I Love South Florida

Miami | Broward | Palm Beach

Uncategorized

How To: Make a Homemade Mosquito Trap

by 2 Comments

Updated for 2026. Between summer rains, irrigation, and the Everglades next door, mosquitoes are part of South Florida life. Beyond itchy ankles, some species can transmit viruses — which is why county mosquito-control programs matter, and why small yard habits add up.

First: dump the breeding water

The highest-ROI move is still removing standing water: saucers, clogged gutters, toy buckets, boat covers, and plant trays. Empty or scrub weekly. Screens, fans on patios, and dusk/dawn long sleeves help too. Homemade traps are a supplement, not a replacement for source reduction or professional/county control.

DIY bottle trap (classic yeast + sugar CO2 lure)

Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. A simple fermenting mix inside a 2-liter bottle can lure some into a funnel they struggle to exit.

You’ll need:

  • 1 two-liter plastic bottle
  • About 1 cup water
  • About 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • A small amount of active dry yeast (about 1 gram / a pinch-to-teaspoon range — follow package common sense)

Steps:

  1. Cut the bottle in half.
  2. Dissolve brown sugar in warm water; let it cool.
  3. Pour the sugar water into the bottom half; add yeast (no need to stir vigorously).
  4. Invert the top half as a funnel into the bottom; tape the seam.
  5. Wrap the lower bottle in dark paper or cloth; place outdoors away from where people gather if possible.

Refresh the mixture every week or two, or when it smells spent. Results vary by species, weather, and competing breeding sites nearby.

Safety and expectations

  • Keep traps away from curious pets and kids.
  • Do not add pesticides to DIY sugar traps unless a product is labeled for that use.
  • During heavy outbreak periods, follow county health / mosquito-control advisories.

Related local how-tos

This is homeowner-style guidance for 2026. For disease-risk alerts or neighborhood spraying schedules, check your county mosquito-control district.

The Famous Prancercise Workout

by Leave a Comment

joanna-rohrback

If you don’t know what it means to Prancercise®, then you are so out of the loop on what is hot in fitness right now!

Or maybe you just haven’t seen the viral video yet of Coral Springs woman Joanna Rohrback prancing around a park in what is described as “a springy, rhythmic way of moving forward, similar to a horse’s gait and ideally induced by elation.”

 

 

 

If you haven’t seen the video yet, you can do so here:

Prancercise: A Fitness Workout

 

Rohrback first created the Prancercise® concept in the 1980s, but it didn’t quite catch on.

Two decades, a book, and a viral training video later – it has become an internet sensation.

In an interview, Prancercise creator Joanna Rohrback said, “I prancercised since ’89. One of the things I started to do was power walking with ankle weights on, on this area along the beach in Hollywood, Florida, called the Broadwalk. And one day, I had my headphones on and I heard some really good music that got me going…and all of a sudden, I got more rhythmic, and more accentuated, and more springy, and that was it.”

Future plans? Rohrback said she hopes to open indoor Prancercise tracks franchised all around the country and even Prancercise parks with real live horses in the middle to get exercisers in the mood. Also, a clothing line including specialized shoes, t-shirts, and DVDs.

All exercising aside, I believe Joanna Rohrback has shown the world how fun and creative South Floridians can be.

You can learn more about Joanna Rohrback, owner of Prancercise LLC, by visiting Prancercise.com or checking out one of these articles she’s been featured in due to her newfound fame:

Prancercise: The Failed 80’s Exercise Video By Joanna Rohrback Goes Viral, Becomes Internet’s Latest Obsession

VIDEO: Prancercise Creator Joanna Rohrback On The Viral Success Of Her Fitness Workout

Interview with Joanna Rohrback, the Prancercise Guru
Also, you can Prancercise with Joanna Rohrback June 18, 2013 , from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 5550 NW 40 St., Coconut Creek, FL. The venue is giving out more than $17,000 in cash and free casino time to the best prancers in the crowd. Call 954-977-6700, or visit seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com for more information.

