The warm temperatures of summer bring a wide array of pests and one of my least favorites is ticks. If you’ve ever experienced their itchy bite, you know ticks can certainly put a damper on gardening and being outdoors in general. In our area, ticks are present year-round but are the most active during warm weather, from April through September. Understanding ticks, their life cycle, habitat, and the dangers they present is crucial for minimizing the risks they pose to both humans and animals.
Ticks are widely recognized for the transmission of diseases to humans and animals, most notably Lyme disease. Although ticks feed on humans, we are not their preferred blood meal. While there are many species throughout the world, only a few species are able to actually transmit diseases to humans. The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, is the main vector for Lyme disease. Although the black-legged tick is not the most prevalent tick in Florida and few cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Florida, it is still important to be aware. Other species that are common in our area are the brown dog tick, the American dog tick, and the lone star tick.
Lone Star Tick, male (left), female (right). Credit: J.F. Butler
Ticks are not insects and are more closely related to spiders. Adult ticks have eight legs. Ticks have four life cycle stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. All ticks feed on blood during some or all stages on their life. Depending on the species, a female can lay anywhere from 1,000 to 6,500 eggs in her lifetime. When ticks feed, they make a small hole in the skin, attach themselves with their mouthparts, and insert their piercing mouthparts to remove blood.
Research shows that ticks must feed for several hours to transmit disease causing organisms, so quick identification and removal can help reduce tick-borne disease. If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it as soon as you see it. The best way to remove it is with a pair of tweezers. Grasp on the tick’s mouthparts and pull it straight out with firm pressure. Don’t twist or yank on it too quickly as this can cause some of the tick to remain attached to your skin. You should thoroughly clean the area where the tick was and keep an eye out for any sign of infection. If you become ill after a tick bite, contact your physician.
The best way to prevent your yard from becoming a tick haven is to keep your yard mowed and to remove any leaf litter and brush laying around. These places provide refuge for ticks. Beware that wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, deer, and mice harbor ticks so you may want to discourage them from coming to your yard. You should also regularly check pets who might enter tick infested areas.
While outside, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks if entering into tick infested areas. Clothing that is light colored make ticks more visible and easier to pick off. You can apply tick repellent to socks and shoes to prevent them from crawling onto clothing. It’s important to inspect yourself frequently while outside or after working in areas suspected of being infested with ticks! For more information on ticks, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.
It seems like I’m always finding a unique spider in the house. Whether I’ve been summoned to remove it from the premises or by a chance encounter. It is no surprise to me that there are more than 250 species of spiders found in Florida. In fact, I figured there were quite a bit more. Some spiders are aggressive, some have extreme patience, and others aren’t even spiders at all. Continue reading for some interesting facts about a few of the most common spiders in North Florida.
A golden silk orb-weaver spider with captured prey. Photo Credit: Tyler Jones, University of Florida.
Golden Silk Orb Weaver (Trichonephila Clavipes)
I grew referring to orb weavers as banana spiders. I guess I wasn’t the only one, because banana spiders are another one of their common names. Orb weavers are known for making big webs and producing really strong silk. Female spiders usually have other, smaller spiders occupying their webs. Male orb weavers are roughly a quarter the size of their female counterparts. In addition to the orb weaver couple on the web, small kleptoparasitic dewdrop spiders in the genus Argyrodes can be found eating bits and pieces of prey left behind.
Southern House Spider (Kukulcania hibernalis)
The brown recluse is a spider we can live without. Fortunately, they’re not very common in Florida. However, male southern house spiders are often mistaken for recluse spiders. If you want to be sure, just count the number of eyes. House spiders have eight eyes, whereas brown recluses only have six. Female southern house spiders don’t look like recluses or male southern house spiders at all. The females are dark brown with thick bodies and males are lanky and light brown. These spiders build thick webs in wall corners and the edges of windows.
Male (a) and female (b) southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis) The male is light brown with long pedipalps, while the female is a dark velvety brown with shorter pedipalps. Photo Credit: Erin C. Powell, FDACS-DPI
Harvestmen (Opiliones Family)
Everyone has seen a “daddy long legs” spider or at least we think we have. We may sometimes refer to harvestmen as “daddy long legs” spider, but they’re not even spiders at all. Harvestmen are classified as arachnids like spiders, scorpions, and mites, but they come from a different family (Opiliones). They only have one body segment, instead of two, they have no venom glands, and they can’t produce silk. And if anyone tells you they are the most venomous spider but can’t bit humans because their mouths are too small – well you know what to tell them. And there is such a thing as a cellar spider (Pholcus spp.) that has long legs, two body segments, and is also referred to as a “daddy long legs”, but what’s the fun in that.
We could go on and on about all the different spiders that can be found in and around your home, or not. If you are interested in other common spiders in Florida, then you should check out the UF/IFAS publication “An Introduction to Some Common and Charismatic Florida Spiders”. Then you’ll know exactly what’s lurking around the corner.
