Dangerous Critters in Florida

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Dangerous Critters in Florida

• By
• Martha Thomas
• Lake County Livestock Agent

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Protecting Farm Workers

• Educate employees about critters
• Description of animals in the environment and
  what to do if spotted.
• Know if employee has a health issue and have on
  record.
• Buy sting kits and put in an accessible location
  (Work Trucks, Tractor, Barn)

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Keeping Area Safe

• Know where critters are hiding!
• Investigate sightings
• Take occasions to hunt them down and exterminate.
• If it is dangerous you may need to call an
  exterminator.

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Poisonous Spiders

• There are five species of venomous spiders in
  Florida.
• The four widow species are all about ½ long with
  legs extended.
• Females lay about 250 eggs in a pear-shaped egg
  sac that is about ½ to 5/8 in diameter.
• The eggs hatch in about 20 days.

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Southern Black Widow

• Most widespread in Florida. It is glossy black
  with a complete hourglass marking on the
  underside of the abdomen.
• Found under rocks and boards and around old
  buildings.

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Symptoms of Bite

• Bite feels like tiny pin prick.
• Initial pain disappears rapidly, leaving local
  swelling and two tiny red marks.
• Muscular cramps, pain in abdomen, nausea,
  sweating, and difficulty breathing.
• Death can occur depending on victims physical
  condition.

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Red Widow

• Black abdomen and reddish-orange head, thorax and
  legs.
• Top of abdomen usually has a row of red spots
  with yellow borders. This spider lacks a complete
  hourglass on the underside of the abdomen and
  instead usually has one or two small red marks.

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Red Widow Habitat

• Red Widows construct their webs in palmettos and
  has been found primarily in sand-pine scrub
  habitats in central and southeast Florida.

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Brown Widow

• This spider varies from light
• Gray to light brown to black.
• Abdomen has variable markings of black, white,
  red and yellow.
• The underside has orange or yellow hourglass.

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Brown Widow Habitat

• Found most often south of
• Daytona Beach along the coast.
• It usually makes its web on buildings in
  well-lighted areas.

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Brown Recluse Habitat

• Found in sheds, garages or
• areas of homes that are
• undisturbed and contain a supply of insects to
  serve as food.
• Persons bitten usually do not feel pain for two
  to three hours.
• Blister arises at the site of the bite, followed
  by inflammation. Skin dies and takes six to eight
  weeks to heal.

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• Not an established species in
  
• Florida.
• Recognized by the distinctive dark violin-shaped
  mark located on the head and thorax.
• 1/4 to ½ long light tan to deep reddish-brown.

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If Bitten

• Preserve spider in rubbing alcohol for positive
  identification.
• If you suspect it was a venomous spider get
  medical attention immediately.

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Venomous Snakes in Florida

• Six Species
• Vipers have vertical (cat-like) pupils and a deep
  facial pit between each eye and nostril. They
  have blocky, triangular shaped heads that are
  broader than their necks.

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Cotton Mouth/Water Moccasin

• Most aquatic of Floridas venomous snakes and
  occur throughout the state.
• About 3 long.
• Adults are dark-colored and may have a faint
  cross band pattern or be a uniform black.

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Copperhead

• Small area in Panhandle west of Tallahassee.
  Primarily along Apalachicola River and its
  tributaries.
• lt3 long with light brown to grey and dark brown
  colors.
• Hourglass shape that makes exceptional camouflage
  in forests.

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Eastern Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake

• Very Dangerous
• Floridas largest venomous snake may exceed 6 in
  length.
• Lives in dry habitats such as pinelands, scrub,
  and golf courses.
• Some individuals may not rattle, even when they
  are poised to strike.

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Timber Rattlesnake(Canebrake Rattlesnake)

• Only found in Northern Florida as far south as
  Gainesville and in limited portions of the
  Panhandle.
• Prefers moist pinelands, river bottomlands, and
  hammocks.
• Pinkish-gray to tan body color with prominent,
  irregularly-shaped, dark marks and bands.
• Large thick heads and there may be a band running
  from each eye to the rear of the head.

