Insects, bugs and other nasty things!!!

English Dan

English Dan

New Member
Hi there, we will be over in Orlando between 2nd July - 16th July. I am sure it advisable to get some sort of insect repellant, can anyone recommend a good brand to buy in the UK? Also what kind of bugs are we likely to come across??

As we are staying in our own villa we have been advised to not leave rubbish bags too early before collection, as turkey buzzards scavenge from them? Is this right?

Cheers, Dan.
 
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RedBaron

Active Member
There was only a mosquito problem one time when I was there several years ago. Central Florida was having a real bad problem. They kicked everyone out of the pool at 6:00 PM before the mosquitos came out for the evening. that year we did bring a Deep Woods Off cream with DEETwhich worked great, but other than that one time I dont think there was ever a problem with bug bites. I am always amazed that I never get bit there, but spending 5 minutes in my back yard in the evening will get me eaten alive. By the way the "love bugs" do not bit or anything, they just fly around so they are not a problem.
 
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figmentmom

figmentmom

Well-Known Member
I've never had a problem with insects of any kind at WDW. Your villa, however, might be another story - wait 'til you get there, and ask for advice from your neighbors! ;)
 
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LUV4Goofy

New Member
I've been there during the Love-Bug brigade. These bugs don't bite/sting, they just are annoying because they fly all around you and you're constantly shoo-ing them away. I was in WDW just 2 wks ago and, due to the rain, there were 'squito's around but not in swarms. I do understand, though, why they are called the official bird of Florida! :lol: Off with DEET is a good choice for repellent.
Also every night, the teeny frogs came out because of the dampness and in the morning, after the night rainfall, I would see things that looked like leaches to me stuck on the sidewalks. Those were gross-looking!!!!!:eek:
 
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tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
LUV4Goofy said:
I've been there during the Love-Bug brigade. These bugs don't bite/sting, they just are annoying because they fly all around you and you're constantly shoo-ing them away. I was in WDW just 2 wks ago and, due to the rain, there were 'squito's around but not in swarms. I do understand, though, why they are called the official bird of Florida! :lol: Off with DEET is a good choice for repellent.
Also every night, the teeny frogs came out because of the dampness and in the morning, after the night rainfall, I would see things that looked like leaches to me stuck on the sidewalks. Those were gross-looking!!!!!:eek:
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Slugs. They are like snails without their shells. They are harmless.
 
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jcat2312

jcat2312

New Member
Ewww..I will have to get over my fear of bugs by the time we go...

I know this sounds wierd, but I would get more freaked out by a big bug in my room than a mouse.....
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Back in the day when I was playing Paintball every weekend I use to swear by OFF 100% DEET. You should be able to find some version at any store that specializes in hunting, fishing, camping etc. What you are looking for is any repellent that says it has 100% DEET. DEET is the active ingredient in most insect repellents. Most commonly available repellents will have concentrations any were from 7% to 50%. I have never seen it in an aerosol can only in pump form. The bottle will be a small bottle about 2" tall and costs some were from $5 to $7. One word of caution, well several actually. Do not let it get on your glasses, watch, camera or anything else with some sort of lens. Most lenses are made out of some form of plastic these days and this stuff will cause it to become hazed. Apply it primarily to your clothing and never put it any where near your eyes or where it can sweat into your eyes. Lastly wash your hands after putting it on so you don't rub your eyes with it on your hands. :eek: All these cautions are true for any insect repellent being used. That being said WDW is surprisingly devoid of biting insects. In all my years the only time I had an encounter with them was one night at the Rose and Crown at Epcot.

To answer your trash question they were correct. Don't leave trash out for any length of time. Not only will buzzards get into it but you also have a good chance that an opossum or raccoon will feast on your trash. A tight fitting lid will usually keep out the buzzards and opossum but not the raccoons. Most raccoons are like McGiver with fur. I have actually seen one unscrew the lid off a jar of peanut butter before.
 
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flowerlady

flowerlady

New Member
The love bugs kept my family quite busy while we were poolside at a Holiday in on Rt 192. Your right...they are harmless, and you just are constantly shooing them away..but after awhile this became tiresome and icky. I didnt care for seeing the bug all over everyone and thing...but hey...ya gotta take the good w/ the bad. :D
 
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drp4video

drp4video

Well-Known Member
We go every august and stay on properyt, so no bugs due to Disney's spraying (wonder what they use??? Hopefully not harmful), although twice I have encountered mosquitos at the pool late at night.
 
