According to the University of Florida’s website, gallinippers are huge, aggressive mosquitoes (think 20x the size of a normal mosquito!) that will be abundant in Florida this summer. Gallinippers, scientifically known as “psorophora ciliata,” are floodwater mosquitoes with bodies about a half-inch long. The females lay eggs in soil at the edges of ponds, streams and other bodies of water that are prone to overflowing during heavy rains. We recommend wearing bug repellent before coming to Wild Florida for our Orlando airboat rides.
The species is notoriously aggressive and known to have a very painful bite – nothing like a regular mosquito. You can prevent these pesky insects from biting you by using repellents that contain DEET and/or by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when you’re venturing into wooded areas, especially where standing water collects after rainstorms.
But don’t let irksome mosquitoes prevent you from an airboat adventure! Just wear repellent this summer when you’re planning your next trip to Wild Florida Airboats for an Orlando airboat ride. And don’t worry, safety is Wild Florida’s number one priority, and we are committed to the health, safety and well-being of our guests, staff and animals. No job is so important and no service is so urgent that we cannot take time to perform our work safely to prevent occurrences of accidents and injuries to our guests.
