Crucial Insider Info for Florida Visitors and Residents
As they say, "if the world was right", anything Florida-related would be required to have a truthful warning label on it, just like a pack of cigarettes, clarifying the purpose and the detailing severity of each warning as it pertains to the actual dangers. But, the diabolically sinister tourism industry doles out millions of dollars in bribes each year to their puppet-ized media bobble-heads, so you never hear about the reality of the alarming multitude of the true dangers that the state of Florida cloaks behind a smokescreen mirage of deceitful cover-ups and slick gloss-overs... Seriously, if you are not a Florida resident, we wager that you have not heard about at least nine out of ten of the following dangers, and what you have heard was very likely charlatanistically downplayed by hired shills. And even if you are a resident with some time on your hands (most residents are too busy to uncover information like this), you likely have not heard about at least a majority of them (and again, downplayed). Point made, and we hope point taken, for your benefit. Pass the word along to anyone that might not be cognizant of these warnings that should be...
.NOTE. We have shifted recent efforts to document "warnings" to our Top 100 Reasons to Avoid Florida page, and although we currently have some duplications on that page, it also has considerably more information than this page (but doesn't have an index like this page does, as yet). We hope to get it all cleaned up soon, but thought you should know that this page falls way short of all warnings about Florida. Then too, there is the Florida Dangers page, which of course is just a different flavor of "warning" that you might also want to consider. We will try to get all of this critical information into an easier to utilize format as soon as feasible....
.A Crucial "Foreword" to Adjust Your Brainwashed Mindset. Be very aware of "Flori-ganda", a.k.a. Flori-lies, Flori-hype, and Flori-fallacies. We feel strongly that above all else you need to first understand that Florida's eighty billion dollar per year tourism industry -- along with the monied real estate and business and development factions -- either owns or tightly controls all of the puppetized mainstream media outlets. These unconscionable mindless media bobbleheads obediently obfuscate, ignore, cover-up, misconstrue, mislead, deceive, lie, and just plain make up whatever projects an idealistic smokescreen mirage that portrays Florida as the perfect paradise, while evading the reality that it is far from a paradise, and conversely is in reality a very unpleasant, pestilent, and even dangerous place to visit or especially to reside... Because of this blatantly unscrupulous wall of deception, realize that many of the following "reasons" will be entirely new to "outlanders" and even to many local residents, and some of the following facts may even seem difficult to accept as reality; but, all you need to do to verify the following "contentions" is to follow provided links or/and just "google it" (in doing the latter, realize that, like everything else, some misleading misinformation may exist in an attempt to negate the truth to some extent). Remember this throughout the following "reasons", as well as with the "Dangers" and "Warnings" webpages on this website...
.Directly below is a clickable index of our warnings. The left "warning subject" column is meant to generally categorize the warnings, with the more specific warning descriptions (which are clickable direct links to the warnings) in the rightmost column.
Index to Warnings (clickable links)
Dire Warning for anyone in the South Florida region
A friend in the local medical community has informed us that cases of viral dengue hemorrhagic fever (can be fatal) has surfaced in Dade county (Miami), Broward county (Lauderdale) and possibly Palm Beach county (West Palm Beach).
Although this has not and likely will not be publicized until the problem has grown much worse, we have noted that the dengue fever problem in Key West has finally been in the news of late, indicating that five percent of residents (about 2,000 people) now (September 2010) have it in their blood as carriers of the disease -- note that when a carrier is "bitten" by a mosquito, the mosquito can pass it along to others, and that is how the disease has been spreading since first found in 27 people there in the fall of 2009 (so, from 27 victims to 2,000 in less than a year and consider the "exponentially cascading" effect and lastly that there is no prevention or cure for the dengue virus...).
Currently, over TWELVE THOUSAND people around the planet die of this deadly disease each year, and dengue is now at "epidemic levels" as close as nearby Puerto Rico, and spreading.
WARNING: be very aware that there are currently reported to be at least four variant strains of the dengue fever virus. Dengue becomes increasingly more deadly in proportion to the number of times a victim is infected with it (re-bitten by a mosquito). After only the first infection with the dengue virus, a victim's resultant antibodies against the virus will only be for one of the four variants. If any of the other three variants are subsequently contracted, dengue is much more likely to be fatal because the victim's immune system thinks it is producing antibodies for it, but they do not affect the other three, so the immune system keeps cranking out more and more cytokines, resulting in a "cytokine storm" which (for one thing) causes the lungs to bleed profusely, drowning the victim in their own blood. It is said that dengue is a very painful way to die with little that can be done to alleviate the severity of the symptoms. The crucial point to realize and remember is that, for example, of the 5% of the Key Westers that were infected with the dengue virus the first time without any or minimal symptoms of it, they can very well die with only the second contraction of the dengue virus (shhh, don't tell anyone)...
Note that the mosquito that transmits dengue fever, the small black "Asian Tiger" (deceptively looks like a black gnat), actively feeds all day and all night (not just at sunrise and sunset), is not a swamp dweller and conversely inhabits areas populated by humans (recently found to be breeding inside a Broward home in the water inside a "water pik"), and is not as stupid as normal mosquitoes (they do NOT fly around ears and face before biting) and conversely operates in "stealth mode" (very difficult to detect until after it bites).
UPDATE: local health officials have finally confirmed this and have quietly issued an "advisory"; link to article on the advisory, and Dengue fever killing dozens in Caribbean, reaching epidemic stage.
Go Back to IndexFlorida's air and water are polluted with radiation and poisonous heavy metals from phosphate mining...
Florida's air and water are polluted with radiation and poisonous heavy metals from centuries of phosphate strip-mining... Floridians and tourists are exposed to radiation and poisonous heavy metals from "phosphogypsum stacks" even if they aren't anywhere near them. Not something that the Florida tourism or real estate industries want you to know, but tell everyone you know for their well being.
But, Florida's phosphate strip-mining industry -- the largest in the world -- quietly generates immense volumes of "phosphogypsum" (a radioactive toxic heavy-metal sludge classified as hazardous wasteas) a by-product (for every ton of phosphate produced, five tons of phosphogypsum is generated), which is then stored in huge open exposed towering piles innocently called "stacks" that cover (only) hundreds of acres in Florida. This industry is said to generate thirty two million tons of this poisonous radioactive heavy-metal-containing phosphogypsum waste each year. The current Florida stockpile of phosphogypsum waste stacks is said to be (only?) one billion metric tons. But, realize that this mining has been ongoing since the late 1800's, and at tens of thousands of tons of phosphogypsum byproduct waste generated each and every year, so it is logical to ask why is there only "hundreds of acres" of it stacked up. The reason for this is that the sun, the burning heat, the torrential rains, and the tropical winds "dissipate" the open, exposed, towering, toxic, poisonous, radioactive mountains of "ash dust" into the Florida air and waters...
So, what's the big deal if Florida mines phosphate and the poisonous byproduct waste disperses into the air and water? The mined phosphate contains concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive elements referred to as "radionuclides", along with arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, fluoride, zinc, antimony, and copper (all toxic and poisonous in their own right). The concentrations of uranium and radium-226 in phosphogypsum samples are said to be ten times the levels in normal soil for uranium and sixty times the levels in soil for radium-226. Note that the concentration of radium-226 in phosphogypsum is said to vary widely and consequently can be significantly higher than admitted, and we would wager that it is higher...
So, what's the big deal if a billion tons of radioactive waste contaminated with poisonous heavy metals is stacked up in hundreds of acres of towering, unprotected piles? Let's see, Florida is the "windy state". So, wind-blown radionuclide dust (uranium and radium-226) -- along with the phalanx of toxic heavy metals -- becomes airborne. Once the radionuclide dust is airborne, people can breathe the dust and the dust can settle out onto ponds and agricultural areas. Radon-222, a decay product of radium-226, is a gas and so may also become airborne by simply diffusing into the air.
In addition to radiation health hazards, phosphogypsum contains the aforementioned heavy metals in concentrations that pose a chemical hazard to humans. Analysis of samples from various facilities were found to contain arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, fluoride, zinc, antimony, and copper at concentrations that pose significant health risks to humans. The concentrations of these contaminants vary by more than three orders of magnitude among samples taken from various locations of the byproduct waste. These metals, sitting around in towering exposed piles, pelted by tropical monsoonal torrential downpours, are of course leached from the phosphogypsum stacks and migrate into nearby surface and groundwater resources, not to mention the air we breathe...
