Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, Orlando

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Are you ready to explore Florida’s newest water park? Us, too! Relax in your own waterside cabana, drift in a winding lazy river or battle gushing whitewater torrents—which island adventure will you explore? Universal’s Volcano Bay allows you to experience it all. Upon entering, you’ll be gifted a TapuTapu wearable. This innovative bracelet will hold your place in a virtual line, so you can explore all 18 incredible attractions without spending half the day waiting around. The wearable also features Tap to Play, that allows guests to interact with various areas throughout the park with just a tap of their bracelet.

The Volcano

MUST SEE: The centerpiece is a 200-foot-tall volcano that towers above the island’s tropical landscape, blowing o steam by day and fiery lava by night. The featured attraction is Florida’s first aqua coaster, the Krakatau. Using state-of-the-art technology, guests will be propelled up, down and around before plunging through a shimmering waterfall. Fear factor? Five out of five!

The Wave Village

MUST SEE: The Reef is a serene pool to kick back in and relax while waiting to take on your next stomach-dropping adventure. A private waterfall spills into the pool—a perfect spot for the kiddos to frolic about.

GOOD EATS: Savor the Kohola, a burger topped with crispy fried onions and pickled jalapenos topped with fresh slaw and avocado mayo on a King’s Hawaiian Roll—only served at the Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club. Take advantage of Universal’s dining plan for perks such as free unlimited soda refills.

River Village

MUST SEE: Ideal for toddlers, the Tot Tiki Reef invites younger guests to play amongst the splashy slides, a tot-sized volcano and a family of friendly tikis and singing whales.

GOOD EATS: Whakawaiwa Eats has the best pizza pie on the island. The Island BBQ Chicken Pizza comes topped with diced chicken, mango barbecue sauce red onions and gouda cheese.

Rainforest Village

MUST SEE: Alright families, let’s get in formation. In this village, you will stumble across the Maku-Puihi Round Raft Rides, a six-person rafting adventure with two lava-tube paths. Maku brings you through a deep volcanic gorge before spinning to the bottom in a bowl-like pattern. Puihi puts gravity to the test on a stomach-flipping ride to the bottom. Which route will you choose?

GOOD EATS: Once you locate the bamboo hideaway crafted by islanders at the Bambu restaurant, treat your taste buds to the exquisite flavor found in the Quinoa Edamame Burger, topped with roasted shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and sriracha mayo.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Orlando

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Don’t mind the sur oards hanging from the palm trees—this surf-haven has just been turned upside down by an epic typhoon. Take on this sandy oasis in a fast-paced quest you won’t soon forget.

MUST-SEE: Miss Adventure Falls. Captain Mary Oceaneer—a pirate whose haul was lost and scattered around this tropical paradise during the typhoon—invites you and three other people to climb aboard her raft on a voyage to seek out her lost treasure on Typhoon Lagoon’s newest attraction.

MUST SEE: Humunga Kowabunga. Plunge down Mount Mayday for a near-vertical, five-story drop—in the dark. We said it first, “Kowabunga!”

Surf’s up, Dude. Surf lessons are o ered on select days prior to the park’s opening. Classes are taught by pros who know how to hang ten and are willing to pass down their mad skills. At the end of practice, you could be catching waves up to 6 feet tall. DID YOU KNOW? To “hang ten” means to hang all 10 toes over the nose of the board in order to keep your grip?

GOOD EATS: Boogie on over to Lowtide Lou’s for your choice in wraps, sandwiches and suds.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, Orlando

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Looks like winter is over at this ski resort. The ice caps have melted, and Mount Gushmore is flooding with melted slush. Catapult down high-intensity waterslides, and fly through super-long mazes in unpredictable raft rides, battling the infamous whitewater rapids. MUST SEE: Ski Patrol Training Camp. Show o your skills as you maneuver through an obstacle course for big kids and preteens.

