Palmetto bugs?

[Colson39]

Man, twice in one weekend, you are giving all our Florida secrets away!!!

 

[Camping Cat]

But, I did have a friend who was driving through Houston Texas with the car windows down and one (BACR - she said it was a 4 inch cockroach) flew into the car. That's just too weird.

That's how big the ones here in New Orleans can get. I've always been terrified of them. Once when I was a kid, there was one in my bedroom that my father couldn't quite catch and kill, so I didn't go in there for two weeks. My husband became my slayer of roaches once I was married, but when he isn't home, I have to do it myself. I arm myself with a can of roach spray in one hand and a heavy duty fly swatter in the other. The spray is to slow them down enough to slam them with the swatter. I can do it myself, but by the time I am finished, I am shaking like a leaf. I never have gotten over my fear of them.

One funny story....I was home with my 10 year old daughter when we spotted a huge cockroach high up on the wall in the hall, so I got my roach fighting equiptment in hand and headed down the hall with Rachael right behind me, watching. I hit him with the spray, ready for him to fall on the floor so I could smash him good when that 4 inch long sucker started flying right at us. We turned and high-tailed it down the hallway, screaming at the top of our lungs. We still talk about that day.....hehe.

 

[fla.boy]

welcome to florida we've got it all

 

[Stevelp]

If you get some Diamicious(sp) Earth, the stuff that is used in swimming pool filters, and spread it around the campsdite, it will kill those Florida Lady Bugs. They have a protective layer of oil on their body and the DE crystals cut through it and they will dry up and die. Yes they do fly!!! BY the way, fell free to take as many as you want home with you, but remember they are the official Florida State bird.

 

[cyberdeb]

Okay, I know that I am absolutely, without a doubt standing in front of a bulls eye on this one...but here I go anyway.

I had been told that a "palmetto bug" was just a nice "southern bell" way of saying a cockroach. It's more genteel I suppose.

So,
1) is that true? Are they the same bug, or different?
2) If they are the same bug, then seriously they FLY???

I am a social worker and have seen my fair share of these critters but have never, ever seen them fly or even heard of them flying. This just doesn't add up to me.

Can't be true. Couldn't be.

Please tell me there was some leg pullin' going on here that I was too gullible to catch onto it.

Or tell me it's a different bug.

Of course, I've backed myself into a corner now. If it was a joke then I know that some of you are just going to lead me even farther astray. (And please have at it, I've given you plenty of opportunity) But please, would some honest soul out there give me the real info?

Okay, I'm ready, let the games begin!

Sorry to say but it is true and i have seen them in Cinderellas castle. They are practically impossible to get rid off no matter how clean a place is. Not only do they fly, sometimes you can even hear them hiss. I can remember practically killing my family with all kids of insect repellants when i first moved to Florida. Definately something i never got used to.

 

[cyberdeb]

Note to self...make sure all outside containers are tightly closed at all times and shake everything before packing for home.

We usually place baking soda around our wheels and hose areas to keep ants out, which works well unless it rains. Wonder if it will keep the giant lady bugs away or attract them?

I don't remember the Palmettos our last trip but that was in 2002 during a 2 week monsoon. I do remember poison ivy though.

OMG that reminds me of a funny thing that happened to us on our way to FW. We stopped just south of Jacksonville for the night at a motel. We had our pop up then and we parked in the back of the parking lot along a curb. In the morning when we were all set to head to the fort, we discovered that a huge army of ants had made its way into our van by climbing up the wires and safety chain on the hitch. They went from the back of the van, all the way to just behind the drivers seat into a trash can where my mother in law threw uneaten food. It was just horrible. DH had to unhitch and find a car wash to he could get the van cleaned out. Amazingly none of them went into the pop up at all. Needless to say, i was itching the rest of the way.

 

[cyberdeb]

That's how big the ones here in New Orleans can get. I've always been terrified of them. Once when I was a kid, there was one in my bedroom that my father couldn't quite catch and kill, so I didn't go in there for two weeks. My husband became my slayer of roaches once I was married, but when he isn't home, I have to do it myself. I arm myself with a can of roach spray in one hand and a heavy duty fly swatter in the other. The spray is to slow them down enough to slam them with the swatter. I can do it myself, but by the time I am finished, I am shaking like a leaf. I never have gotten over my fear of them.