The Florida phosphate mining industry is hoping to find a way to get rid of their phosphogypsum stacks, so we soon expect the FDA to allow this poisonous effluent to be added to the usual dumping grounds for toxins, like vaccines, toothpaste, and even processed foods as an "additive"... Heck, they might as well add more of it to the water, like the other industrial wastes fluoride (flu-oride) and chlorine, since it is already leaching into the Florida aquifers. There are too many old people in Florida living off of the money they paid into social security anyway (which the politicians long ago pilfered), might as well pump them full of more poisons to get rid of them sooner, make more room for more illegals and foreigners.
Link to video showing the "RADIOACTIVE FLORIDA MOUNTAIN"... (only one of many).
Go Back to Index
Important Insider Info on Sharks and Barracudas
Everyone should be aware that Florida is the capitol of shark bites, and in theory sharks, like mosquitoes, are said to "feed" at sunrise and at sunset, but we caution you that we have never seen a shark during those hours, and that conversely all of our personal shark sitings have occurred other than at sunrise/sunset. And guess what: the absence of shark fins protruding from the water does NOT mean that they are not nearby; we once glanced around to see a six foot long shark just casually floating near the surface, circling and watching us, never a sign of a fin above water.
Be aware that the common bull sharks, also known as the "river shark" or the "lake shark", are also found in inland waterways and fresh water lakes, and that bull sharks are responsible for more attacks on humans than tiger sharks and the great white shark...
Also, if you for some reason decide to go snorkeling near a reef, realize that barracuda hang out there and they are large and very aggressive with an impressive collection of large, sharp teeth, and are just as likely to take a big chunk out of you as a shark, even more so if they feel in any way threatened or frightened....
Half a Million TUSKED Wild Boars on the Loose in FL
The Florida tourism-industry-controlled bobble-head media puppets may admit to the presence of "feral hogs" [sic] in Florida, but the truth is that these incorrectly so-called "hogs" are NOT really just hogs but in reality are actually non-native imported exotic wild boars of Eurasian origins (the large, nasty, aggressive breed of boar with large, razor-sharp tusks...), unloaded here to prolifically procreate as both a cheap food source for the ever-increasing invasion of third-world miscreants and illegal occupants, and as an attraction for "sport hunters" of course (for which their are also fenced "farms" of other wild, dangerous animals that can be "hunted" and killed for a price [aka, mercilessly assassinated for trophy heads] many of which will eventually escape into the wild, if they have not already...). Click on this link for a search on wild boars in Florida if interested in more info about the problem (note the search result hits like "Florida wild boar hog hunting with dogs" -- Florida, a sportsman's paradise, a fun place with adult amusement parks for shooting helpless animals...). Our bottom line advice is, altho these free-roaming herds of wild boars do not intentionally hunt humans in packs like the carnivorous Nile Monitor reptiles do (noted above), that they do roam about freely in herds (remember, that their numbers are currently estimated at 500,000 and growing), and if they feel threatened for any reason (note that their eyesight is horrendously bad, so they tend to perceive any unfamiliar movement/smell as a hostile threat) they will scatter and in so doing rip apart anything in their path with their long, razor-sharp, rapacious tusks. Yet another good reason to avoid Florida, especially the "back country"; when you see the charlatanistic tourism industry advertisements for the "Florida Trails" system criss-crossing the wild nether regions of Florida, bear (or boar) this in mind, along with the other over-abundant known (and unknown) dangers.
Go Back to IndexFlorida: the Capitol of Dangerous "Exotic Species"
Consider that the fact that tens of thousands of gigantic boa constrictor snakes had taken over the Florida Everglades before they admitted it and finally became public knowledge, along with the fact that this burgeoning overpopulation of huge human-baby-eating snakes was ignored and kept quiet until it became entirely too obvious ("Mommy, a big ole monster snake just swallowed up Fido!").
Be aware that the swamps of Florida are now also inhabited by a small but growing infestation of Nile Monitor "Lizards" (inappropriately named a "lizard" as the largest of this species are much too large to be what most consider to be a "lizard"), which are in reality large prehistoric, carnivorous, brainless, vicious reptiles the size of alligators (the largest Nile Monitors can be over ten feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds) that hunt in packs like wolves (they are able to out-run and out-swim humans) and will attack and kill and eat anything, including humans of course. These ugly, vile animals have the body of the Komodo dragon with the head of an Anaconda snake and the mouth of a prehistoric vilociraptor. Note that these rapacious creatures -- altho having a smaller mouth than alligators -- are said to be considerably stronger overall than alligators...
We have been "informed" by some locals that they have been told that these lizards are said to be responsible for killing livestock in south central Florida on the northern edges of the Everglades and have been confirmed to have moved as far south and west as the Cape Coral area (link to article).
Be aware that this rapacious pack predator is venomous and that they start eating their still-alive prey as soon as it is stunned by the venom (by the first bite). Also be very aware that these predators swim as well as alligators and are able to outrun humans on land.
Lastly be very aware that every year in Florida numerous people are added to the "missing persons" list (link to "missing persons" list) and of course be very assured that the pro-tourism news media would suppress any "news" about tourists being slowly ripped apart and eaten alive by a pack of vicious prehistoric monster reptiles... We strongly advise staying out of the remote swamp areas of Florida (if not out of the entire state, for abundantly obvious abundant reasons...). Link to Wikipedia info on Nile Monitor Lizard.
Go Back to IndexFlorida is Over-run with Deadly Snakes (it's a SWAMP!)
Florida is home to six types of venomous snakes, most of which are found in typical snake habitats of the coastal and inland swampy regions and wooded inland areas, and we only occasionally observe one slithering around in metro areas near the coast. The venomous snakes of Florida are listed below; a formidable host of poisonous snakes reside in this subtropical area, so watch where you step if you get off the beaten path.
Lastly, realize that a snake does not have to be venomous to be dangerous to pets and children, and that as of summer 2010, an estimated 20,000 giant boa constrictors -- mostly Burmese and African pythons but including yellow anacondas (anacondas are the largest snake on the planet) which are large enough to swallow babies and small children whole -- are said to be slithering around the swamps of Florida. Some have even been seen in swampy regions on the fringes of metro urban areas, as well as sightings in the Florida Keys, along Florida's western gulf coast and further north along the peninsula. Note that these monstrous snakes have also been observed.in mortal combat with large alligators, with the snakes usually winning the battle.
Go Back to Index
Sea Lice in the Ocean...
Sea lice are a prolific south Florida "pest" and not a lot of visitors or even residents are aware of them. Consequently, victims might easily mistake the adverse effects of sea lice for something other than what it really is... These nasty little (nearly microscopic and virtually invisible) critters are floating around in the lower Atlantic coastal waters of Florida. Sea lice create an itchy red rash on areas of the body. These invisible and unpublicized pests attach to areas with human hair (not just on the head), and easily become trapped inside bathing suits. Contact activates the stinging mechanism of the sea lice. The stinging mechanisms are called nematocysts and are just like those of a jellyfish. The result is that an itchy red rash develops, usually hours later and therefore "of unknown origin", and the rash can last for several weeks, so people can easily mistake the symptoms for other maladies. Many people infected with sea lice develop a fever and feel unwell or just feel tired (here again, unbeknownst as to the cause, that sunburned hangover feeling can actually be attributed to sea lice). Point, if you have been in toxically contaminated SoFla waters and develop this condition (or worse...) don't just automatically go to a doctor or dermatologist. Note that Children are more likely to develop more severe systemic effects like high fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Have a nice day at the beach...
Go Back to IndexMarauding Packs of Wild Coyotes Killing Sheep and Pets in Urban Lauderdale
No joke, we are NOT making this up. As the title states, marauding packs of wild coyotes have been killing sheep, dogs, cats, and who knows what else on the western urban edges of Fort Lauderdale Florida. Here is a link to an article on the coyotes in Lauderdale. Note that it indicates that the coyotes are exhibiting "bold behaviour", that sooner or later a human will be attacked (think children playing in their back yard), and that the coyotes are far too well established in all of Florida to do anything about the increasing problem now and residents will just have to live with the danger... Realize, that coyotes can now be added to raccoons, feral cats, stray dogs, rats, and monkeys as susceptible to rabies and therefore even more dangerous to humans...
Go Back to IndexSting Rays, Manta Rays, Devil Rays, Eagle Rays, and your neighbor RayRay
Rays are an rare danger, but by no means is the "sting" of a ray at all minor -- recall that the famed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed by a little old stingray...
Most rays have "barbed" tails which are venomous, such that being "stung" by a ray can cause a drastic decrease in blood pressure, coupled with an increased pulse rate, and dizziness and shock are often likely, with the possibility of death of course.