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Pygmy Rattlesnake

• Smallest of Floridas venomous snakes, exist in
  the entire state except the keys. Rarely exceed
  20 in length.
• Live in pine flatwoods, oak scrub, open
  pinelands, and palm hammocks.
• Bodies are covered with numerous dark blotches
  with a row of darker blotches running down the
  middle of the snakes back.

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Coral Snake

• Many habitats throughout the state but are seldom
  encountered because they are quite secretive and
  spend much of their lives underground.
• Rarely longer than 30 and no bigger around that
  a quarter.
• Red and Yellow Will Kill a Fellow
• Red and Black Friend of Jack

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Africanized Honey Bees (AHB)

• Most noticeable characteristic is that it
  responds quickly to disturbances by people and
  animals 50 feet or more from the nest.
• AHB can sense vibrations from power equipment 100
  feet or more from the nest.
• AHB will chase enemy up to a mile or more.

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Apiculture Activity

• In Africa they use bee hunting rather than bee
  keeping. Therefore, bees became more aggressive
  to protect themselves and therefore are
  unpredictable in behavior.
• European honey be population in the U.S has been
  selected by beekeepers for manageable traits
  (gentleness, reduced swarming, high honey
  hoarding.

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AHB Characteristics

• Smaller than European bee and constructs cone
  with smaller cells.
• Nest in smaller cavities and sometimes
  underground.

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AHB Affect on Public

• Decreased recreation and tourism
• Liability issues in judicial system and insurance
  industry.
• Loss of honey bees for crop pollination which are
  vital to our economy and food supply.
• Reduced availability and higher costs of certain
  foods may result.

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Protecting Farm From AHB

• Remove potential nesting site
• Inspect exterior walls and eaves
• Seal openings gt 1/8
• Install screens over vents, rain spouts, utility
  boxes and tree cavities
• Inspect area for bee activity during peak
  swarming season (spring through fall)

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Bee Safety Precautions

• Listen for buzzing and look for bees entering or
  leaving an area, indicating a nest or swarm
• Carefully enter areas where bees might be nesting
• Examine area before using noisy equipment or
  penning livestock
• Never disturb a swarm or colony of bees contact
  pest control company to remove

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Locating Colony

• Stay Away
• Protect face and eyes
• Take Shelter in enclosed area (Vehicle, house)
  Not water source they will wait
• Contact Pest Control Company

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If Stung

• Scrape stingers from skin with a blunt object as
  soon as possible. If not done, venom will
  continue to be injected over time.
• Wash with soap and water and apply ice.
• If allergic reaction occurs seek medical
  attention immediately.

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AHB Effects

• AHB brought disaster to South and Central America
  beekeeping. Beekeepers were not prepared for the
  large, wild population of AHB which invaded their
  area.
• They saw their own bees change rapidly and could
  not cope with the intense stinging behavior.

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U.S. Bee Industry

• Beekeepers must exterminate wild bee nests to
  protect their managed bees from resource
  competition.
• Where wild populations of AHB build up, there
  will be reduction in forage availability.
• Frequent re-queening, loss of apiary locations,
  and resource competition will all add to the cost
  and labor of beekeeping operations

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Lymes Disease

• Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia
  burgdorferi.
• This bacterium is transmitted between mammals by
  the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, which
  is also called the deer tick.

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Deer Tick
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3 Host Life Cycle
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Symptoms of Lymes Disease

• Rash, around the site of the tick bite that
  appears within 3 days to 3 weeks after the bite.
• The rash expands into a bull's eye pattern.
• Other symptoms include fever, flu-like symptoms,
  chills, headache, and extreme fatigue.

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Symptoms of Lymes Disease

• These may appear weeks to months after the
  initial symptoms
• Joints - arthritis in the knee, elbow and wrist
• Nervous system - headache, stiff neck, facial
  paralysis
• Heart - myocarditis, heart block

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Protection

• There are many cases each year that cannot be
  attributed to out of state travel.
• Best protection is wearing insect repellent
  containing DEET concentration at 10-15
• Check self, children, and pets after being in
  tick habitat and remove promptly.

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References

• Venomous Spiders in Florida D.E. Short and J.L.
  Castner
• Recognizing Floridas Venomous Snakes Steve A.
  Johnson and Martin B. Main
• Lyme Disease in Florida1 Cynthia C. Lord and C.
  Roxanne Rutledge Connelly2

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Thanks

• Questions?