MUST SEE: Cross Country Creek. Pass through polar caves and a lush, green forest landscaped with rocks and overhead wood and pebble bridges, as you circle the entire park in a tube. GOOD EATS: Mini donuts—prepared daily in fresh batter and dusted with powdered sugar, then drizzled in a bath of chocolate, white chocolate or raspberry dipping sauce—are one of the park’s main attractions and can be found at the stand near Lottawatta Lodge.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2012, the waterpark joined 500 host locations to help set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.

Discovery Cove, Orlando DISCOVERYCOVE.COM

Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort where your family can pose next to a paradise of rocky lagoons surrounded by lush landscaping, tropical reefs, winding rivers, a resort-style pool complete with waterfalls and pristine white-sand beaches. Florida Residents who book a day at Discovery Cove will receive admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica at a discounted rate.

MUST SEE. Freshwater Oasis. An all-new experience to Discovery Cove, you are invited to admire the rainforest canopy above and sparkling-clear springs below. Wade, wander and float through waterfilled trails. You’ll come face to face with playful otters and curious marmosets.

MUST SEE. Dolphin Lagoon. New friends are always a good thing, especially when visiting the cove. Swim alongside a bottlenose dolphin during a 30-minute interactive exploration. With an experienced trainer, a small group of guests will become better aquatinted with their new pal through a series of hugs, kisses and rubdowns. In deeper water, an exciting dorsal fin tow ride back to shore is in store.

DID YOU KNOW? Dolphins sleep by resting one side of the brain at a time. This allows them to continuously rise to the surface for air and keep an eye open for predators.

Adventure Island, Tampa ADVENTUREISLAND.COM

Twist and shout—you’re in for quite the ride. Enjoy slides, pools, kid-friendly attractions and some good ol’ vitamin D. There’s enough entertainment and sunshine to go around. This park caters to the needs of the whole family.

MUST SEE: Wahoo Run. In case the 600-foot-long flume ride doesn’t su ciently drench your crew, your multi-person raft will zoom fast through four waterfall curtains to ensure maximum soaking.

MUST SEE: Runaway Rapids. Choose from five unique slides for a high-speed adventure on a mountain-like peak. Can’t choose just one? Try them all!

GOOD EATS: Nothing complements a day of outdoor fun like a nice, cold refreshment. Quench your thirst with an iced beverage, and cure your hunger with a zesty flatbread. Surfside Café and Island Bites will serve you all this plus a sweet funnel cake for dessert.

Aquatica SeaWorld’s Waterpark, Orlando

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Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark, is a whimsical, one-of-a-kind water park unlike any you’ve ever experienced. Make memories on their wondrous waterslides, relaxing rivers, cooling wave pools and countless animal encounters.

MUST SEE. Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. This slide is the tallest, steepest and only multidrop tower of its kind in Orlando, not to mention—the drop is a surprise.

DID YOU KNOW? Ihu’s Breakaway Falls was named after the park’s gecko mascot, Ihu. MUST SEE. Tassie’s Twister. A ride with a literal spin, the adventure ends with a peaceful ride alongside the Lazy River.

GOOD EATS: Banana Beach Cookout calls out to all who want to enjoy an all-youcan-eat feast, loaded with yummy choices from pulled pork to cheesy pizza.

Weeki Wachee Springs’ Buccaneer Bay, Spring Hill

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Buccaneer Bay Waterpark, located inside Weeki Wachee Springs, is appealing to guests who want to catch some rays on the smooth, white beach or dive into the crystal-clear, spring water. This park features five thrilling flumes, three of which drop o into the naturally cold waters of Weeki Wachee Springs. Buccaneer Bay is free with your paid admission to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

DID YOU KNOW? “Weeki Wachee” was named by the Seminole Indians. It means “little spring” or “winding river.” The spring, however, is not so little. In fact, it’s so deep that the bottom has never been found!

Legoland Water Park, Winter Haven

LEGOLAND.COM/FLORIDA

Cannonball right into this innovative waterpark. The park as a whole includes over 50 rides, shows and attractions. MUST SEE. Boating School. All aboard this fun-filled ride that allows kids to captain their own mini-vessels.