Manta Rays are very large and are typically said to be docile (but what happens if they have "had a bad day"). Altho they usually swim underwater, they can occasionally be seen swimming on or near the surface at a distance as large dark objects, giving the appearance of dolphins or sharks surfacing. They often travel minimally in pairs, but can be in large flocks, and have been seen by the hundreds when they migrate (they move about all the time). Altho mantas are supposedly "gentle giants", if you see anything large and brown coming at you while in ocean waters, we advise you to get to shore, do not take a chance...
Devil Rays are also very large (with wingspans of up to fifteen feet) and also are typically known to be docile like Mantas, but realize that they have a huge mouth with twelve to eighteen rows of teeth totaling upwards of 5000 teeth (no typo, five thousand).
Eagle Rays are common in Florida and typically grow to more than eight feet across. They are equipped with two to six short venomous barbs on their long whip-like tails. All types of rays have wide "wings" and are said to often leap out of the water (like flying fish), and have been known to collide with occupants of boats, occasionally resulting in death of the boaters. Although we are personally aware that an eagle ray leaped onto a boat off Fort Lauderdale and pierced the heart of an 81-year-old man with its barb, you will never hear much about "accidents" like that...
Sting Rays are smaller and intentionally embed themselves in the sand (to hide from their prey) near the shoreline and therefore are difficult or impossible to see even if the water is clear; consequently they are often stepped on by ocean-goers and therefore will sting anyone that happens to disturb them in any way. We have heard that if you are in the ocean waters and are walking or put your feet down to do so, that stirring up the water, making "noise", tends to alert the stingrays and encourages them to move on...
Note that there are also some rays that are "electric rays" and their "sting" can produce a fatal electrical jolt in excess of 220 volts to "stun" their prey, or human victims if they are alarmed and choose to do so. That voltage is almost twice the current of a standard wall plug-in/outlet, and 220 volts in the water is considerably amplified of course... Like stingrays, electric rays inhabit shallow coastal waters, burying themselves just below the sand to hide from their prey. Unlike stingrays, electric rays are very slow moving, since they have to propell themselves along with their tails rather than their disc-shaped "winged" bodies as other rays do. This means that if they are somehow alerted to your approach that they may not get out of your way very quickly. Rays are one very good reason we stay out of ocean waters.
The barbed tail of a ray may break off in the victim, and in this case it must be removed by a doctor. If the barb does not break off, the wound must be cleaned to avoid infection and the possibility of gangrene, and it never hurts to get a tetanus booster shot in that situation if the victim has not had one in a few years.
Note that, like what happened with Steve Irwin, a "sting" in the abdomen or chest could easily result in death.
Also, note that if the wound bleeds profusely, there is a possibility that an artery may have been severed.
Lastly on rays, if you reside in Florida be very aware that your neighbor may or may not be named "Ray" (aka, "Ray Ray"), but very likely is either on several mind altering prescription drugs, and/or illicit drugs, might well be a hardened criminal released from jail due to budget cuts, and has several legal or illegal firearms, along with a baseball bat and machete or two...
Flying Fish Attacks Kill People
Sounds like a tabloid headline that you would see in a supermarket check-out line doesn't it. Unfortunately for far too many residents and visitors to Florida, close encounters with fish and "rays" leaping out of the water end up with the victims in a hospital intensive care unit or the city morgue. This happens most frequently with people boating at speed, but also occurs with slow moving kayaks, and even with people simply wading in shallow waters. Below are links to two articles regarding the most recent fish attack which put a kayaker in a hospital intensive care unit with a "puncture" from a 4 foot long needlefish resulting in a collapsed lung. Note the comments in the articles like "the fish jump out of the water and impale people", "barracuda are aggressive biters", "died from blunt force trauma", and "saber toothed tiger of the ocean"....
A terrifying fish tale: a jump and then a stab
Leaping fish punctures lung of woman kayaking in Keys (notice the Google ads for renting kayaks on the same page)
Spiked, Venomous Lion Fish -- and now add the deadly "Stonefish"?
Another potential danger in Florida waters is the "lion fish". It has venomous spikes and is dangerous to swimmers, so much so, that the Florida Keys recently offered monetary bounties on this problem fish in an attempt to eradicate it from their waters; they have also started having "lionfish shoot outs" whereby boaters get together and shoot the fish with spear guns en masse... Here is a link to an article on the problem, which quotes a dive boat captain stating the following: "Probably about two years ago, divers would say, 'There's a lionfish down there' [when a diver would sight one]. I'd say probably within the last six months it's been nuts [with so many lionfish]. They're everywhere [now]."
We have heard -- but cannot yet verify -- via some fairly reliable local residents that a similar dangerous-to-step-on fish has been discovered in very small numbers, but of course the tourism-industry-bribed media bobbleheads are keeping it quiet. Anyway, this so-called "stonefish" is not known to be native to Florida waters -- but then Florida is the capitol of exotic non-native species introduction. Note that stonefish have needle-like dorsal-fin spines which are equipped with venom glands that yields the deadliest of all fish venom. "Hey Joe, let's take some a them there stonefish out of the fish tank and turn 'em loose in Biscayne Bay so's mebbe they will be a buncha them someday and keep the tourists away"... Beware being around "Bait Fish" Seems some people are unaware of this potential danger (we observe it often) so thought we should mention the danger of the presence of "bait fish".
OK, fish ranging in size from small "minnows" to the smaller fish, swim into shallower waters near the shoreline in hopes of avoiding larger predator fish that eat them. Note that they also tend to swarm around any humans in the water to enhance their chances of not being eaten (the larger fish tend to avoid humans, unless they are really hungry of course)...
And then, the larger near-the-top-of-the-food-chain fish come close into shore to feed on the larger predator fish. Consequently, if you dare to venture into ocean waters, realize that those thousands of tiny fish swarming around you -- especially when they are jumping out of the water which is to avoid being eaten by the larger fish that are pursuing them -- are an indication that the larger fish are feeding on the smaller ones, and the larger predatory fish tend to sometimes mistake human fingers and toes (and other protruding "appendages" if skinny dipping) as food... Florida's Ubiquitous Sand Flea There seems to be a lot of confusion on the internet as to what a Florida sand flea is and looks like, with even locals providing differing perspectives. The no-see-um is NOT a sand flea, nor is the above noted "beach roach" to be confused with the sand flea. The voracious bloodsucking sand flea actually looks like the common flea but is somewhat larger and considerably more vicious. The sand flea renders numerous horrendous "bites" that are more irritating and last longer than mosquitoes, even the new invasive asian tiger mosquito altho the latter is more deadly since it carries fatal diseases like dengue fever and encephalitis. Here is a link to a not-so-pretty picture of Florida sand flea bites and here is a link to a picture of an actual Florida sand flea, not that you will ever see the nasty little critters... Hotel Bed Bugs Bed bugs are also a prolific and extremely problematic pest in South Florida accommodations and we therefore give them their own separate warning. Many visitors are unaware of bed bugs in SoFla, and initially assume that bed bug bites are from mosquitoes and no-see-ums, and unconsciously end up taking an infestation of bed bugs home with them in their suitcase. Realize that eradicating bed bugs is not as easy as washing the sheets, as some accommodations here have to "tent" their building and have it fumigated. That is the other side of the problem -- if your SoFla accommodation does not have bed bugs, there is a good chance that all surfaces are coated with residue of highly toxic insecticides used to eradicate them (that is actually the case regardless, to keep down flying palmetto bugs and cockroaches which are also very prolific in this "always on" pestilent swamp. If for some reason you have to go to SoFla check out this link for tips for avoiding bed bug bites while visiting Florida. And, below is a video of a front page article in the local Fort Lauderdale newspaper on the bed bug problem in Florida accommodations, and here is the link to the online article depicted in the video, but they will likely be forced to eradicate the article when the tourism industry gets wind of it (as predicted, it soon disappeared, so we replaced it with a similar but not nearly as correct article...). January 2011 update. A recent article (link below) indicated that the number of reported (likely under-reported) cases of bedbugs at Florida accommodations (so, the count did not include cases in people's homes and apartments) more than doubled in the state of Florida in 2010 over those reported in 2009, and that Broward county (Fort Lauderdale: used to be "where the boys are" but now is "where the bugs are") had the highest number of reports of any county in the state. Note that in addition to the count not including cases in personal residences, it did note that bedbug bites are occurring in public places such as theaters, stores, schools, and the nasty little blood suckers even tend to "catch rides" on kids backpacks as a means of spreading increasing their range. Link to article "Where the bedbugs bite". Exotic Biting Beetles We are NOT making this up. Last year, we observed itchy red welts that were not like any typical bites or stings previously encountered in Florida, or anywhere else for that matter. These welts were more like a pimple, swelling, coming to a head, bursting, and secreting pus. We eventually realized that the bites had to be occurring at night while we were asleep and incorrectly took actions as though the culprit might be bedbugs, even though we did not see any bugs. Quite by accident, on the second night of again sleeping in the bedroom in question, troubled and unable to sleep, I turned on the light to read, and simultaneously caught sight of a strange looking flat black beetle traversing the wall toward the bed. It then turned around and crawled slowly back for the safety of nearby nightstand from where it apparently had been hiding out. Upon close observation, it had two somewhat glowing, luminescent spots on it's shell, and purely out of curiosity (not yet realizing it was the culprit), I caught the unusual beetle in a glass container -- and, wallah, end of bites. Looking into the matter, we discovered that there are many pestilent beetles that bite humans (carpet beetles, blister beetles, spider beetles) but we never managed to pinpoint this seemingly carnivorous species of beetle, although we speculate that it was likely an exotic invasive beetle from some nether region of the world, brought into nearby Port Everglades on a container ship. We hope that they never get a foothold here, as they are very unpleasant to deal with, but that is one of the consequences of living in a region that serves as an entry point for shipping as well as a travel destination from all parts of the world. We preserved this beetle in a jar if anyone out there is interested in determining just what exactly it might be.
