Palmetto running around room cannot find it now and front desk won’t help.

[Jwaire]

I had a prehistoric sized one in my regular room at the Poly. Jumped right out on me when I bent down to put water in the fridge.

Lots of screaming.



They can get big. I expect they're in every hotel in Florida. You're in the swamp. It's no place for insectophobia.

 

[EYL]

I had a prehistoric sized one in my regular room at the Poly. Jumped right out on me when I bent down to put water in the fridge.

I just got back from a split stay at Poly and RIV. The second morning at Poly, as I was going back in from the balcony, a palmetto bug was in the door track. Have to say, it scared the crap outta me! Reminded me of this thread! I tried slamming the door on it, and it ran INTO THE ROOM. My wife and kid had a panic attack. Was comical and a bit nerve wracking at the same time. Do I chase it out? (and how do I do that?!) Or do I just leave it in the room? (no one will sleep well!) At the end, thankfully, I was able to chase it out by fanning it with my slippers and it flew away.

That night, we were at Walgreens to buy some Raid to spray on the perimeter of the doors. I do wonder why Poly staff don't do something similar. Bugs are one thing, but walking into spider webs as you go to your balcony for a cup of coffee is another.

 

[Lisa75]

Oh no EYL! Sorry to hear. Surprised to see this thread again lol. You did good battle. We don’t even open our balcony doors and still had one. I’ve been back what maybe two weeks now and last week was our regularly scheduled exterminator preventative spray for all things creepy at home in the north (every other month). I told our technician our story and she said she would have cried. Our bug person!

Our old technician transferred to Orkin in winter haven and still keeps in touch with my husband. He called him for future reference if it’s just me alone with my son. While I would have unloaded Raid for sure he suggested a spray bottle of water and dish soap like dawn. For instant battle if you’re cornered. I don’t know it doesn’t sound well armed enough lol!

I’m glad yours got out of the room. Your wife sounds like me.

I don’t think Disney is doing the same level of pest prevention as before. And the off site third party thing threw me.

 

[zackiedawg]

I never saw this thread the first time it made rounds, only now that it just bumped up. I read it with some amusement - both because I live in Florida and have become very accustomed to various critters getting in the house, and because of the palmetto bugs in particular.

I will catch lizards, frogs, dragonflies, and other things by hand when they come in my house. Some spiders I'll escort out by hand - others I'll slide a cup over them and slip paper under to carry them outside. Bees I'm less happy about - but generally will try to encourage them out an open window with a broom before resorting to spraying them as a last resort. Despite regular handling of many bugs and reptiles like I'm some kind of nature show host...and despite knowing that they are almost completely harmless to people, those palmetto bugs still freak me out. They're just so big, and they move so fast...and they are one of those bugs that will move TOWARDS you when you're trying to swat or kill them (like bees), rather than run away. Throw in the fact that they can fly...again, TOWARDS you...and I just really never feel comfortable around them.

At the same time, I accept that there is not a building or house in Florida that won't have one in them at some point in time...they're just part of life in the swamp. So I don't really blame the building owners or managers for the presence of the bug - if you have a serious fear of them and will not be able to sit, eat, or sleep in that room because of it, I would find it reasonable for Disney to move you to another room. The best extermination measures in the world won't stop one of those palmettos from finding its way in at some point. And there are very few extermination chemicals that work on palmettos - nor common bug-killing tactics like swatting them with a shoe. Those things are seriously impervious - I've dropped dictionaries on them straight on a tile floor, lifted the dictionary to wipe up the remains, and had them just go running off like nothing had happened at all. I've emptied 1/2 can of raid across 20 feet of my tile floor on a single bug, and had it continue to scurry along and under the counter like the raid was a spring shower.

Just a side note on the spider webs...we have a very common, and completely harmless, spider down here in Florida which is a prolific web builder, and loves to build around houses. Extermination doesn't work on them, since they often arrive at their web spots by floating there on a web in the wind - meaning they can arrive at the eave of the overhang of the building from a nearby tree, never touching any threshhold chemicals sprayed around the building. And they build huge, extensive webs in mere hours - so you can be on your balcony at midnight and have no sign of a bug, go to bed, wake at 8am, and head out to the balcony to walk into a soccer goal net spread across the entire opening of the door. They're amazing web makers - but fortunately, are not poisonous, do not bite, and can even be picked up and handled, because they have a hard shell on their backs much like a crab. They're called spiny-backed orb-weavers, and most likely if you walk into a web around a house in Florida, it's probably one of theirs!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I just got back from a split stay at Poly and RIV. The second morning at Poly, as I was going back in from the balcony, a palmetto bug was in the door track. Have to say, it scared the crap outta me! Reminded me of this thread! I tried slamming the door on it, and it ran INTO THE ROOM. My wife and kid had a panic attack. Was comical and a bit nerve wracking at the same time. Do I chase it out? (and how do I do that?!) Or do I just leave it in the room? (no one will sleep well!) At the end, thankfully, I was able to chase it out by fanning it with my slippers and it flew away.

That night, we were at Walgreens to buy some Raid to spray on the perimeter of the doors. I do wonder why Poly staff don't do something similar. Bugs are one thing, but walking into spider webs as you go to your balcony for a cup of coffee is another.

Not necessarily allergy or child safe to spray constantly.

 

[EYL]

Not necessarily allergy or child safe to spray constantly.

Agreed! Like the times we sprayed OFF! Insect Repellent on ourselves, it was the last resort and we thought about it before we sprayed. We will try Lisa75's suggestion of water and dish detergent in the future to see if it works.

 

[keishashadow]

Ex owned an exterminating company. Bugs don’t generally freak me out

a good 15 years ago, scored BCV during MNSSHP. Came back to room our first night with DH & (a young) DS, exhausted

turned on the light and watched the wall “move”. I was stunned, never saw so many Bugs at one time, nor scamper so fast. Let’s just say I momentarily lost it lol

no room at any of the inns, we were stuck there. DH & DS fell asleep like rocks. I sat up with a flashlight aimed off & on at the wall ‘their protector’. Just couldn’t bring myself to lay down…the bugs crawl in, the bugs crawl out

they had emergency spraying of our room in place the next am when we went to the parks. texted me when safe to come back to room so I could catch a cat nap.

I’d bet the house with that number of them, the person in room before us thot it was a swell idea to leave the slider open.

when we shared the story with the ex, he laughed and said it’s the roaches that stand their ground you need to worry about..

did suggest when we got home to empty our bags into double bagged-garbage bags, same with the suitcases, spray them and leave untouched for a few days on a covered porch.

 

[crisi]

Not necessarily allergy or child safe to spray constantly.

Some pesticides are carcinogenic as well. I suspect Disney sprays quite a bit - but within safety guidelines - not only for guests, but for staff who have consistent exposure. If I recall from my time in the South, Palmetto bugs are notoriously difficult to spray for - since they are outside bugs.

We've had scorpions in the room in Mexico, geckos in Hawaii and Mexico, tsetse flies in Africa, and my favorite was the quantity and quality of bugs in the Amazon rainforest (did you know there is a species of tarantulas that hunt in packs - and my husband hates bugs - I'd go through the room when he didn't notice and flush all the little critters). The OP should avoid ecolodges in the Amazon at all costs.