The Python Challenge

by Leave a Comment

Updated 2026 — the Florida Python Challenge™ is an ongoing FWC program, not a one-off 2013 event.

Florida Python Challenge awareness
Credit: Pat Lynch – South Florida Water Management District (historic event imagery)

Invasive Burmese pythons remain a serious pressure on the Everglades food web. The Florida Python Challenge™, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) with partners such as the South Florida Water Management District, continues as a public awareness and removal competition in designated south Florida locations.

What the Challenge is (and is not)

It is a registered, rules-based event with required online training and a quiz. It is not a casual weekend snake hunt on random public land. Participants must follow FWC rules, location lists, and humane-removal guidelines. Always use official sources — not social-media rumors — before planning anything.

2026 snapshot (completed)

Per FWC announcements, the 2026 competition ran roughly July 10–19, 2026, with hundreds of registered participants and hundreds of pythons removed during the event window. Prize categories and partner locations (including Everglades National Park in recent years) are published by FWC and on FLPythonChallenge.org.

We are not reprinting prize amounts or next year’s calendar here as if they were permanent — they change. Check the official site for the current registration window, fees, training, and maps.

Year-round context for locals

FWC also discusses year-round removal pathways (including contractor programs). Regular folks should still treat wild pythons as a professional/conservation issue: do not improvise captures, and report sightings through official FWC channels when appropriate.

Exploring Everglades-edge outdoors the responsible way? Start with our locals’ things-to-do guide and give wildlife space.

Program existence verified via FWC / FLPythonChallenge.org materials around the 2026 event cycle. Always confirm live rules before participating.

[PIC]: Downtown Miami Turns Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness

by Leave a Comment

Downtown Miami is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by lighting up pink for the cause.

The Miami-Dade County government has decided to “go pink” for the month of October in an effort to raise awareness of breast cancer.

According to The Republic, a Miami-Dade Police Department vehicle, waste management garbage truck, and a Metrobus have all been painted pink. And the Stephen P. Clark Center Lobby will also be pink throughout the month of October.

One of I Love South Florida’s Facebook fans stated, “This is so cool!”

We couldn’t agree more!

News: Red Bull Flugtag Miami Prepares for Liftoff: Teams Selected

by Leave a Comment

FINAL TEAMS SELECTED TO TAKE FLIGHT NOV. 3

Chosen Aviators for 2012 Event Announced at Unveiling Party

red-bull-flugtag-teams

To prepare for Red Bull Flugtag soaring back to Miami this year, Red Bull hosted an unveiling party on Sept. 6 to give “wiiings” to 34 teams chosen to participate in South Florida’s flight and fight event on Saturday, Nov. 3. The main event at Bayfront Park will launch at noon to welcome thousands of Downtown Miami residents and visitors to its beautiful waterfront to watch as the avid aviators compete in the flying spectacle that awes millions around the world.

Rock With U Entertainment’s Ross Bielejeski kicked off the unveiling party at Bongos Cuban Café by announcing the selected teams as they revealed their imaginative aircraft sketches and team names, as well as took part in a little smack-talking with their competitors. This year’s participants are from all over the southeastern United States, with many living locally and around the state, but some hailing from as far as Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. From art students and firefighters to engineers and self-proclaimed “pirates,” the mix is sure to please the crowd as their crafted handiwork makes its way into the air…before splashing into the sea below.