Update: we received an email asking if maybe our nasty carnivorous beetle might be the Florida "click beetle" (genus Pyrophorus nyctophanusi), which does have two glowing luminescent spots (which give off yellow light, like a firefly/"lightning bug") that are side by side on the head of the beetle (like eyes), but our strange biting beetle has them on it's back in a linear front to back fashion rather than side by side, and it's spots did not give off as much light, altho they did glow luminescently somewhat, and they glowed green rather than yellow. Some research indicated that this specific type of beetle might well be from the Brazilian rainforests and is "predatory". Remember this! Since we have inhabited Florida for several decades, we have experienced bites and stings from all the aforementioned except bed bugs. A point that we felt compelled to emphasize is that anyone experiencing bites that appear like those in the above linked-to pictures should realize that the bites from all the above mentioned pests pretty much look the same, they only vary in intensity, duration, and potential consequences, and even then can differ from person to person. It is important to monitor anyone coming away from the Florida beaches with bites such as these, as they might well be afflicted with viruses and even potentially fatal diseases. Lastly on this, we repeat our often stated "opinion" that decades ago these types of bites from these pests were far less prevalent and in recent years has become such a serious common problem, that we avoid the ocean waters, abstain from lounging on the beach, and are hesitant to go out at any time of day or night unless it is raining, very cold, or very windy (because of the voracious Asian tiger mosquito feeds 24 hours per day, and it seems resistant to any kind of natural insect repellent). Florida just isn't a pleasant place to live anymore and in fact has conversely become dangerous and unpleasant; then too, there is the rampant increase of obnoxious human pests, and those 19,000 hardened criminal "pests" they released just from from Broward county jails due to statewide budget cuts -- but we digress, just be informed and "avoid Florida"... Poisonous Toads and Frogs Here we interject a note of an important future point to address, but for now, anyone with pets unfamiliar with the many invasive species of pests in Florida, be aware that south and central Florida is infested with poisonous toads that are hazardous to the health of dogs and cats and can of course be problematic for children, and this nuisance is headed northward... If you are thinking that you will keep this in mind if you go out into a swamp, be very aware that these pests have invaded urban areas such as Weston Florida, an upscale gated community that is simply near the Everglades, and consider that these pests are constantly moving eastward toward the coast. So, always be on the lookout when walking Fido-doodoo... Burgeoning Spread of Invasive Exotic Spiders Theoretically, Florida supposedly has only two venomous spiders, the black widow and the brown recluse (but all spiders are venomous, that's how they immobilize their victims). However, always bear in mind that the state of Florida suffers from the eruption of new invasive species of all types due to the numerous international shipping ports as well as the local idiots bringing them in intentionally and turning them loose in theory to control some other kind of invasive (or native) species of insect, or just to make it seem more like "back home" for those Florida inhabitants from the jungle regions of the planet... Note that starting a few years ago, we have observed the proliferation of a new type of spider, resembling the large "garden" spiders of northern climes, but these are different, being larger, but with slim bodies, having an almost luminescent hourglass shaped figure on it's backside, and in the heat of the day they seem to be very agressive. We have no idea if they are harmful to humans (and of course the state agencies would never tell us if they were, until there were megazillions of them and people started getting killed by them). Point is, these new spiders have started infesting the vegetation along the local SoFla beach roadways and broadwalks, and since many people are forced to use these areas for a bathroom, if you ever have to do that in an emergency situation, be very cautious of these spiders, and of course all of the other poisonous and venomous vermin that lurks in the mangroves. The above video depicts a congregation of seven spiders within about a three foot by four foot area. The incidence of "spider families" like this is quickly increasing and in some places there are already solid infestations of these spider webs that span patches of several yards. If they eventually increase their ground level populations to equal what used to be in their densely blanketed tree-top canopy infestations, they will pretty much form a solid wall of webs anywhere you go. Realize what effect these dense spider webs have on trapping insects, and that the types of insects caught (by these large spiders) are of course larger insects and unfortunately not the small mosquitoes, so they will decimate the populations of beneficial insects (such as butterflies, bees, wasps) which serve to pollinate the flora here... Below is another video showing a newer type of spider that has surfaced here. This species has two white spots (like eyes) on a black body and a white stripe (like a mouth) that renders the semblance of a face... The spider is in the upper right corner of the video below, as we had to capture this video one-handed over a fence to get the side with the "eyes". Note that this spider seems less agressive than it's hourglass-tattooed compatriot, but something about the striped coloration of the legs (along with the "face") injects the aura of danger... We cannot find any info on this species, but if anyone knows anything about this spider, we would appreciate a heads up. Florida's Rabid Hordes Attack You by Land, Sea, and Air No, this warning is not about the seemingly stark raving mad human occupants of south Florida, altho the title is all too suitably applicable to the hordes of raving mad humaniacs that now dwell in this sanity-forsaken swamp of maniacal morons...
Of all the native and exotic animals that we have mentioned that infest Florida, we must add wild monkeys, known to exist in significant numbers mostly in south and central Florida (click on this link to a search on the subject), even in the Fort Lauderdale area near the beach south of Port Everglades. Although the free-ranging monkeys are not yet classified as a danger, any diseases -- especially rabies -- could change that classification.
Be very aware that there are outbreaks of rabies here every year, usually in the heat of summer, primarily affecting smaller wild animals like raccoons, skunks, foxes, ferrets, opossums, squirrels, and coyotes. And, you are not safe from rabies in the water, because rabid otters have attacked humans in Florida waters. And, yes, even the skies can rain down rabies in the form of bats (note that Florida actually maintains "bat towers" -- special homes for the ugly critters -- to help increase the population of the mosquito-eating, flying-rabies-carriers...). Of course, rabies will likely spread to the other expanding exotic non-native species such as wild boars and who knows what else there is or will be out there running around loose tomorrow in this wacko state (more than likely there are already piranhas swimming around in the swamps and lakes and rivers)...
Lastly for now, always bear in mind that any pets that venture outside can be bitten by a rabid animal, and therefore can themselves become rabid and turn around and attack you or your family or your neighbors or passersby or tourists (the latter three victims might be a good thing tho)...
More later, particularly on the exotic species of animals escaping from "game preserves" (which are actually only fenced "farms" of all types of African and Asian wildlife imported to be "hunted", killed for "sport", then stuffed, mounted, and hung up on the walls "back home"). Update: link to article "Wild otter, which may be rabid, attacks two people and a dog near Boca [Raton]". Tourism industry spin: "oh heck, it was just a playful little ole otter, and that white stuff around it's little mouth probly weren't foam, probly had been eatin some yogurt". Do NOT get in the water, do NOT go near the water, do NOT even breathe the fumes off-gassing from the water, and especially do NOT Drink the water The subject of toxic, polluted, slimey, smelly, nasty, downright dangerous Florida waters is monumentally vast, and we have already addressed several aspects of this deplorable topic elsewhere on this website to varying degrees, but we felt that we should attempt to summarize some of the finer points here (altho, a video is worth a thousand gags, click on the "Florida Beaches" tab for a look at Florida waters -- but be sure to come back here for a dose of reality...).
