When Palmetto bugs fly.

[Skink]

They're fine if they just hang out on the carpet but...Turn the lights and...

[dbonds]

1. Giant flying roaches are never fine.

[YellowdogIam]

23. Giant flying roaches can be good

They scare the tourists and make them run home:)

[imdjh]

2. I hate it when they land in your hair at night.

And they often seem to find their way below the collar of your shirt. Horrid creatures, but not nearly as scary in surprise as having a lizard jump out at you from your closet. It's an auto-response and on some level you know it's only a lizard, but there is also the "serpent" button which get's pushed and you jump and scream like a girl.

[Skink]

13. Skinks are unpredictable.

[imdjh]

17. but cute... except the mutants

We're getting lots of mutant lizards lately. Clear ones, silver ones, really big black ones with bright orange throats, rubbery translucent ones with little markings like a Trill.

[Avalux]

3. My cat is very fond of palmetto bugs.

He plays 'catch and release' until they finally die, takes up to an hour. He is very careful to not hurt them too much at first so they can try to get away.

[dgibby]

38. OMG!

Give him some republicans to play with!

[justabob]

47. one of my cats plays that game too nt

[elehhhhna]

66. our two males do thatg... but Puff always comes

in for the kill.

Puff, Queen of the Christmas Tree:
" border="0" alt="uff tree"></a>

[Arugula Latte]

72. Another DU Catsmas tree (demnan's)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4409792

[Corgigal]

76. I have a few kitties that play that game

but it seems that the palmetto bug never survives after my 4 cats play catch and release. If one enters our home I always think, man did you pick the wrong house. They never survive one night but I have to find the left overs and dump them. Good kitties.

[ShortnFiery]

4. That's why I love the USA's Southwest desert.

Nothing to fret save for scorpions and rattlesnakes. :evilgrin:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. And that's why I love the DC environs -

nothing here except Republicans, but only in certain seasons......................

[Arugula Latte]

73. I used to live in DC ... I recall a massive cicada invasion!

After years and years of hibernation, they crawled out from god know's where en masse!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

77. Every seventeen years -

yeah, that happens, but no big deal.

Chris Matthews incorrectly identified the crickets at Arlington Cemetery as cicadas yesterday. I don't think the next infestation takes place until 2013.........................................

[Bobbieo]

10. Yuma, AZ is full of giant roaches. I am fighting them right now!!!

[imdjh]

20. I use HOME DEFENSE

Years ago, someone told me that if you are spraying the outside correctly , you don't have to spray the inside. I work my ass off to keep tree debris away from the house, and I spray Home Defense on the exterior walls of the house, including all the ledges and doorways. I still get Palmetto bugs, but they are dead.

[dgibby]

39. Not to mention Hanta Virus. n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

6. Ah fond memories of Nawlins.

First time I saw one of those things I thought it was a pterodactyl. Roll Wave.

[nolabear]

25. Amen. And they run under your feet when you walk.

Damn I hate me some palmetto bugs.

[Swamp Rat]

55. *pop*

one exploded under my flip flop the other night. x(

[nytemare]

7. They can dive-bomb as well.

And the thing is, unlike a fly, they have no direction. They just fly willy-nilly. There is no way of telling where the bastards are going to go.

[MrSlayer]

8. They are probably the most disgusting creatures on earth.

They are the reason I'll never move down south. At least Disney has divised a way to keep them out. I never see any while I'm there.

[YellowdogIam]

19. You wont see them where there is a lot of activity

They shy away from activity, they don't like being where there the action is..

[csziggy]

21. Disney poisons everything - I think all the animals there are animatronic

[Avalux]

62. Nope - THESE are the most disgusting creatures on earth, and they're poisonous.

Found one scurrying across my kitchen floor a couple of weeks ago.

[PassingFair]

92. What the HELL is that?

Yuck.

[BattyDem]

9. Wait a minute ... flying roaches???

I've never seen a flying roach ... and I've seen some huge ones in the NYC subway. Where do flying roaches live? :scared:

On edit: Just to be clear ... I've never seen a roach on a subway train, I've only seen them on the tracks while I was standing on the platform waiting for a train. I don't want to give people the wrong idea about NYC subway trains. :-)

[YellowdogIam]

14. Roaches on steroids

I don't know if Palmetto bugs are technically 'roaches' but they're BIG..and they FLY..The good news is that they are indoor transient meaning that they naturally live outside.. they will of course get inside through an open window, crack in the doors etc.. but they don't live long inside.And they are not inside breeders
When you live in Fl you just get used to them like sand fleas and hurricanes..
It is funny to see the expression on someone's face when they first encounter one

[Skink]

16. In Florida they drive up in Vans.

[YellowdogIam]

28. Big vans

And they car pool

[BattyDem]

30. You should see the expression on my face ...

and that's just from the THOUGHT of encountering one! :scared:

[nolabear]

26. Oh, yeah. BIG assed flying roaches.

Evil, horrible, nasty, godawful big-assed flying roaches.