There are many species of insects and Arachnida (Arachnid) found in the Florida Panhandle. A specific arachnid that often brings fear and dread is the scorpion. There are 3 species of scorpion found the Panhandle. The Florida Bark Scorpion is commonly found in and around the home. The others, the Hentz Stripped Scorpion and Guiana Striped Scorpion, typically live in the woods. One point to remember is that all three species prefer to avoid contact with humans and save venom for their preferred dinner meal, which includes many pests like include roaches, millipedes, silver fish, other spiders, and maybe a few termites.
Florida bark scorpion. Photo Credit: Stephen Greer, University of Florida/IFAS – Santa Rosa County
Scorpions are most often found outdoors under bark mulch around plants and under logs and other items on the ground. When moving wood from woodpiles, remember to wear gloves and fully inspect them if pieces of wood are coming indoors for fireplace use. Be sure to keep outdoor firewood stacked away from the home.
Are the three Florida Scorpions found in the Panhandle capable of giving a fatal sting? The quick answer is no, but it is painful – as this author can attest to twice over the last twenty plus year. The last sting was in my laundry room and occurred about two months ago. Individuals with elevated allergies that react to other insect stings, such as bee, wasp or yellow jacket stings, should take precautions and seek medical assistance if necessary.
Keep in mind scorpions are considered beneficial as they hunt and consume many insect pests we commonly have in and around homes. They are most often found in landscapes under things we may move that have been in contact with the ground. Scorpions prefer to stay in moist dark areas. They are nocturnal hunters, so remember to turn on lights when walking around the house at night, especially in kitchen, laundry, or closet areas. They will quickly hide once the light is on. If shoes are left outside on porches or other open areas be sure shake them out.
Control methods involve several options that amount to making the setting less hospitable for scorpions to frequent. Look for possible hiding areas in and around the home. Seal around plumbing fixtures under the sinks, around exterior vents, and cracks/spaces around windows and doors. Do not store wood or other stackable products in attic or basement areas. It is recommended that if pesticides are used to consult with a commercial licensed pest management company. Use of pesticides can have mixed results as scorpions can go two plus months without eating after consuming an insect. Placing a yellow sticky board under sinks or tucked away in laundry areas can help catch a scorpion. Place these cards out of reach of pets or children as they are very sticky.
Unknowingly we interact with many small creatures in our everyday lives. Spiders are one of these groups that are beneficial to the function of human activity. This group receives much publicity as being dangerous to people and our pets. While there is always a possibility of being bitten and having venom injected by a few types of spiders, most all others are harmless to people. The primary benefit of spiders is their propensity for catching insects outside and in the home that are identified as harmful to people. Spiders come in all shapes and sizes with many hiding away, never to be seen by people.
Spiders are often included in the same group as insects, but this is not true. They belong in the group arachnids and are closely related to ticks, scorpions and mites. Spiders have two body sections (cephlothorax and abdomen) and have eight legs while insects have three body sections (head, thorax and abdomen). Scorpions usually remain outdoors and may be found indoors during hot dry periods. They are nocturnal hunters of pests that include roaches. None of the scorpions native to Florida are capable of providing a lethal sting, but it is painful when it occurs, leaving a sore and swollen at the sting area. I was reminded of this after stepping on one in the late evening while moving around the kitchen with no lights on. If the person that is stung has allergic reactions to bee stings, observe them and take precautionary health measures needed.
The spider is an important predator of harmful insects and can be found about any where in and around the home, in the garden, and many other places in the great outdoors. An Extension Entomologist I knew from North Carolina State University always mentioned, when presenting to Master Gardener Volunteer classes, that at almost any time given time, we are within two to three feet of a spider, with most so small we never see them. They are great at keeping the beneficial and harmful insect populations in balance in nature.
If you decide to spray to manage your spider population, keep in mind that by reducing the number of spiders in the landscape, you can create a reverse problem with harmful insect populations increasing dramatically. If big webs are a bother, simply take a broom and knock them down. They will rebuild by the next day, but you may not need to be in that area for a while. Always be careful and wear gloves when working in the garden, especially areas that are dark and covered, such as irrigation valve boxes, wood stacks, and other similar places. These are prime locations where the Black Widow or Recluse spiders may be set up, waiting to ambush roaches and other insects. If you are bitten by either seek immediate medical care.
Finally, spiders are fun to observe in nature! One of the most interesting spiders to watch is observable during fall in Florida – the Yellow Garden Spider. They build large webs and often place a zig zap signature in the middle. This large spider catches many insects in the garden and landscape. With early morning sunlight and dew hanging on the web during the fall, it makes for a beautifully create piece of art. Enjoy nature and all the creative processes that occur from a safe distance – spiders included!