We will start this off with a link to an article about slimey, toxic water problems on Florida's western (gulf) coast. In case the article goes away, we will include a paragraph to provide an idea of what it was all about, as follows: "During an algae outbreak on the St. Lucie River and estuary, Martin County homeowners had their waterfront properties posted with health warning signs because exposure to blue-green algae toxins — such as when people drink the water, touch it or inhale vapors from it — can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, serious illness and even death. The river pollution caused a half-billion-dollar decrease in the county’s waterfront property values." Note that just breathing the vapors from a distance can kill people. This algae off-vaporing can happen anywhere with Florida's "red tide", which forms mostly on the west coast, but the red algae blooms grow to immense proportions (miles wide) and get caught in the gulf stream loop current and often smacks the residents of the Florida Keys with smelly fumes that can cause serious health problems -- like, the aforementioned death! Here a link to the article presented on the Northwest Florida News website (Fort Walton area).
More later, we will come back and add some of the other icky aspects of toxic Florida waters... In the interim, you can always do a Google site search on this website using the keyword 'water' to find the other places where we have also addressed the subject; just type in the word 'water' into the search box and then follow it with one space and then the 'site:' operand (the word site concatenated with a colon) followed directly (no space) by the website address/URL (for example, the content of the search box would look like this: "water site:www.lifesacoast.com/", without the quotes of course)... For anyone contemplating a trip to a Florida beach, consider if you or anyone going along might happen to have a nick, a cut, a torn fingernail, a sore, a rash, or any kind of out of the ordinary "opening" in the skin, even one healing or scabbed over, that such an opening might be good reason to make other plans. The reason for this is the potential for any injury to the skin to serve as an entry point for germs, viruses, or any kind of bacteria. Further, altho most folks are somewhat aware that coastal Florida ocean waters tend to have high "bacteria" levels, most people are not aware that the beach sand is actually loaded with considerably more bacteria than the waters -- the bacteria level of the sand is high all of the time, not just every so often like the water. Further, consider that Florida has a much higher number of elderly than other states, and consequently a higher number than normal hospitals, which are becoming increasingly dangerous because of more and more antibiotic-resistant "super-bugs", realizing that the medical community admits they were unable to anticipate this phenomena evolving into the current hospital (and clinics and doctors offices and any medical facilities) dilemma, and more importantly that they did admit that these superbugs evolved; these bugs have always had the ability -- and acquired newer capabilities -- to change, to adjust, to adapt, to evolve, which makes it clear that they will someday manage to get out of medical environments "into the wild", like flowing out of waste water pipes into ocean waters... So it is quite simply logical to conclude that eventually super-bugs will surface in the ocean -- do you want to be one of the first victims before they finally discover that it has finally happened? The point being that hospital waste -- potentially infested with super-bugs -- is pumped out into the ocean two miles (or less) offshore, whereupon it is driven back to the shoreline by winds and currents. Lastly, you do not have to have breaks in the skin to be infected with bacteria, germs, viruses, and super-bugs, as the several natural orifices of the human body also serve effectively as entry points, including the eyes, mouth, ears, and nose of course... Be aware that the Florida beach sand is soaked in sewage bacteria and filth, even more so than the water. So, another factor to be considered when pondering swimming in the ocean waters, is that daily the hundreds of millions of gallons of so-called "partially treated" sewage from each mainland metropolis (think of all those thousands of wall-to-wall mile-high resorts and condos filled with old, sick, fat people and hotels filled with fat diarrheatically-prone tourists that over-eat and over-drink...) is pumped out into the ocean just two miles offshore through old rusted leaky pipes with holes in them. This ocean dumping up until just over a year ago for most coastal Florida megalopolises was untreated raw sewage. Realize that not only does this sewage, whatever form it is actually in (you trust municipal governments don't you?), can either go out to sea, or nowhere, or obviously can make it's way back to shore diluted somewhat by the ocean waters. This and other factors result in residues of chemicals used to "treat" the sewage and high levels of bacteria, which is tested for once per week (supposedly...), and if it tests at dangerous levels, people are quietly told to get out of the ocean to avoid an epidemic of infections which might become newsworthy creating bad publicity. However rare, such bad publicity is actually sometimes reported, here is a link to a local article regarding one Hollywood beach being closed to swimmers due to unsafe levels of "bacteria" related to sewage which presents some interesting insights. We recall recent reports that the sewage pipes are badly rusted and have holes in them near the shore, from which the sewage leaks out before it gets very far. Lastly on this, consider that the local City of Hollywood "FAQ" on sewage is worded as follows: "The 'effluent' is then either discharged to the ocean, or further treated for use as reclaimed water". Wonder what they do with the so-called "reclaimed water", considering that all of south Florida constantly suffers from water shortage problems and has restrictions on water usage. You do trust municipal governments don't you? Maybe that is what is in the water pipes that they send down into the Florida Keys, just let those Keys conchs drink our "reclaimed water"... Here is a link to bonus article which very explicitly details the monumental enormity of just the Miami Dade county sewage ocean-dumping just offshore, stating "Every day these six [just City of Miami] pipes [eight feet in diameter] send close to 400 million gallons of partially treated wastewater into the sea." But, also consider their statement that "...[two of] the pipes’ endpoints are located [only] two miles offshore in [only] 100-foot-deep water. But the [ouflow of] other four pipes are [dump sewage even] closer to shore." and just how this ocean dumped effluent is pushed up to Hollywood and Broward county beaches by the gulf stream and then washed onshore by winds and currents, along with all the rest of Broward counties sewage. Footnote on the sewage and bacteria. As contaminated as the ocean water can be with toxic carcinogenic chemicals and sewage bacteria, it is admitted that the sand on the beach is even more contaminated with bacteria than the water. Realize that all of the sand on the local beaches has been pumped onto the beaches from two to three miles offshore (for "beach renourishment" [sic]), from exactly where all of the sewage (raw, untreated until recently) is "discharged". This is done in frequent major beach restoration projects (after the beaches erode away every few years) conducted by the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers. Realize and remember and tell friends and family that the sewage is pumped out into the ocean sand, where it settles into the sand as a residue, soaks into the sand for a few years, then they pump the same sewage-soaked sand back onto the cruddy beach. Each time they do this, the "new" restored sand is noticeably darker than whatever sand was left on the eroded beaches. This results in visitors being amazed when they discover that most local residents (that are aware of the filthy beach sand and ocean water contamination) do not go to the beach nor swim in the ocean, because most local residents simply prefer to avoid filth... Bonus points: they test the ocean waters and when it tests too high for bacteria they make people stay out of the water, onto the beach, where the sand is more contaminated with bacteria than the water; but they never tell anyone about the contaminated beach sand. Beachgoers would be safer in the dirty water than on the filthy beach. The unconscionable hypocrisy of it all... Here is a link to one of thousands of reports that confirm this tip. We are NOT making this up. The waterways and man-made canals of Florida have recently become infested with a highly aggressive predatory fish known as the Asian Bullseye Snakehead which is said to be "worse than piranhas". Be aware that these large fish (can be up to three feet long) possess the rare ability to "breathe" in and out of water and are known to crawl out onto the shore with the ability to cross mudflats by "walking" with their fins, traveling significant distances from the water. The dangers to humans with this non-native exotic species of fish, which has grown in numbers from zero a decade ago to borderline dominating numbers today (in it's original area of "introduction"), lies in the fact that it is equated being worse than the ravenous and deadly piranha, in that it will wildly attack anything, documented to senselessly and cruelly bite other smaller fish in half and then leave them to die slowly. Consequently, be wary that this vile predator can be a danger to body parts of children and small pets playing outside near a source of water.