Did I mention horrible?

[BattyDem]

31. They sound horrible.

I'm not good with bugs, in general. I'm even worse with big, flying bugs. Big flying roaches? You'd have to sedate me. Seriously.

[MercutioATC]

33. Picture a 3-inch cockroach that flies.

Now you know what the babies look like...

[BattyDem]

35. Oh sh*t!!!

:rofl:

[cwydro]

53. 3-inch?

Man, that would be a baby here!:rofl:

[SoCalDem]

71. In Kansas, every summer we got HUGE green flying grasshoppers

The front of our house was wood-shake shingles and they would cling to it.. As anyone climbed the steps, they would all swarm you as go stepped onto the porch..

When they arrived, we had to use the back door entrance off the deck..

My neighbor's little girl had a meltdown one day when they swarmed her and got all tangled up in her long hair.. That child had nightmares for months:scared:

[BattyDem]

80. I would have nightmares, too!

:scared:

[YellowdogIam]

27. Where do flying roaches live?

Well.. they live in Palmetto trees that's probably why they're called 'Palmetto bugs'

[BattyDem]

32. Okay, that makes sense ... but where do Palmetto trees live?

:P

[dgibby]

40. Anywhere they damn well please.

Here in SC, we refer to them as the state bird.

[Cid_B]

52. I spent a few years in Charleston...

and I remember those suckers. Nothing like catching one under one under your crappy foam flip flop.

*crunch / squish*

[Avalux]

49. LOL - no they don't. They live in the ground here in South Central Texas.

Although they look like roaches, they really aren't. They live outside in the ground and get into the house but don't live there.

[texanwitch]

29. We have them here.

The can get really big.

The only thing is I don't think they control the direction they are flying.

They can climb up the wall and just take off flying.

You get used the them.

[BattyDem]

34. Get used to them?

No, I don't think that would work for me, LOL!

My niece visits Texas (and her army boyfriend) a lot. I have to ask her if she's ever seen one. Knowing her, she probably would have mentioned it ... but maybe she blocked it out. :P

[texanwitch]

37. I will never forget when a flying roach came flying at a out state friend.

She saw it coming, started screaming and tried to run away.

The flying roach just followed her and landed on the top of her hair.

I am sure they heard her screaming 3 states away.

I fell on the floor laughing.

She didn't think it was funny.

The roach just flew away.

[Dorian Gray]

50. Florida...

The Carribbean... Hong Kong.... Texas....

God, I don't miss the flying roaches. Awful things.

(Dealt with them while I lived in Hong Kong, and I see them when I visit my mother in Florida.)

I'll take the non-flying NYC variety any day!

[Jennicut]

11. THIS is why I stay in New England. My Dad was in the army in Texas in his early 20's

and he has stories of those cockroaches that fly. My Mom said they were as big as a baby shoe. Ick, I am so not into bugs.
I may visit Texas/Florida but I am never living there. Ugg, I get so creeped out by them.

[Arugula Latte]

74. Many disgusting, creepy things live in Texas ... like the Bush family.

:scared:

[wtmusic]

12. Wikipedia pegs their conservation status at "least concern"

Conservation status



Least Concern

One we don't have to worry about, folks.

[DemoTex]

15. I thought maybe this was a post about my governor: Mark Sanford (R-SC)

They love my Appalachian Trail t-shirts here in Oregon. They call it the "Appalachian Tail."

They say, "Did you vote for him." I say, "Are you kidding!"

After that, the wine is free.

[Skink]

18. this is in actuality a Max baucus thread.

[DemoTex]

24. I guess I've been in the wilderness too long.

Know what I mean, Vern?

[Skink]

36. Or not long enough.

[nolabear]

22. I used to be in wildlife rehab, handled snakes, bears,

wolves, a mountian lion, raptors, all manner of animals. But I grew up on the Gulf Coast and palmetto bugs make me run screaming like a little girl! (((((shudder!))))

[Cleita]

41. Get spiders. They love cockroaches, especially the flying one. They fly

right into their webs. However, I get the impression everyone kills the spiders, so they never get a chance to get rid of the cockroaches.

[dgibby]

42. Here ya go, kiddies!

Everything you ever wanted to know about Palmetto Bugs, but were afraid to ask:

http://www.asktheexterminator.com/cockroach/Palmetto_Bugs.shtml

In addi ton to them, we are also cursed with fire ants, mosquitos, and banana spiders, some of which are as long as your pinkie finger.

And for those of you up North who are not yet affected by these bastards, just remember: they are migrating northward with the onset of global warming!

[Are_grits_groceries]

48. Don't forget kudzu.

That's heading north to improve the landscape.