MUST SEE. AQUAZONE Wave Racers. Steer your wave racer to dodge water cannons, and splash your friends and family in this head-first race toward the finish line. GOOD EATS. Head to the Beach-n-Brick Grill for an assortment of yummy treats that will satisfy the entire family.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO. Legoland Water Park admission is not available without a tickets to Legoland Florida.

Tradewinds Island Resorts, St. Petersburg

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Island Grand Resort and Guy Harvey Outpost Resort—two of Tradewinds finest choices—are located on the soft white sands of St. Pete Beach on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. These beachfront destinations have earned their bragging rights, with seven heated swimming pools and the new triple-chuted inflatable High Tide Slide—coming in at three stories tall and 200-feet long. After you’ve conquered the High Tide Slide, head out to the 15, 750-square-foot Floating Water Park, featuring climbing apparatus, balance beams, splash mats and runways. Guest passes are sold at justletgoshop.com.

» CoCo Key Hotel & Water Resort, Orlando COCOKEYORLANDO.COM

» Flamingo Waterpark Resort, Kissimmee FLAMINGOWATERPARK.COM

» The Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites Waterpark HISUITESORLANDO.COM

» Cypress Springs Water Park at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee MARRIOTT.COM

THE GOOD, THE BAD THE CRAZY

BY JIM GIBSON

You stop walking just long enough to wave a friendly greeting to the new guy next door as he pulls out of his driveway in that sleek red Porsche convertible. You linger, savoring the moment as he drives past.

Horrified, you see your reflection in his mirrored Ray Ban’s as you involuntarily begin the “fire ant dance.” In the 10 seconds it took you to take in the view, what seems to be around 5,000 fire ants scurried up both legs, and they all let you have it at one time.

Though it seemed like this vicious attack on your gams was helter skelter, there was definitely a method to the madness. The first ant that made the journey up over your Birkenstock and onto your foot, traveled approximately 10 inches up your calf to just below your knee. She then latched onto your skin with her mandibles, curled up her abdomen, sunk a sharp stinger into your skin, injected venom (the “fire” in fire ant) and instantly released an alarm pheromone that signaled her sisters to attack.

ANTS, ANTS EVERYWHERE

Although fire ants may be the best known ants in Florida, anyone who has lived here more than 24 hours knows they definitely aren’t the only brand of ant in the state. In fact, Florida could very easily be nicknamed “The Ant State,” and we could all be slathering on APF 30 Formicidae-screen every time we venture outside.

“There are a huge number of ant species in Central Florida,” says Roberto Pereira, research scientist in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “The most important thing to remember is that 99 percent of them will never cause us any problems as long as we don’t disturb or threaten them. In fact, ants are beneficial to us in many ways.”

Pereira notes that ants pollinate plants, fertilize the soil, get rid of decomposing waste and organic material, help loosen and aerate the soil, rid our yards of unwanted insects, move seeds (thereby promoting new plant growth) and the list goes on and on.

The thing is, according to Pereira, ants get a lot of bad press—and that is usually due to the one percenters— those pesky little guys who invade your yard, pantry, garage, bathroom, attic and just about any place you can squeeze an ant into (which literally means anywhere).

FIRE! FIRE!

And at the top of the list is the dreaded fire ant. Most of the ones we encounter in Marion County are red imported fire ants (RIFA). This species was imported to the United States into Florida from Brazil sometime in the late

1930s and is now found as far west as California and as far north as Maryland.

“Fire ants don’t normally come into your home unless there is a good food source available and an easy way in,” says Pereira. “They usually form mounds or hills outside in your yard, and the only time you will encounter them is if you disturb their nest. They, like all ants, are very social creatures. They have one queen whose job is to lay eggs; they have female workers whose job is to take care of the queen, the brood and the nest; and they have males whose only job is to mate with the queen and then die.”