Lightning is the #1 weather killer in Florida, killing more than all other weather sources combined. Florida leads the U.S. in lightning deaths and injuries. Of the statistics that you do not see, note that lightning inflicts severe life-long debilitating injuries on many more than it kills. Most importantly, if you are unfamiliar with Florida, during thunderstorm season, lightning can strike miles away from those huge thunderheads, and this can happen on a (sunny) beach since a human being is often the tallest object in the area. If there is a thunderstorm in the area, if you see thunderheads approaching, if you can hear thunder, it's wise to just get out of the water and off of the beach... If you would like to peruse a great live lightning strike map of Florida, click on this link to the SOFLA weather site. Note first that this site provides toggle buttons at the top of the map to invoke timed loops, zoom in and out, like that -- all very valuable if you want to get an idea of what might be coming at you, or not coming at you. Note that the lightning strikes are color coded according to how recent they are (there is a key to the right, "CG" means cloud to ground strike, "IC" means intracloud lightning). Of course, if there is no lightning in the entire area (pretty rare on summer days), then the map will be devoid of strikes. If you do get caught in an area where there is a possiblity of lightning striking, some signs of potential danger to watch for are that if any of your hair "stands on end" (electrostatically) to any extent, or if you feel unusual tingling sensations (the video guy says he does ALL the time), or if you sense a buzzing sensation from nearby rocks or metal objects (especially wire fences), take immediate action. Some actions would be to get away from the buzzing objects (even if it is your partner -- seriously, if in a group spread out, away from the potentional strike zone) to a lower area if feasible, then crouch down (do NOT lie down flat on the ground NOR should you put your hands on the ground [maybe put them over your ears instead?]), close your eyes, and if you have any significant amount of metal on you get rid of it (before you put your hands over your ears of course...). In case you somehow arrived at this topic without first noting the previous topic on Florida being the lightning capital of the world, this is a link to a great online live lightning strike map of Florida which you can check before you go outside. Florida is a strange place, and if you or anyone is allergic to stings of bees and wasps, remember this... Bees and wasps tend to hover over, roam around in, and even build small nests in grassy areas, like yards and parks. We have observed people walking through grassy areas getting stung as a result, so be careful, especially if you go about barefoot. Another peculiar observance is that we often see bees wallowing around in the sand on the beach, no joke; we think these might be "drones" flushed out of the hives going to the beach to die, or maybe they just get lost and decide to camp out in the sand for a while. Bee aware, as they say... Florida is the certifiable capitol of wacko ants (and wacko Aunts). Surely most folks know about fire ants; but long story short, fire ants are really bad in Florida, so watch out for their hangs outs (which can be just about anywhere), or you will get "stung up bad" since they swarm and attack in unison, and their bite/sting is poisonous (fire ant venom contains a chemical called piperidine) and can remain painful for days with festering wounds that take a long time to heal properly. Be aware that too many fire ant bites at once are said to adversely affect the heart and respiration rates of the human body, possibly inducing death (averaging 12 deaths per year nationally); keep this in mind with children playing outside in wooded or grassy areas. Florida also has crazy ants, labeled so exactly because they act crazy, insane even, scattering wrecklessly about in hordes in all directions at once looking like a huge miniature demolition derby of insects, and the more they feel threatened, the more they skitter about wildly and reinforcements will be called up to join the foray. Note that crazy ants build nests in the structures of buildings, appear anywhere inside those buildings thru cracks and holes in the form of massive invasions, and not only will eat household food that might be out in the open, but are mostly carnivorous, killing and carrying "home" bees, wasps, even other larger ants, and any and all kinds of bugs up to the size of large cockroaches. The fact that crazy ants are carnivorous means that they will not hesitate to bite humans, and usually start doing so after a bunch of them stealthily stalk onto your foot or leg and then they all start biting in unison. The less pestilent carpenter ants will bite but are not nearly the persistent nuisance of crazy ants, not really much of a problem unless you step on a nest of them, but they do bite. There is another kind of bizarre ant in Florida, or it acts like and looks mostly like an ant, but it's backside/tail end is longer and more pointed resembling the tail of a scorpion but flatter, and their bite or sting is not venomous, but you will feel the pain for about a minute, kind of like a "sweat bee" sting; very irritating, and these small pests manage to crawl up on to your foot without your knowing it until they cut loose on you. Ghost ants are similar to crazy ants in that they manage to invade homes in search of food, but they don't act as maniacal, and are referred to as the cockroach of ants. Sugar ants are small, some species of them so small that they are difficult to see, and impossible to see if on a dark surface. As the name implies, sugar ants go mostly after sweet things, but will be attracted by any "food". The problem with sugar ants is that they are so difficult to see, and if you are dining on a dark table with a dark plate or dark food, you may be eating sugar ants, and remember that some of them are so small that they are hard to see on a light surface. Then too, Florida also has infestations of Acrobat Ants, Argentine Ants, Bi-colored Trailing Ants, Big Headed Ants, Destructive Trailing Ants, Elongate Twig Ants, Florida Harvester Ants, Pharaoh Ants, Pyramid Ants, Rover Ants, Thief Ants, Odorous House Ants, and White Footed Ants, but we are running out of time today, more later. But in closing, as for your Aunt Alice that retired here, well, you already know about her, just multiply her by a few hundred thousand and beware the entirety of Addled Aunts in Florida, especially when they are trying to drive a two ton vehicle while on prescription relaxants and mood altering drugs with poor eyesight and tendencies to space out and even doze off (be careful at green lights, Aunt Alices tend to not see red lights)... This is just another "placemark" where we will post an initial blurb on the subject as a reminder to expand upon it down the road, so do not look at this as thorough. And we should first interject a disclaimer that the Everglades is a vast region with many entry points and we have not personally visited all areas encompassed by "The River of Grass", but we do have some knowledge of Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, and Fakahatchee Strand State Park. Of those, we recommend the latter, Fakahatchee Strand, known as “the Amazon of North America” (and is adjacent to Big Cypress Preserve). Fakahatchee is located in the southwestern corner of the Everglades and is at least a day-trip from the east coast but likely best as an over-nighter (accommodations of Marco Island, Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, and Everglades City are nearby). Shark Valley might be your choice if you want to bike, or walk, or take the tram to the observation tower, and maybe have your picture taken near live alligators (which are hopefully sedated or at least well fed?) in their natural surrounding (NOT fenced in). Outside of that Shark Valley is just an expanse of flat sawgrass prairie, not much to see or do (certainly no sharks), without the hardwood hammocks of the park or the strand. The national park might be less than anticipated also, altho they do have extensive boardwalks, canoeing, camping, a lodge, guided tours, all that... Lastly for now, since the 'Glades is just a big (but a one of a kind) swamp, if you visit during the peak of summer months you will encounter not only maximum heat (highs in the 90's) and humidity (ditto 90's), but mosquitoes and biting fly populations will be at their height (consequently, not many people).
Note that if you do take in the Everglades, invasive non-native Burmese pythons have grown to a significant population in the watery regions -- so if you let your pet out to potty, you might want to keep it on a short leash (pets are allowed in the park but they are NOT allowed on any park trails). Footnote: although the pythons are predatory to wildlife (even alligators) in the park, no humans (or pets) have been reported to be endangered. But, if you run across a tabloid headline that a child was killed by a python in Miami (FloriDUH), that report is true -- but it was a privately owned "pet" within the owners residence, not in the wild, not in the Everglades... Still, we would advise against wading through any deep waters of ANY part of the immense swamp (some people actually do that...). Update: add to snakes the emergence of a growing population of the Nile Monitor "Lizard", which are large prehistoric reptilian velociraptors, carnivorous pack predators, hunts on land or in water, that kill and eat animals as large as cows and horses (while still alive, their venomous bite stuns their victims first, and they then begin eating...), and are more vicious than gators and crocs -- see the next tip for more info about this growing danger... Every year at the start of our local monsoon season, we tend to get caught outside in a cold torrential downpour, which serves as a very strong reminder to get our local weather radar bookmarks back to the forefront and check out what is new and better. This year, we were delighted to find some real innovations and thought we should tip you off to the best one to come along in quite a few years. The Weather Underground site has made a major breakthrough on animated weather radar with all the capabilities of Google Maps, to include zooming and click-on to "dragging" of the map -- this eliminates the need to check out several different weather maps for the same info that you can get with this single map. They also have options that you can set and save your preferences for your personal map. Click on this link to our Wundermap to get a visual of it -- if there are no storms in the area when you click on this link, then it will just look like a Google Map (in which case you could click on "region" or "continent" in the upper left to get a wider view and then continually click on a stormy area to zoom in to see the details [clicking on an area does an automatic zoom]...). Note that you will have to set your own options for the map, like the desired location, zoom level, type of map ("hybrid" is best), animation, and so on, then be sure to select save. Suggested starter "preferences": click OFF "weater stations", click ON the "nexrad" box, then click ON the "storm tracks" box (under display options), then click on the rightmost side of the "animate" bar (such that 6 frames per second is set), then click on "hybrid" (upper right), then on the zoom bar to the top left click on the plus sign to zoom in to the desired level, and just hold down left click and move the cursor to drag the map to where you want...then be sure to hit "save wundermap prefs" to lock in your settings (you should also "bookmark" at that point). Note that if you have some stormy weather on the map, that there might be little circles and squares within the heavier storm areas -- click on these and a popup will provide details about the storm. Also, note the directional cones provide speed and time of arrival (see "key" to the right). Ain't it cool? Would be interesting to see what a hurricane would do to the map, although I would really prefer to never find out (lost my enthusiasm for experiencing hurricanes back in '05 with Katrina, Rita, and Wilma hitting our area [yes, Katrina hit here first])... This is a tip for anyone driving to South Florida for the first time in the late spring or early fall that might be unaware of the "love bug" dilemma.