One funny story....I was home with my 10 year old daughter when we spotted a huge cockroach high up on the wall in the hall, so I got my roach fighting equiptment in hand and headed down the hall with Rachael right behind me, watching. I hit him with the spray, ready for him to fall on the floor so I could smash him good when that 4 inch long sucker started flying right at us. We turned and high-tailed it down the hallway, screaming at the top of our lungs. We still talk about that day.....hehe.

That reminds me of the time i had those roach motels all over. I was woken up by one on my arm (Yes it freaked me out) and i was able to get the roach motel in the right position so he went in. Feeling very satisfied that i got him, I went to bed. In the morning i checked the roach motel and lo and behold, the bug was gone but some of his legs remained.

 

[lucy_love]

I don't care what you other floridians say, I have lived here my whole life and I still scream at the sight of a roach! and silver fish!! June bugs are a pain too!

funny story number 1:
I live in college apartments and one time my friends and I were watching a movie nice and peacefull and then all of the sudden this huge roach came running around the corner and we all started screaming bloody murder! no one would kill it! So we knocked on my neighbors door and he came to the rescue and killed the roach, with HIS shoe. Now we are friends thanks to the roach!

funny story number 2:
I was alone in my apartment and I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Well, I walked into my bathroom and there was a flying roach!! I screamed so loud and slammed the door. I started running around trying to find my roach spray, well I was in such a panic I forgot to look under the sink So about 10 minutes later I find it and I run into the bathroom and he's gone so I shut the door again and thought maybe I was seein things. Well I open the door again and no bug, so I lift up my rug and there he is so I sprayed the crap out of him and anything else that was in there is dead now too. So the next morning I go in and there he is, nice and dead on his back. But noooo i'm not picking him up so I waited for my roomie to get home a few hours later and made her do it


lets just say that I don't like bugs!

 

[CottontailCurl]

One funny story....I was home with my 10 year old daughter when we spotted a huge cockroach high up on the wall in the hall, so I got my roach fighting equiptment in hand and headed down the hall with Rachael right behind me, watching. I hit him with the spray, ready for him to fall on the floor so I could smash him good when that 4 inch long sucker started flying right at us. We turned and high-tailed it down the hallway, screaming at the top of our lungs. We still talk about that day.....hehe.

That sounds like a scene from a movie!! Have you ever seen Bird on a Wire? I never shower - especially in Florida - without looking all around the walls and shower head first. Thanks to this discussion about cockaroaches and ants, and the lice controversy in the community forum, I feel like things are crawling all over my skin!

(Did you ever figure out the picture thing for the campsite photos?)

 

[ftwildernessguy]

OMG that reminds me of a funny thing that happened to us on our way to FW. We stopped just south of Jacksonville for the night at a motel. We had our pop up then and we parked in the back of the parking lot along a curb. In the morning when we were all set to head to the fort, we discovered that a huge army of ants had made its way into our van by climbing up the wires and safety chain on the hitch. They went from the back of the van, all the way to just behind the drivers seat into a trash can where my mother in law threw uneaten food. It was just horrible. DH had to unhitch and find a car wash to he could get the van cleaned out. Amazingly none of them went into the pop up at all. Needless to say, i was itching the rest of the way.

Another compelling argument for leaving mother's in law AT HOME!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

When I was stationed in Georgia, my then new wife was terrified of these things. One evening we were on the sofa watching TV and one flew right over her head and landed on the wall behind her. Despite the thing sounding like a helicopter coming in for a landing, she was so engrossed in the movie she didn't notice. I calmly reached down, picked up my shoe and WHAM - sent the sucker to his maker. She did notice this, however, and ran upstairs screaming. Our apartment was visited by pest control monthly, but only managed to keep them at bay for a couple of weeks after the visit. We learned the importance of doing things like throwing out cardboard boxes and paper bags, and placing stuff like cereal in plastic containers.

 

[Camping Cat]

That sounds like a scene from a movie!! Have you ever seen Bird on a Wire? I never shower - especially in Florida - without looking all around the walls and shower head first. Thanks to this discussion about cockaroaches and ants, and the lice controversy in the community forum, I feel like things are crawling all over my skin!

I don't enter any room without sweeping all the walls and ceiling with my eyes before I go in. I also leave as many lights on as I can (my husband keeps coming behind me and turning the lights out.....what electric bill? ) because they seem to stay hidden more when it's light. This (as well the heat) is why I hate summer so much. I live for the cooler months when those roaches disappear!

(Did you ever figure out the picture thing for the campsite photos?)

I've uploaded my pictures to Photo Bucket but I haven't tried to post them on the DIS boards yet. Things have been so crazy around here, I haven't found the time. I will soon. I hope it works for me.