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- Biting Midges. Florida is among the states where Biting Midges (family Ceratopogonidae) are frequent. These types of flying and biting insects are problematic for humans from a small to a large extent.
- Chiggers. Swamps and grasslands are some of the most common areas of Florida where chiggers can be biting problems. Mostly too small to spot with the naked eye, chiggers are a type of bug similar to ticks, but smaller.
- Fire Ants. Fire Ants are abundant in Florida and in the Southeast. These types of ants can be found in many areas across the state, including at home, in gardens.
- Fleas. Flea bites are serious but typically require no visit to the hospital as their symptoms mostly go away on their own. In extreme cases, flea bites can be a major cause of concern but they can also lead to hospitalization and even death.
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Feb 18, 2024 · 32 Types of Bugs in Florida with Pictures and Identification. Many different kinds of bugs can be found in Florida, some of which are capable of biting or stinging. Travelers steer clear of certain times of day or places (beaches, for example) because of insect activity.
- Fire Ants
- Scorpions
- Spiders
- Buck Moth Caterpillar
- Bees and Wasps
- Yellow Flies
- Biting Midges
- Bed Bugs
- Mosquitoes
- Chiggers
If you’re wondering where you may stumble upon fire ants, you should know that these insects build large mounds but can be found in tree stumps, decaying logs, and even inside your home. These small, aggressive ants deliver one of the most painful stings you can experience in Florida. A single fire ant can sting multiple times, and if you’re unfort...
Florida scorpion stingers are rarely fatal, but their venom can cause severe pain and swelling. You may even experience numbness and tingling in the sting area or a burning sensation that can last several hours. The injected site may feel hot to the touch and be accompanied by a red welt. The venom can cause an allergic reaction. These arthropods’ ...
Another common Florida ‘bug’ that can bite and sting you is a spider. Spiders are classified as air-breathing arthropods in the class Arachnida. Although spiders are shy and only some are dangerous, they can bite and hurt you, albeit with varying levels of success. Florida’s three most painful and venomous spider bites belong to the brown recluse, ...
Buck moth caterpillars are insects you definitely don’t want to mess with! These fuzzy little insects are covered in venomous spines attached to a poison sac. They can cause a painful sting, inducing swelling, itching, redness, and even a nasty rash. Sometimes, the sting can be so painful that it requires medical attention. These pesky caterpillars...
Bees and waspsstings can be painful, and, unfortunately, there are over 320 species of bees in Florida to watch out for! Most species are social creatures, but they attack when they feel threatened. They attack by stinging and injecting venom, which causes localized swelling and pain that can feel like a needle stick. The stinger is often left in t...
If you hear the name yellow flies in Florida, it might send chills down your spine. These pesky flies are referred to as aggressive yellow-bodied biting flies. They are most active during midmorning and early afternoon and can be found hovering around warm, wet areas. They are fierce bitters with piercing mouthparts that they use to draw blood, lea...
Also known as ‘no-see-ums,’ these tiny insects are found in aquatic and semi-aquatic regions. They swarm around your body when you least expect it. Midgesare so small, measuring less than 0.12 inches long, and hard to spot that you might not even know you’ve been bitten until the lesion starts itching. While their bites may not be particularly pain...
Bed bugsare small insects that feed on human and animal blood. They can be found in beds, furniture, carpets, soft furnishings, and other warm places. Nymphs are only about the size of a pencil point, and adults reach the size of an apple seed. They are reddish-brown, and their bites can be painful and itchy. They typically feed at night, and the o...
Mosquitoesare the most common insects in Florida, and unfortunately, they are also among the most dangerous. Male mosquitoes don’t bite or feed on blood, and their proboscis is not sharp enough to pierce human skin. Conversely, female mosquitoes have a proboscis that can easily penetrate the skin and extract blood. A single bite from a female mosqu...
Chiggers are only harmful to humans in their larval stage. Larval mites attach themselves to human skin and feed on tissue and lymph fluid. Unlike other insects and bugs, chiggers do not feed on their hosts’ blood. Instead, they inject enzymes that dissolve their hosts’ skin tissues. They then suck up these dissolved tissues once they are liquefied...
- Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) The bald-faced hornet is an easily recognizable black wasp in Florida because of its black-and-white coloration.
- European Hornet (Vespa crabro) The European hornet is a sizable wasp with dark reddish-brown and yellow markings. The large hornet has yellow bands with black spots on its abdomen.
- Southern Yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa) The southern yellowjacket is one of the most common black and yellow wasps you will find in Florida. The large social wasp has vibrant yellow and black patterning with horizontal yellow stripes on its abdomen and vertical stripes on its thorax.
- Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) The eastern yellowjacket is a smaller species of black and yellow wasp common in Florida. The wasp has characteristic black and yellow lines on its abdomen.
Jun 4, 2024 · 12 Biting/Stinging Bugs in Florida. Florida is full of all kinds of insects but not all of them have bites or stings that can cause unbearable itching, swelling, and pain. Which are the ones that do, however, and when would you need to whip out the big repellent and the pain relief creams?
In the diverse realm of insect kingdom, some of the most intriguing members are those armed with stingers, an evolutionary development utilized for defense, hunting, or both. From tiny bees to powerful ants, these insects with stingers have a complex relationship with our ecology and our existence.
Apr 2, 2024 · Mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, wasps--Florida is crawling with biting and stinging insects, and most of us have been bitten or stung at some point. Whether you want to identify an insect or learn how to protect yourself outdoors, we have the information you need.