RIFA workers live anywhere from 30 to 180 days, and a queen may live from two to six years. She lays approximately 1,500 eggs per day, and a year-old mature colony consists of between 80,000 and 240,000 ants. A mature colony will have as many as six to eight “mating flights” each year in which new queens and winged males leave the nest and mate, spreading the original colony far and wide.

Along with fire ants, most Floridians are quite familiar with the pharaoh ant. Most locals call them “sugar ants,” and anyone who has had an infestation knows how hard these guys are to eradicate. Pharaoh ants live primarily indoors and can have many queens in one nest. As the nest grows to several thousand ants, queens and males break o or “bud” and create new nests nearby.

Pharaoh ants exist everywhere on Earth (except Antarctica) and can wreak havoc in businesses such as food production plants or hospitals. In hospitals, pharaoh ants can even become a health concern, because they have the ability to spread salmonella, staph and strep germs wherever they travel. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year in an attempt to control the spread of pharaoh ants.

Building Trust

According to Pereira, some ants that we helping us.

“Carpenter ants are the ones we find living in rotted wood,” he says. “Many people think that the ants have destroyed the wood by building their home there, but actually, they took up residence in the wood after it was wet and had begun to rot. So, if you see carpenter ants trailing in and out of your attic, it could very well be a sign of a leak in your roof or even your plumbing.”

In other words, if you see carpenter ants, before you call the exterminator, you might want to call a real carpenter or a plumber. Once the leak is fixed, your friendly carpenter ants will move on, looking for some new rotted wood in your neighbor’s house.

Insanity In An Exoskeleton

One little pest that can never be mistaken for a good guy is the tawny or Rasberry crazy ant. This teeny little guy just moved here from Texas and, if some entomologists are right, could end up being the most costly ant in history.

Tawny crazy ants were first reported by an exterminator named Tom Rasberry in 2002 in Pearland, Texas. Since their “discovery,” they have spread along the Gulf Coast and are presently widespread throughout Central Florida. The species, which is also native to South America, is very hard to identify and many feel this has led to an underreporting of the ant’s presence in the Southeast.

“They are called crazy ants because of their erratic behavior,” says Pereira. “They run around very quickly, and there doesn’t seem to be any reasoning behind the path they follow. They live primarily outdoors but can also be found inside.”

What will eventually make this such a costly pest is the prodigious rate with which the ant multiplies—and where it prefers to live. A colony that begins with one queen can spread very quickly with more than one billion ants inhabiting an acre. Once a colony is mature, it can possibly invade your home where the ants seem to have an a nity for anything electric, whether it be electrical boxes and wiring or the circuits in appliances, televisions and computers.

If these ants beat a crazy path into your Mac, iPad or smartphone, thousands of them quickly fill it, shorting out the electric circuits and deep frying your ability to Facebook or Tweet. Can life get any worse?

Well, yes. Just ask the folks back in Pearland who try to sit out on their porches and enjoy a nice quiet Texas sunset. It seems these ants love to travel the human body. Luckily they don’t bite or sting, but, according to Texans, they will drive you crazy when there are thousands crawling all over you. (Maybe that’s the “crazy” in crazy ant.)

If this ant has any good thing going for it, it is the ability to destroy fire ant colonies. The tawny crazy ant has evolved the amazing ability to secrete and cover itself with formic acid as an antidote to fire ant venom. This allows the crazy ant to destroy and displace entire mounds of fire ants. It seems the crazy ants even go so far as to live in the vacated fire ant mounds, simply replacing their vanquished foes. For us, it simply becomes a matter of the lesser of two evils—which do we prefer: the fire in fire ant or the crazy in crazy ant?

HONEY, WHERE’S THE ANT SPRAY? NOT!

So, there you have it. The good, the bad and the ugly on ants in Florida— all one quadrillion of them. The next time you are attempting to dig a fire ant out from that place between your toes that is impossible to reach, just remember the words of Pereira, ever the entomological optimist: “Ants are a vital part of the world’s ecosystem and will be here long after we are gone… and we should always remember that they are not our enemies… they are our friends.”