Long story short, traveling the turnpikes and interstates at high speeds during those times you may encounter "flights", swarms, hoards of the large, soft, squishy insects called lovebugs, which will gum up your vehicle's front end, hood, windshield, and anything that protrudes in any way (anyone on a motor cycle should be especially aware). Lovebug flights can number in the hundreds of thousands. The slow, drifting movement of the insects is almost reminiscent of snow fall. Two major flights occur each year, first in late spring, then again in late summer. The spring flight occurs during late April and May, the summer during late August and September. Flights extend over periods of four to five weeks.
If you suspect that you might be subjected to this ghastly phenomenon, we recommend outfitting your vehicle with a front end "screen" to keep the radiator from being plugged up and being adversely affected. The other main consideration is that you need to remove any remnants of these bugs from your vehicle before it dries -- the Florida turnpike has vehicle hosing-off stations at their rest stops for this purpose. Be aware that lovebugs can also be encountered in all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico as well as up into Georgia and South Carolina. If you might happen to be going to Hollywood Beach on a busy weekend/holiday looking for a parking place, you might want to first peruse the article at this link, Hollywood Beach Quagmire Most everyone knows that when their skin is exposed to sunshine, vitamin D3 is formed on the surface of your skin. But we have found that not everyone knows that complete absorption of the vitamin through your skin takes up to 48 hours. And, that if you shower with soap before that 48 hours is up, you will simply wash much of the vitamin D away -- so you need to delay washing as much of the sun exposed parts of your body, as is reasonable, with soap for about two full days. You can still take showers, just use soap only on "areas where the sun don't shine", but avoid as much as possible using soap on the majority of the sun exposed areas (such as arms and legs). The exception would be, unless exposed to bacteria from beach sand or ocean water... Also regarding vitamin D, check the tip below on sunscreens. Reliable sources indicate that four out of five sunscreen lotions do NOT adequately protect consumers and may contain harmful chemicals. For more information and a list of the least damaging sunscreen lotions, click on this link to a CNN article on the subject. In summary, note that sunscreens with UVB "protection" reduce vitamin D production by as much as 99.9 percent. Also, the UVA rays are the most damaging and are the primary cause of sunburn and carcinogen production, so if you must employ a sunscreen, ensure that it has UVA protection. Lastly, two non-toxic ingredients that protect against both UVA and UVB rays are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide -- they have been used for over 75 years as reportedly safe sunscreens. Before we get off of the subjects concerning vitamin D, we feel compelled to point out that this nutrient has recently been acknowledged to prevent many types of cancers, and therefore absorption of the natural form is very important (as is supplementation if you have limited sun exposure). We will not attempt to document this subject here, but will provide a couple of links on recent scientific reports confirming the findings of the studies. The actual report is on the Annals of Epidemiology site, which is by subscription only. So if you do not subscribe to that site and prefer not to join, click on this link for free information on the study. Click on this link to the Annals of Epidemiology report. Wherever you may venture that you may encounter an abundance of biting critters such as mosquitoes, deer flies, ticks, or no-see-ums, you must consider using insect repellents. However, note that most commercial products contain "DEET". Many folks are unaware that DEET will not only repel insects, it will actually kill them dead. And DEET will not only melt plastic, but has been found to impair human brain function, muscle control, and behavior (the video guy has been known to use a DEET spray as a breath freshener), as well as contributing to cancers of all kinds... This is a vast subject, so you might want to do your own research on this dangerously toxic chemical, as we will not attempt to cover it all here, and will just pass along advice to not use any DEET products -- you might also want to avoid anything that lists "inert ingredients" (aka, "industrial residue" and "hazardous waste") unless you trust the maker of the product -- but these days, just who can you trust -- so better to be safe and avoid that carcinogenic junk as well. We recommend that if you must use a repellent, go with natural ingredients such as citronella, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, garlic, vanillin (not vanilla, but vanillin), or a combination of these natural repellents -- again, do some research and good luck with that, but health food stores might be a good place to look. Note that garlic does come in a spray form for use as a repellant, but oral ingestion is (also) recommended for the other health benefits... The video guy says that maintaining a slightly elevated blood alcohol level is a sure-fire deterrent (altho, we conclude that with him, ingesting alcohol mostly deters other people) If you are new to the beach broadwalk, areas of Hollywood Beach north and south of the central part of it have natural dune vegetation, a.k.a. sea grape and sea oat habitats, which are populated with dense vegetation of all types, inhabited by some insects as well as critters like maybe scorpions (see next tip), snakes, and various reptiles of the miniature komodo dragon type. So, at various points along the broadwalk, access to the beach is provided for via "overwalks", some with steps, some that are just ramp inclines without steps. The potential for danger is incurred by the fact that the beach broadwalk "bike path" abutts directly up to the dune habitats with the overwalks. Consequently, if you are biking or blading or running or even just walking in the "path", be aware that "children" tend to jump off of the steps directly onto the bike path, without looking of course. The other danger is that bikers, especially the little three wheeled "recumbents" that are low to the ground and difficult to see, tend to go wrecklessly, witlessly joyriding down the overwalk inclines directly into the path at speed (wheeeee - crunch!). Of course, the local hospital emergency rooms, orthopedic surgeons, and the physical therapy rehab specialists think this is great for business, but if you prefer to avoid meeting them all, be aware of this danger and be very observant when approaching an overwalk at speed. One more problem that we have noticed, is that if you have been on the beach, have on sandals, with sand on them of course, and are walking down one of the steeper slippery overwalk ramp inclines, be aware that many folks have been observed to have their feet slip out from under them in such situations -- if not painful, very embarassing, and possibly em-bare-assing if wearing a bikini. The incidence of finding broken glass on the beach seems to be increasing at a very high rate the last few years. Be aware that many broken glass findings are bottle/jar bottoms with jagged edges protruding upward. Needless to say, but easy to forget, stepping on broken glass can minimally ruin a day at the beach (and several following days) or an entire vacation. Worst case, with any kind of wound, like stepping on broken glass in the sand, can easily result in a serious infection due to the high level of bacteria contaminated sand and plain old filth on the beach.
Florida is home to three different types of scorpions, which typically are rarely sighted, but that depends on location. First, scorpions are NOT venomous, but their sting can range from irritating to very serious depending upon the sensitivity of the stingee. Secondly, the chance of seeing one of these critters is rare, but be cautious in bushy, brushy, wooded areas. The video guy used to live two blocks over from our current residence, and whereas they were found quite often there (even inside his kayak), we have not seen one in five years of living at this location, just two blocks away and a very similar residence to the old one. Note that if you venture into dense seagrape habitats (see next tip below), be aware that we have observed an increasing number of scorpions squished on the pavement next to these areas (so, if you are walking the pavement barefoot, be observant...).
Update: months later, we have observed some live scorpions scampering about, a couple at night in relative dark on paved areas, so would advise not going about barefoot of an evening...
If you do not know what a scorpion looks like, click on this link for a picture and some info on Florida scorpions. There is about a one and a half mile stretch of Hollywood's North Beach where bathroom/restroom facilities are (seemingly...) non-existent. This pottyless stretch runs from the Turtle Cafe in North Beach Park all the way up to Dania Beach (there is a pier at the north end of Dania Beach for a location marker). The suggestion we offer is to avoid that section for a day at the beach. If you find yourself unable to avoid it, there are two solutions. The first and most common is to venture into the seagrapes, but watch where you step, obviously, and keep an eye out for scorpions (see prior tip). The second solution is to go for a little walk to the west (about 100 yards), across AIA, and there you will find the intracoastal waterway broadwalk with interspersed picnic areas and bathroom facilities. Our bottom line on this, again, is to avoid this area, as well as the North Beach Park picnic area on the weekends in summer -- if you just have to do a picnic gig for some reason, go on up to John U Lloyd State Park. Try to keep in mind that if you are driving around South Florida, it is very easy to be distracted and lose sight of the fact that you may be traveling at what seems to be a very reasonable rate of speed for the road that you are on and not notice that the posted speed limit is well below what it would seem that it should be. Two areas where the speed limit is more than a little lower than seems reasonable in the Hollywood area are Dania Beach Boulevard east of US 1/Federal Highway and AIA/South Ocean Drive just south of Hollywood Boulevard. Be aware that in order to keep those police salaries way up there in these tough times, that a recent increase in fines for traffic violations has pushed the cost of speeding tickets up near the three hundred dollar range, which has to be paid in cash out of your vacation budget. 'Nuff said...
