Source(s):
Roxanne Rutledge crr@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (772) 778-7200 ext. 158
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Bloodsucking creatures lurk in the woods, waiting to pierce the flesh of their victims with painful, venomous stings. The stuff of Halloween nightmares? Maybe – but these monsters won’t be found in any Stephen King novel. Instead, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has published the humorously titled book “Pests that Suck Your Blood and Try to Kill You!” to give Florida residents important information about biting and stinging bugs that live in the southeastern United States.
Roxanne Rutledge, a UF professor of entomology and nematology and one of the book’s four authors, said “Pests that Suck Your Blood and Try to Kill You!” was written to help people identify potentially bothersome pests.
“There are a lot of insects in Florida that suck blood and can transmit diseases, and a lot of people don’t have an idea of what they look like,” she said. “Identification can help people keep from being overly concerned about every insect they see, and can help medical treatment in cases of severe reactions.”
The 25-page, spiral-bound guide provides quick access to facts on the habits, distribution and potential dangers of more than 20 types of wasps, spiders, ticks and other assorted beastly bugs. Detailed black-and-white drawings, color photos and maps accompany each entry.
Rutledge said that when returning from outdoor adventures, it’s important for people to check their bodies and clothes for ticks and other bugs.
“If someone has something on them that looks like one of the pictures in the book, they might want to inspect and see whether they’ve been bitten,” she said. “Remember what happened. Fever or other symptoms from disease transmission can show up three days to two or three weeks after a bite.”
Though insect activity is reduced during cooler months, Florida’s warm climate ensures that nasty bug bites can be a problem during any season.
“Biting and stinging insects are abundant in Florida, but another important issue is that we have a very long mosquito and insect season. In south Florida, for example, you can have mosquito breeding all year round,” Rutledge said.
“Pests that Suck Your Blood and Try to Kill You!” was written by Rutledge, UF/IFAS assistant extension scientist Faith M. Oi, UF entomology and nematology professor Philip G. Koehler and former UF graduate student Shawn E. Brooks. The book is available for $5.00 plus applicable taxes and shipping charges from the IFAS-Extension Bookstore at UF in Gainesville. Orders can be made online at www.ifasbooks.com or via telephone by calling 1-800-226-1764. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
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