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dixiegirl

dixiegirl

Well-Known Member
LUV4Goofy said:
I've been there during the Love-Bug brigade. These bugs don't bite/sting, they just are annoying because they fly all around you and you're constantly shoo-ing them away. I was in WDW just 2 wks ago and, due to the rain, there were 'squito's around but not in swarms. I do understand, though, why they are called the official bird of Florida! :lol: Off with DEET is a good choice for repellent.
Also every night, the teeny frogs came out because of the dampness and in the morning, after the night rainfall, I would see things that looked like leaches to me stuck on the sidewalks. Those were gross-looking!!!!!:eek:
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oh i love those frogs!!! my hubby is so skeaved out by them...
 
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MommytoMJM

MommytoMJM

New Member
Well, last weekend we encountered a new bug....The Giant Water Bug (nicknamed the Toe-Biter) It is huge, like 4 inches long huge, swims and flies equally well, is armored, eats small fish, tadpoles and other invertabrates, has pincers near it's head and a beak that it drives into you with if you cross it (hence the name toe-biter) They are greyish looking, sound like hummingbirds when they fly and nasty....It took my very big husband a lot to try to crush them....We ran into the two we found on the ferry and ferry dock..... Ewwwwwww. It has rained here a lot lately so mosquitos are out, not many, but enough to warrant spray.
 
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barnum42

barnum42

New Member
MommytoMJM said:
Well, last weekend we encountered a new bug....The Giant Water Bug (nicknamed the Toe-Biter) It is huge, like 4 inches long huge, swims and flies equally well, is armored, eats small fish, tadpoles and other invertabrates, has pincers near it's head and a beak that it drives into you with if you cross it (hence the name toe-biter) They are greyish looking, sound like hummingbirds when they fly and nasty....It took my very big husband a lot to try to crush them....We ran into the two we found on the ferry and ferry dock..... Ewwwwwww. It has rained here a lot lately so mosquitos are out, not many, but enough to warrant spray.
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New one on me - is this the chap?:

(Warning, do not click link if you go icky on bugs)

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/giantwaterbug.jpg
 
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Gucci65

Gucci65

Well-Known Member
Okay, this may be a blonde question.....but what is a turkey buzzard? Never heard of that one before.

And MommytoMJ - some giant bug chased me into my house last week. I thought I was being dive bombed by a bird at first but realized it was a nasty bug after watching it repeatedly hit my front glass door. It was mad about something and kept smashing into the door we ran into and eventually killed itself. It was HUGE!! Like something out of Stephen King novel :lol:
 
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gullyf

gullyf

New Member
Gucci65 said:
Okay, this may be a blonde question.....but what is a turkey buzzard? Never heard of that one before.
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Turky Vulture aka those big black birds that circle around the sky... try http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/ for more than you would ever want to know about them...

bgraham34 said:
They are not so pesky those love bugs. They never bothered me. Poor little things.
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Don't know how they are recently, but I remember back in the early 70's they would be like dense clouds of smoke floating across the roads. Did nasty things to a paint job IIRC...

Florida was a great place to grow up.. all kinds of bugs and snakes and lizards and you name it. Coulda done without the stinging caterpillars though...
 
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Feta

Feta

Member
Just a quick word of advise from a medical standpoint. I'm a practicing pediatrician. There's been some mention of 100% DEET products on this post. There have been multiple studies about the effectiveness of chemical and "natural" insect repellants. Although some plant extracts have recently shown some promise, DEET is the only widely available insect repellant in this country that is proven to work. "Skin so soft" is rubbish, its been proven over and over to be worthless. Having said this, DEET is a powerful neurotoxin to us as well. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 10% DEET for children, avoid the eyes and mouth, do not reapply, and rinse it off once inside. Just remember this stuff is harmful to us as well. I've never been bothered by bugs in Disney World. If you insist, carry it with you in case you need it. But don't coat yourself in this stuff based on what others might be saying on this thread.
 
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Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Feta said:
Just a quick word of advise from a medical standpoint. I'm a practicing pediatrician. There's been some mention of 100% DEET products on this post. There have been multiple studies about the effectiveness of chemical and "natural" insect repellants. Although some plant extracts have recently shown some promise, DEET is the only widely available insect repellant in this country that is proven to work. "Skin so soft" is rubbish, its been proven over and over to be worthless. Having said this, DEET is a powerful neurotoxin to us as well. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 10% DEET for children, avoid the eyes and mouth, do not reapply, and rinse it off once inside. Just remember this stuff is harmful to us as well. I've never been bothered by bugs in Disney World. If you insist, carry it with you in case you need it. But don't coat yourself in this stuff based on what others might be saying on this thread.
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Excellent advice! DEET on your hands will melt any plastic to which it comes in contact. Pick up a phone with DEET on your hands and you'll have your hand stuck to the phone! High concentrations of DEET will also melt polyester fabrics!
 
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