Also be aware that most cities on the Gold Coast have installed "red-light cameras" at intersections. The intent of the cameras is to capture the license plate number of any vehicles running a red light and then send out a traffic ticket to the license plate holder. The catch here is that some yellow lights tend to be much too short, and the precaution is to pay close attention to (and slow down for) "stale" green traffic lights. As an aside to this subject, never assume because a traffic light is green (or because there is a four way stop sign intersection), that cross traffic will stop -- if you do not watch out for these drugged up, drunken, dimwitted jerks the risk is high that you will be broadsided......
Lastly and most importantly, canals and waterways run parallel to and very close to (sometimes right next to) many roadways in South Florida, without guardrails. With a preponderance of distracted tourists, old folks on medication, young folks on drugs, any age on alcohol, road ragers, people in a hurry, witless morons that should not be allowed to drive, and so on, that this area experiences a high number of vehicles ending up unexpectedly in these deep canals, and in some cases the vehicle occupants are unable to get either the doors open or windows down to escape the fast sinking hunk of metal which promptly fills up with unbreathable water. Locals being aware of this potential situation, keep a hammer or other heavy object under the seat to break out the window should they find themselves in this situation. So, try to stay out of the canals, but just in case, pick up one of those coral rocks from the beach and keep it in the vehicle - you can always add it to your rock garden back home when you find it under the seat next summer. Since it is of significant importance, we are going to duplicate a driving tip here that originated and still resides on the "Visit Here" page of this website. A precaution if you are new to the area and choose to drive, it is best to avoid the major thoroughfares during "rush hour", particularly down in the Miami area. If you must travel north/south at those times of day the Florida Turnpike is usually your best bet, although in southern Dade county even the pike is often very congested at rush hour, and parking-lot-like sometimes. So, if you're coming back from the keys late in the day, just plan to stop for a long leisurely dinner on Key Largo at Sundowner's and relax and enjoy the sunset while the traffic clears on the mainland). We should also point out that I-95 down toward Miami can be very rush-hour-like on weekend afternoons -- and if you are not familiar with the area and assume you can take I-95 to the Florida Keys, be aware that I-95 actually ends south of downtown Miami turning into U.S.1/Dixie Highway (which also tends to be parking-lot-like, just about any time...). There are many other transportation related tips over on the "Visit Here" page, just click on this link to the "Visit Here" page if you would like to peruse them. Florida is mostly flat; especially south Florida. Florida is already filled with canals, lakes, ponds, swamps, rivers, the ocean; especially south Florida. Florida "elevation" ranges from sea level to only a few feet above sea level; especially south Florida. Florida has a months long "monsoon season" which they deceptively mislabel as the "rainy season", during which their are daily tropical torrential downpours that soak the already wet ground. Much of Florida that is not water (canals, ponds, lakes, swamps, rivers, the ocean) or already soaked ground, is a flat concrete jungle of buildings and parking lots. So when the daily downpours hit, the water has nowhere to go, and rampant street flooding results. Getting your vehicle flooded out in a flooded street can be very inconveniencing and very expensive; even if well insured, the water damage will lessen the value of the vehicle. Most folks, regardless of what state they are from, are somewhat aware of street flooding, but may not be aware of the severity of the problem in Florida. Even many locals that have resided here for decades eventually underestimate the depth of the water in street flooding and most of them have been trapped in it once and learned their lesson. Beware, even if you have been down a given street before, the depth of the water when that street is flooded is usually considerably deeper than it looks, and if you are in a regular vehicle and drive into what you feel strongly is a safe water level, be very aware that oncoming larger vehicles like trucks and SUV's will come roaring at you at speed and push waves of water your way that will can exceed one foot and overwash the hood of your vehicle (some of those south Florida jerks do it on purpose).
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: this page is in the process of being revived and reconstructed from it's original form on the old website... Note that there is NO "copyright" on these tips, contrary to what might be implied by the "all rights reserved" wording at the bottom of this page (we have to get rid of that someday...). We welcome anyone to feel free to use any or all of these tips in any way that might be beneficial to the world, but would suggest a typical "disclaimer" of some sort... If you have questions or recommendations you may either send us an email at jeb@lifesacoast.com or leave a comment at the bottom of this webpage. If you would like to help us out with a contribution, click on "Donate".
Go Back to Index
[below is for link to another PAGE, using above in "other page"]
xxxxgotootherpagexxxx
[note: no ending slash before '#' following URL]
.
.
Go Back to Index
Does a fish poop in the ocean? Sure they do, all sea life does, including the large whales, which emit mammoth poop plumes over thirty feet long, twenty feet wide (along with smaller turds around eight feet by ten feet), initially three to six feet deep, with the entire slurry from just one total "emission" having a volume of two thousand cubic feet; and that is just one time for one whale of the hundreds of thousands of those gigantic monsters in the oceans (plus, all the smaller fish and sea life numbering in the megazillions). The point is, that the all the fish poop (and pee) does spread out -- out into the ocean waters people swim in ("Mommy, what's that big mass of brown stuff floating towards us?").
Be very aware that Florida's poisonously toxic lakes, rivers, and swamps produce mutant species. Alligators, turtles, and seagulls that live and feed in Florida waters have increasingly been found with no sex organs. mixed sex organs, or with both male and female sex organs (hermaphrodites). Consider that this is kept quiet and that Florida's fishing industry is a big business with people catching and consuming the same fish that the mutant animals feed on. This is just one example that illustrates the proverbial "canary in a coal mine" scenario where people should take this as a warning that the Florida waters are not safe, but unfortunately most people are uninformed about the danger.
Check the following link below to get a view of the growing problem of "sea snot", noting that a study found that water born "mucilage" contain bacteria and viruses, including potentially deadly E. coli, and that the pathogens are a danger to human swimmers. Link to "sea snot" article.
A Tip/Warning about Going to the Beach
Another Tip/Warning about Going to the Beach
Yet Another Reason to Stay Out of Dangerous Florida Waters,,,
Since the banks of the Florida canals and waterways can also harbor alligators and now even baby-swallowing pythons, then the snakehead should not add much impetus to be wary of children or pets being outside near water, but pets and children do disappear and get maimed here, and some visitors or new residents may well not be warned of these potential dangers. We have also found that many locals are still entirely unaware of snakeheads (the tourism industry keeps this quiet), so pass the word along in case someone might be having a picnic near a waterway and say "oh look, at the innocent fishy walking out of the water toward us", or a golfer decides to take their shoes off and step into a water hazard to rescue an errant golf ball...
Whereas not many people are either so uninformed or ignorant that they would intentionally enter any Florida canals, the burgeoning spread and increase of this prolific predator is beginning to populate other freshwater ponds, rivers, lakes, and who knows what other waterways (like the icky intracoastal waterway where some people actually swim and water ski) either will or already are harboring these nasty critters.
Florida is said to be the "Lightning Capital of the World"
How NOT to be a Lightning Rod
If you don't like bee/wasp stings, watch your step
Stinging Fire Ants, Carnivorous Crazy Ants, Stinging Bizarro Ants, Biting Carpenter Ants, Gluttonous Ghost Ants, Sneaky Sugar Ants, and Addled Aunt Alice
The Everglades, if you go...
Trying to Reason with Weather Radar Season
Driving thru Florida and "Love Bugs"
Alert! Parking on Hollywood Beach
The Sunshine State and the State of Vitamin D
A Precaution on Sunscreen Lotions
Recent Findings on Vitamin D
Insect Repellents
The Dangers of Beach Dune Overwalks.
Broken Glass on the Beach
First, be very observant; broken glass can be anywhere, either out in the open, partially hidden in the sand, misleadingly appearing like plastic (of which there is also an increasingly large amount of), and of course can be in the water although there it can be difficult or impossible to detect.
Especially be careful walking across areas of the beach that have been "graded", where a tractor pulled grading device partially covers up beach detritus -- including broken glass and dangerous jellyfish -- with sand. But, lastly, be careful anywhere, as we have found pointed edges of broken glass barely visible poking up through the sand...
A Rare Danger found off the Beaten Path, or on it - the Florida Scorpion
Hollywood North Beach "Facilities"
Speed Traps, Camera Traps, and Roadside Canals
Avoid South Florida Thoroughfares at Rush Hour
Florida Street Flooding
Speaking of Florida's rising sea levels, now that the word about the already-occurring inland-flooding has gotten out, they are trying to throw up a smokescreen mirage about it with "their brainless" solutions. Here is a link to an article on the problems of the rising sea levels for Florida and what they shamefully imply that they can try to do about it. Yep, they are just going to pump the encroaching, intruding, flooding ocean waters back out into the ocean surrounding this flat low-lying peninsula...riiiight, that ought work! I mean the water they pump out into the encroaching ocean waters won't just come right back in will it? Flow-rid-DUH...
