Georgia: The Bug State

Generally speaking I like bugs, but Georgia is something else.

I read on the Internet that's it's the 5th buggiest state in the union, and I believe it. In the course of a day, working here in the boatyard, we will be swatting at gnats, mosquitos, no-see-ums, and flies. We will find wasps trying to make nests on our boat, June beetles strolling on the deck, and dragonflies hovering over the water faucet. We hear cicadas buzzing all afternoon up in the trees.

Our latest bug encounter really takes the cake. We found this in the bilge. The thing is over 2" long,  so how did it even get in there?

Its called a Hercules beetle, and they are common throughout the southeast. I'd never seen one before, and hope to never meet a live one.

Georgia isn't just about bugs though. There are also lots of birds. We've seen roseate spoonbills, flamingos, wood storks, several different egrets, and these shy little clapper rails. Three of them scurried through the yard one quiet afternoon while I was varnishing. They make a strange call, so I knew they were coming and was able to get my camera in time.

Another boatyard visitor was this tortoise. He was trying to go under the keel of nextdoor's boat and wouldn't fit. I picked him up and set him down on the other side where I thought he was trying to go.

Georgia also has several poisonous snakes, scorpions, black widows, brown recluse spiders, and fire ants. Luckily we haven't seen any snakes, but recently someone saw an alligator right here in the creek!

I once saw a meme on Facebook that said something like: We don't get upset if you're a little late here in the South. With several venomous snakes, fire ants, alligators, debilitating humidity, hurricanes, and the occasional tornado, were just glad you're here at all!