PRPG:
3 Places With Bad Insect Problems

3 Places With Bad Insect Problems

July 24, 2015

Looking to book a vacation? You may want to think twice about visiting these locales during certain times of the year.

Orlando in April and October

3 Places With Bad Insect ProblemsOrlando is the place to head if you like theme parks but its humid, subtropical climate makes it a great fit for all sorts of crazy wildlife. While it’s possible to encounter the occasional armadillo while strolling around Disney World, you may also run into lots of love bugs. Not Herbie, but Plecia nearctica, a breed of very frisky insect. These bugs mate twice a year in the spring and autumn. Countless swarms of them can be spotted living up to their nicknames in Orlando’s various resorts and theme parks. Many baffled visitors have mistaken them for two headed insects since they’re often “joined together” in flight. Whether or not they’ll annoy you during your next trip depends on how much rainfall the area has received. In years when Orlando gets lots of wet weather, the love bugs’ population booms and they can found everywhere from swimming pools to the queue outside Space Mountain. Oh, and a word of warning: they’re attracted to bright clothing.

Berlin in August

The German capital has an electrifying arts scene and scores of museums, but late summer is not the time to visit. That’s when Berlin’s wasp problem gets out of hand. Most of Berlin’s cafes and businesses don’t have air conditioning so they leave their doors and windows open whenever the weather is hot. That means they’re magnets for wasps. City and government officials have made several attempts to combat the bugs but it’s a difficult problem to solve.

Scotland in July

Mid-summer might not be the best time to head to the Highlands. Rural areas especially are a haven for midges (which the locals pronounce “‘mi-jee’). These tiny gnats travel in clouds and walking into one definitely isn’t a pleasant experience. While the males can be annoying it’s the females you have to worry about. When they’re pregnant, they crave protein and human blood is their favorite meal. That means they’re as irritating as mosquitoes and their huge populations make them a force to be reckoned with. While local bats love to eat them, combating the midges would require most of Scotland to be covered in bug repellent. Until a better solution is found, the locals and tourists alike will just have to keep putting up with them. How bad is the problem? One of the most popular websites in Scotland is The Scottish Midge Forecast.