My cousin was sitting behind 2 men from Great Britain on a plane when she heard them talking about the lovely "English Ivy" that covered some buildings. She leaned forward and told them she would pack some cuttings to send them if they didn't get any.

[dgibby]

51. OMG! Kudzu!

How could I forget the "vine that ate the South"?

Fortunately, the nearest patch of Kudzu is about 4 miles from my house. Unfortunately, I'm expecting it's arrival next weekend!:scared: :scared:

My biggest problem is bind weed, which grows almost as fast as Kuduz, is not as useful and just as obnoxious. Wish there was a market for it, I'd be rich! At least with Kudzu, you can make jelly. It also makes great baskets and wreaths.

[Are_grits_groceries]

54. It grows about a foot a day.

I keep expecting to see Great Britain covered by the stuff one day.

[BlueMTexpat]

57. I have to take issue with the part about them surviving only in

warm, moist climates. I actually rescued one from drowning in my daughter-in-law's swimming pool a couple weeks ago and she lives in Las Vegas. Believe me, it's hardly warm and moist there. I didn't want the dang thing dying in the pool but then I also didn't have the heart to crush it before it scuttled away afterwards; its wings were still too wet for it to fly.
It was also MUCH bigger than two inches; it was easily four inches long.
Perhaps the pool created a microclimate environment or something??

[dgibby]

59. Steroids! n/t

[Arugula Latte]

75. Don't forget all the massive pythons (former pets) dumped by people that are breeding

and taking over Florida. Good times.

[zazen]

43. one more reason why cryogenic preservation freaks me out

I'd think I'd be woken up in 5 million years by eight foot cockroaches experimenting on me. Those bastards really will take over the earth. I wonder if we're that gross to the animals we use in experimentation.

I grew up on the sound in southeastern NC in a 100-year-old house, and dozens of these "water bugs" would crawl the walls as I went to bed every evening. I'd wrap myself in my sheets like a mummy and pray. I have a clinical phobia of them to this day.

People have told me they're bigger in Florida. One reason I've only gone there once in my life, in winter.

[seafan]

44. For Florida's flying palmetto bugs, anoles and cats are our friends.

Just another day in paradise.

[ipaint]

45. I'm in Florida and had them regularly in my house.

I couldn't get rid of them, I tried everything from patching up holes to borax to clearing vegetation around the house, until I talked to a neighbor who told me they come up the drains. I covered all the sink and tub drains and it worked! I get one occasionally (every month or so) but the several a week problem is gone.

[dgibby]

60. I had an infestation of them in my garage.

I think they got in through the kitteh door, then nested behing the perforated wall board. I sprayed Raid for roaches. Killed them in a freaking NY minute. You should have seen all the bodies dropping out from the wall board. Unfreaking believable!

[nc4bo]

46. Sending you a giant cockroach-from-hell :facepalm:...

Not in Florida but had one of their kizzin' cuzzin's greet us on the back porch last night.

Hubby said HURRY UP, STEP ON IT BEFORE IT RUNS/FLIES, you're closer to it then I am!!!!!!!!

Hubby was served a giant :facepalm: too.

:puke:

[Pavulon]

56. I have seen them take a hit from a full choke 12GA

and fly off.. (kidding, but they are wrong in so many ways)

[Are_grits_groceries]

58. A PB story from a comments section (LOL)

Ohhhhhhhh Kellyn, I feel your pain! Coming from NY, I thought waterbugs were my worst nightmare. I have always hated and been creeped out by them. So imagine my complete horror to move to Florida and find that my worst nightmare has gained an additional inch AND WINGS!!!

The first time I saw a PB fly, I fell to my knees and crawled backwards out of the room hysterical. I mean, to put this into perspective for those who think we have nothing to fear, it's like a person who's afraid of clowns being faced by Shaquille O'Neal in clown suit and coming at them in a B1 bomber.

I have had many epc battles with them, as the last place I lived seemed to be some sort of headquarters for them. They all gathered there and plotted new ways to terrorize me. But I recently bought a condo and thought I was pretty safe from them. Guess that's what I get for letting my guard down.

My most recent encounter was by far the worst. One night, I saw one scurrying around in my living room. It was moving around under stuff, so there wasn't much I could do to kill it. (oh, I should further explain my killing method. Since I have a cat, I don't like to spray, so I have a "Texas-sized flyswatter" and beat them to death and believe me, it takes quite a bit of beating for those things to give up.)

Anyway, I went to my bedroom giving the nasty bug the WHOLE rest of the house, but NOOOOOOOOO, he decides he wants to terrorize me. So I'm sitting at my computer in my bedroom, minding my own business and all of sudden, something hits me in the back of the head near my ear. Ohhhhhh the buzzing, that horrible buzzing (the bug) and the screaming, the screaming (me). Then the coward hid. I moved everything until I found him and eventually dropped a phone book on him, but I will never feel clean again.

