so hard at these posts! I am afraid of any type of insect and reptile but I hate killing them. Anything in my bed is fair game though. I would consider it suicide by boot.