Florida water bug bite treatment?

manpowerstat · May 30, 2009

Were they the small little water bugs that buzz around in circles, or were they freakishly large, menacing-looking water bugs? I'm a life-time Florida resident, and the poisonous water bugs are often confused with the non-poisonous ones. The small ones are harmless. It's the big ones that will bite you. Very painful. Here's a link for what the bad ones look like: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/foltz/eny3005/lab1/hemiptera/Belostomatid.htm

They're huge so you can't miss them if they're in a pool. Apparently some people eat them in Asia. Gross.

mama_d, BSN, RN · May 30, 2009

Yech! I will never move to Florida now. I just don't do big bugs.

manpowerstat · May 31, 2009

I used to be scared of bugs, but now I've just kind of accepted them. I live in South Florida near the Everglades.

Fortunately Gainesville is more in Central Florida. Bugs aren't so much of a problem there.

Florida is a nice place to live for the most part. The thing about Gainesville is that it's a college town. Everything there revolves around UF. Aside from the university Gainesville is hick country. Kind of isolated. That's the weird thing about Florida: it's a Southern state, but there is just enough Northern influence to make it tolerable. Mix that with South American influence along with retirees from Michigan and New York, that's Florida.

Enjoy.

Blackcat99 · Jun 1, 2009

Thanks all. Yes, they were the giant water bugs!!! I saw 3 of them in the pool. :loveya:I am absolutely fascinated with the bugs I met in Florida!!!! I never knew that any bug could survive and actually live in a chlorinated swimming pool !!! Don't let the bugs prevent you from moving to Florida. When I saw the bug right next to me in the swimming pool I screamed at the top of my lungs and he swam away. They are all so very interesting!!! I did find a you tube video called "Florida water bug" and according to the maker of this video these water bugs can give a very painful bite. He said if you get a bite on your hand that it will feel like your hand is "on fire" for 3 days!!!! So I quess if I ever get bit I will seek immediate medical treatment.

RNin10 · Jun 2, 2009

Hi Friends. I am moving to Gainesville as soon as my house gets sold here. When I recently visited, there were water bugs swimming in the chlorinated hotel swimming pool. I didn't get bitten but I wanted to find out what to do if I do get bitten in the future.Are these bugs dangerous? I also wanted to know that if there is a "mandatory evacuation" order due to weather do you leave the area and then call your job to call in? Any advice about Florida would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Uck...I don't live far from Gainesville and I have never encountered the giant water bug. I have come across the smaller one. Unfortunately bugs are a huge part of living in Florida. I am terrified of pretty much all of them. Especially the spiders. But, I don't ever want to live anywhere else so the good out weighs the bad! I live less than an hour north of Gainesville. Not quite into Jacksonville.

As far as evacuation...most of the hospitals require you to work during an evacuation. You call before you leave and they will tell you to come in or evacuate. If they tell you to come in and you don't you will have an unexcused absence. Fortunately, Gainesville does not have many mandatory evacuations.

Blackcat99 · Jun 3, 2009

Thanks. Yes, Florida seems to have the largest bugs I have ever seen!!!! :eek: I'm glad to hear that Gainesville doesn't have a lot of mandatory evacuations. I sure wouldn't want to go to work if the TV is telling me to do a mandatory evacuation. However, since I'll be "new to Florida" I guess I could pretend that I didn't know that I was suppose to call my job first before evacuating?

flightnurse2b, LPN · Jun 3, 2009

Thanks. Yes, Florida seems to have the largest bugs I have ever seen!!!! I'm glad to hear that Gainesville doesn't have a lot of mandatory evacuations. I sure wouldn't want to go to work if the TV is telling me to do a mandatory evacuation. However, since I'll be "new to Florida" I guess I could pretend that I didn't know that I was suppose to call my job first before evacuating?

most hospitals in florida, especially in coastal areas, have a mandatory hurricane policy.

you work A (pre and during the storm) team or B (post and after until the all clear) team. where i work, you can pick which team, as long as they are both even (ie, everyone has a relief person)... but you don't get much of a choice, you have to be there in the event of a hurricane.

i live on the beach, so we are in a mandatory evacuation zone. i spent hurricane frances, hurricane jeanne and hurricane wilma at work. being at the hospital is much safer than being at a shelter or trying to ride it out at home... and you are the only place in the area with power, water and food.

the people who didn't show for hurricane duty, either A or B team, were terminated. after the storm hits, the national guard will usually come in and patrol the roads, esp if theres enough damage where there are looters. in order to get anywhere without the risk of getting arrested, you must have a valid ID that shows you are a medical professional, firefighter, police officer, etc....

but gainesville doesn't have toooo much to worry about. the storms are usually about dead by the time they hit orlando. the only people who have mandatory evacuations are those of us like myself who live in an evacuation zone--usually within 15 miles or so from the water, i think it is.

welcome to the sunshine state. :)

Blackcat99 · Jun 3, 2009

Thanks. Oh good. So I don't have to worry. :yeah: I never thought about the fact that the hospital would be the safest place to be during a hurricane. That makes sense. I have 2 cats and I would be worried sick about them if I had to go to work during a hurricane. I'm so glad that I will not be living in the mandatory evacuation areas.

It must be extremely stressful for nurses who have kids and animals at home to have to go to work. :sniff:

flightnurse2b, LPN · Jun 3, 2009

Thanks. Oh good. So I don't have to worry. I never thought about the fact that the hospital would be the safest place to be during a hurricane. That makes sense. I have 2 cats and I would be worried sick about them if I had to go to work during a hurricane. I'm so glad that I will not be living in the mandatory evacuation areas.
It must be extremely stressful for nurses who have kids and animals at home to have to go to work.

they come to work too!

our hospital utilizes the people who are not in direct patient care such as materials, HR, medical records, switchboard, etc to man a kid-care area and a pet-care area... and they also had areas for people with elderly parents. last hurricane, there were 2,000 employees and their loved ones.... and a zoo like you wouldn't believe. people bought in their dogs, cats, fish tanks, iguanas, whatever. the requirements are that you bring 2 gallons of water per person or pet per day, plus at least a 4 day supply of nonperishable foods like soups and stuff. we all share what gets bought in.

it's an experience, thats for sure....

my little brother is going to UF in the fall so i will be visiting gainesville alot more then. the only thing i can say that i know about the area is be careful when driving through the surrounding little places like waldo----they wait for speeders!!!

Blackcat99 · Jun 3, 2009

Wow!!!!! That's wonderful that people can actually bring in their pets and family members to work too!!!! :yeah:I never knew that was possible. I bet that is very interesting !!!!! Thanks for the tip about Waldo and the cops waiting for speeders too. I'm sure your brother will enjoy going to the UF in Gainesville.

RNin10 · Jun 10, 2009

Oh yeah, Waldo is known as the speed trap capital of the U.S.