I'm in search of SOMETHING, ANYTIHNG that will control these beasts and I won't rest until I find it.
http://www.blufftontoday.com/node/3048

They do bite too.

[dgibby]

61. The comments on that site are a hoot!

Check this out. A support site for people afraid of PBs!:rofl:

[Are_grits_groceries]

64. Link?? nt

[dgibby]

70. OOPS! My bad!

http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Am-Deathly-Afraid-Of-Palmetto-Bugs/176584

I could have sworn I posted the link. I do so miss my mind!

[Canuckistanian]

63. How would you like one of these flying towards your face

It's a Giant Water Bug. I had one in my house once. I never even knew there were bugs this big in Ontario.

[Are_grits_groceries]

65. That's why Gawd made baseball bats. nt

[mamaleah]

85. I passed out for a few seconds.

Did you need a bazooka to kill it?

[Canuckistanian]

86. I killed one in my house

I hit it with a pillow. Seemed to work.

Afterwards, I kept it in the freezer in a plastic bag to show to people.

They really don't live long at that size - I've seen a few of them just infested with tiny brown mites and barely able to walk.

[mamaleah]

89. Put it on the table as a centerpiece during dinner parties.

Conversation starter to be sure!

[pipi_k]

67. Bah!!! What a bunch of wimps!!!

You wanna see a big bug?

HERE is a big bug...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOoOV-p-eFQ





:evilgrin:

[QC]

68. My mom got one caught in her hair once.

It took hours for her to calm down.

I see them every day, so they don't really bother me.

[MrMickeysMom]

90. My sister had one crawl in her EAR once!

Talk about calming down! They couldn't get it out and she ended up going to the ER.

This is when you take bug service seriously living in FL. She went North for years and years and they just retired back to FL. Time to remind her about the bug service. You can't get away from them.

Note: cockroaches are the cleanest bug, according to what I've read, so there's that.

[Are_grits_groceries]

91. I had some kind of bug crawl in my ear.

I ended up in the ER too. I could hear that sucker walking around, and scouting out the desert before it.

They took me right into the back so I know they took it seriously. The first thing the nurse did was pour some stuff in my ear that bubbled. I could hear that little bastard in there bathing and singing.

Then here comes this sweet, innocent looking nurse with a small hose with a nozzle on it. She stuck that nozzle in my ear, and blasted that bug out of the other one I think.

I have had kidney stones. That is painful. I have a hiatal hernia that hurts like hell when it acts up. However, that blast into my ear was by far the most painful thing I have ever felt. I would have taken my chances on the bug had I known what was coming.

[MrMickeysMom]

94. Aughh...

I hope your hearing hasn't suffered from that ER trip. They could have ruptured your ear drum!

[QC]

93. Oh yes. Happened to me, too.

Luckily, the bug came out on its own.

[MrMickeysMom]

95. Did you lure it with a cookie?

heh..

[QC]

96. Fishing hook with cigar minnow. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

97. I can't even imagine... I'd still be screaming and running

[TwilightGardener]

69. Why I won't move back to the deep South. Ever. Hate those little fuggers.

Of course, I can't live in the desert southwest either, because of scorpions, killer bees, tarantula hawks, massive centipedes, etc. Doomed to be a northern climate girl, just because of the creepy crawlies.

[Feron]

78. Ugh. The only good roach is a dead one. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

79. Big old June bugs flying around LA. I hate the way they bump into people and things

[mamaleah]

81. Terrifying creatures.

Big, unpredicatable, look like they could cart away a small child.

I'll be hiding in the arctic if anyone needs me.

[mamaleah]

82. OMG...a cockroach gallery....

http://www.spidy.goliathus.com/english/gallery-cockroaches.php


Disgusting.

[mamaleah]

83. Duplicate post

Sorry.

[Reader Rabbit]

84. They sound like date beetles.

I used to live in Indio, CA, and we had thousands of these suckers. Jogging in the morning was always an adventure, because you might accidentally step on one and get carried off!

Sure glad I live in the nearly bugless Pacific NW now!

[Vinca]

87. Last summer I was talking to a homeless, older lady who had been bunking

on a church porch. After she refused my offer of help (she was a very self-sufficient person), we chatted about where she used to live in Florida. She brought up the palmetto bugs, which I could appreciate since I lived there briefly in the late 1960's. She told me about a joke she played on a neighbor at Easter time when she painted palmetto bugs pastel colors and put them out on the front lawn. It was a really funny story. I could just picture it.

[DRoseDARs]

88. Obligatory Picture of Spider:

No, but you can be a smear under the heel of a shoe I plan to never wear again after squashing you with it.

[JI7]

98. i hate Bugs and have considered moving to Alaska just to get away from them