Mosquitoes are bad enough. They come in droves this time of year, invading picnics and camping trips and generally just being a nuisance. Common mosquitoes feed on blood of animals (both humans and pets) and are becoming more brazen and less deterred by pesticides and citronella candles. But the insect community has yet to see mosquitoes like the ones set to invade Florida later this year.

Florida has a reputation for large, unusual fauna, bugs being one of the favorites of tourists. But larger-than-life mosquitoes, by all accounts a distinct species, are set to take flight all around The Sunshine State in a matter of weeks…and residents are worried. The so-called “Gallnippers,” massive mosquitoes measuring the size of a quarter, have a ferocious sting and are impossible to miss. They’re stronger than their common mosquito counterparts and feed all day and night – most mosquitoes only feed a couple hours a day. Known for biting anything from wild animals to fish, Galnippers are revving up to wreak havoc in Florida.

The mosquito’s eggs are able to lay dormant for years at a time and hatch only when conditions are right. Gallnippers prefer soggy, almost saturated air, and Tropical Storm Debby which blew through Florida late last year is said to have been the cause of this year’s bumper crop. With hatchlings poised to open soon thanks to Florida’s particularly wet winter, Gallnipper sightings are already on the rise.

Gallnippers aren’t technically recognized by entemologists but they’ve been sighted in the US for over a century. Twenty times larger than a typical mosquito the bugs’ only saving grace is that they actually eat other, smaller mosquitoes thereby reducing that pest population. They’re hard to kill and difficult to contain.

Mosquitoes are known to transport all manner of diseases, some serious. Malaria is a commonly transmitted disease in tropical countries, mosquitoes being the host, and more and more cases of the deadly West Nile Virus have been reported in the US as of late. Scientists recommend using a DEET-fortified bug spray when outdoors and citronella candles for stationary areas. The jury is still out on whether or not electromagnetic-field bug shields actually work. Some communities like Virginia Beach, Virginia, go as far as hiring massive spray trucks to roam the city’s streets during the summer, casting a thin spray of mosquito repellent over neighborhoods.

If you have a persistent mosquito issue at your home call a pest control professional in your area today.