I may need a whole thread about Florida humor.

jujube said:
Actually, the love bugs haven't been bad here at all for the last couple of seasons. I heard that they are disappearing. Yay-Rah!!! I doubt there's going to be any protests for "Protect the Lovebugs" held.
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Thirteen years ago, my first season in the area I'm in now. The lovebugs were carpeting everything. You couldn't breath without sucking one up your nose. No wait, two of them since they stayed locked together. Since then, the numbers have dropped steadily to where I'm not seeing them at all now.

Don't get your hopes up they're disappearing. We'd have lean years like that with fish flies in MI. Then there'd suddenly be an explosion with cars slipping all over the place trying to stop.
 
robin416 said:
Thirteen years ago, my first season in the area I'm in now. The lovebugs were carpeting everything. You couldn't breath without sucking one up your nose. No wait, two of them since they stayed locked together. Since then, the numbers have dropped steadily to where I'm not seeing them at all now.

Don't get your hopes up they're disappearing. We'd have lean years like that with fish flies in MI. Then there'd suddenly be an explosion with cars slipping all over the place trying to stop.
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Boy, do I remember the fish flies in Michigan. One year, we were (trying) to picnic at Lake Saint Clair Metro Park and the fish flies were so bad, they were almost knee deep on the sidewalk. Of course, a "good" fish fly season is also a good season for fishing. Thank goodness those little boogers have a very short life.

I was told that sometimes, they have to take a snowplow across the bridges to scrape them off for visibility.

Another annoyance in Florida are the "blind mosquitos". They don't bite but they are attracted to white surfaces, so if you have a white vehicle or RV, you'll be covered with them.

I have a funny (or not-so-funny) lovebug story. When my daughter and son-in-law were building their log home, it was still open to the elements during lovebug season. That wasn't a problem, but they came home one day during the next season and the entire inside of the house was COVERED with lovebugs. The cats were losing their minds. Lovebugs on the ceiling, on the walls, on the floors, on the furniture, everywhere!

Every day, they swept and scraped and wiped and then they'd come home and there would be a million more. Finally, they got rid of all of them. Whew! Nope, not so fast.

The next season, they were back. How are they getting in??? Well, we found out. When the house was open, the lovebugs had laid their eggs in the logs (almost the whole inside of the house had exposed logs). Eggs would hatch the next season and the new set would lay more eggs. Then next season, THOSE eggs would hatch.

Lots of pest control finally stopped that little nightmare performance.

Now, we come to the tiny little green frogs. Tiny little guys. We were camping and had unfortunately left the pickup truck open after a rainstorm. The cab was FULL of little green frogs. For days, we'd be driving and I'd feel a cold little thingy on the back of my neck, or my leg, or my shoulder. I'd grab it and fling it out the window. This went on for days until we got them all out.

Oh, Florida, my Florida.

And don't even bring up the falling iguanas in South Florida when it gets cold.. Luckily, we don't have that problem in Central Florida, but if they move North, it's game-on!
 
Did you ever hear of Harrison Hospital? That's where I worked and almost learned the hard way about slippery roads covered in fish flies. The hospital wasn't that far from the park. When I hit my brakes that night after leaving work I slid through the intersection and was headed for the cove. White knuckles to the max. Brake pedal through the floor.

I don't remember them having to plow the bridge for them but I lived in my own world then so it's entirely possible. Can you imagine? Slick as snot and heading for the guardrail. Yeah, Skippy, that would get your heart racing.

I'd be so tempted just to burn the thing down. That would creep me out so bad. What did the kids do until they got the situation cleared up?

I love those little green frogs. Just maybe not climbing up on my neck while driving down the road.

OK, I have to find something white that's large. I've never heard of the blind mosquitoes but we're close enough that it's possible they're here too.
 
squatting dog said:
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My Sister is having me visit her in Florida, near Ocala, in Oct or Nov. What season is that? I was wondering since she is taking me
for a tour of everglades is she trying to do me in by Hurricane or shove me out when we get to gator alley? Do I need a plexiglass
Face helmet on that tour because lunch is bug buffet?
 
IrishEyes said:
My Sister is having me visit her in Florida, near Ocala, in Oct or Nov. What season is that? I was wondering since she is taking me
for a tour of everglades is she trying to do me in by Hurricane or shove me out when we get to gator alley? Do I need a plexiglass
Face helmet on that tour because lunch is bug buffet?
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Lovebug season 2 ought to be over by then. Unless things have changed -- maybe climate change made the bugs more amorous.
 
Rossana said:
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Those tongue twisters might come easy to Florida locals. However, the spelling of the State name topped all known typos:

flordia.jpg

This legendary error actually made headlines. In July 2013, the Florida Department of Transportation was preparing to install a large sign on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville. Workers spotted a glaring typo: the sign directed drivers to the University of North "Flordia" and "Flordia" State College.

Question from across the pond. My wife and I have been to Florida numerous times, we are curious about the State's drivers. Are the indicators in their cars, optional extras? Nobody ever bothers to signal their direction.
 
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IrishEyes said:
My Sister is having me visit her in Florida, near Ocala, in Oct or Nov. What season is that? I was wondering since she is taking me
for a tour of everglades is she trying to do me in by Hurricane or shove me out when we get to gator alley? Do I need a plexiglass
Face helmet on that tour because lunch is bug buffet?
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Oct. - Nov is the end of hurricane season so always watch the sky. Air boats through the everglades is a pretty cool trip. Not sure about bugs right then.
However... you might want to be on the lookout for some of those pesky mosquitoes. 🤣


florida mosquito.jpg
 
squatting dog said:
Oct. - Nov is the end of hurricane season so always watch the sky. Air boats through the everglades is a pretty cool trip. Not sure about bugs right then.
However... you might want to be on the lookout for some of those pesky mosquitoes. 🤣


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She's lived there for decades now so she's pretty savvy. She didn't think I would enjoy the humidity in summer months
so she thought later fall would be better for me. I have never been there before so one more adventure under my belt.
I am looking forward to the tour.
 
IrishEyes said:
She's lived there for decades now so she's pretty savvy. She didn't think I would enjoy the humidity in summer months
so she thought later fall would be better for me. I have never been there before so one more adventure under my belt.
I am looking forward to the tour.
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Humidity should be a lot lower. Of course, Oct is usually the start of snowbird season, (all the wonderful foliage) so, there is that. 🤣



Florida in fall.jpeg
 
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