The teams participating in the 2012 Red Bull Flugtag Miami are: $2.50; Angry Flamingos; Bacon Soldiers; Bakerized; Banana Pelada; Cublice MADNESS!; Da Avincineers; Despicable Me; Dragon Riders; Fins of Fury; Flyin Shiners; Flying Cox; Go Batty; Hurricane Engineers’ Angry Birds, I Love LA Eats; La Vaca Roja; Magic Carpet Ride; Mars Attack; Pirates of the Care Free Being: Return of the Castaways; Slamacow; Snow Birds; Space Cadets; Spacecoast Flugtag Associates; Team DarkWing; Team Pirate’s Palette; Team Popow with the Flying Chaparro; Team Signal 20s; Team Venezuela; The Iron Manning Iron Men; The Oatmeal Effect; The Shock Guys; Tobacco Road’s Band of Road Warriors; Twisted Sister; and UNF SAME.

“After the thrill of traveling to compete in Red Bull Flugtag Tampa last year, we knew we had a to make a second go of it this year now that it’s back in our hometown of Miami,” said Mitch Phillips of the Hurricane Engineers’ Angry Birds. “We’re even more excited about this year and plan on using our engineering knowledge to create something that’s set to take home the prize, all while having a blast and making sure everyone knows it.”

Teams of four flight crew members and one pilot will not only compete in their distance from the launch pad, but also on innovation of their crafts and costumes to impress the judges. Before watching the teams fly – at least for a few seconds – guests will also have the opportunity to meet participants, view their aeronautical inventions and vote for their favorite to win the “People’s Choice Award.” Each team will also perform a 30-second skit to win over the judges and crowd.

AIM FOR THE SKY

Flugtag, German for “flying day,” is a competition that dares the brave and tests the brainy to design, build and pilot homemade aircrafts off a 30-foot high ramp in hopes of achieving human-powered flight. All aircrafts are entirely human-powered – no motors or stored energy such as slingshots or catapults are used.

Since the first Red Bull Flugtag in Vienna, Austria, in 1991, more than 100 Flugtags have been held around the world, attracting up to 300,000 spectators for a single event. The record for the farthest flight-to-date in the United States currently stands at 207 feet and was set at Red Bull Flugtag Saint Paul in 2010 by team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies. The pressure is on for this year’s Red Bull Flugtag flyers to blow these records off the charts! The Red Bull Flugtag in Miami will be the third of four Flugtags held this year, with other competitions occurring in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Red Bull Flugtag is free and open to the public. For more information, visit redbullflugtagusa.com. Select photos are attached, but for additional images and video from past Red Bull Flugtag events for editorial use, visit redbullcontentpool.com.

9/11 Ceremonies in South Florida

by 1 Comment

 

The 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be remembered by South Floridians throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties on Tuesday. Here are some events that have been scheduled:

Miami-Dade

• Miami Shores: Commemoration Mass with Archbishop Thomas Wenski, 11:45 a.m. at St. Martha Catholic Church, 9301 Biscayne Blvd.

• Miami-Dade: Ceremony of Remembrance, 9:30 a.m. at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St.

• Miami-Dade: Memorializing a steel beam from the World Trade Center, 11:30 a.m. at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 3, 3911 SW 82nd Ave.

 

BROWARD

• Margate: 9/11 Ceremony, 8:30 AM at Firefighters Memorial Park, 2500 Rock Island Rd, Margate, FL

• Coral Springs: Memorial Service, 6 p.m. at Northwest Regional Library, 3151 University Dr.

• Hollywood: Memorial Concert, 7:30 p.m. at ArtsPark at Young Circle, Federal Highway and Hollywood Boulevard.

• Fort Lauderdale: All Wars End film premiere, 8 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE Sixth St. Cost: $25. Activities include color guard, poetry reading, and Q&A with cast and crew.

• Fort Lauderdale: 9/11 Ceremony, 9:30 a.m. at Fort Lauderdale Fire & Safety Museum, 1122 W. Las Olas Blvd.

• Fort Lauderdale: 9/11: A Conversation with Bob Graham, 5:30 p.m. at Museum of Art, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd. General admission: $30.

• Fort Lauderdale: Patriot Day Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. at Ron Cochran Public Safety Building, 2601 W. Broward Blvd.

• North Lauderdale: Wreath Laying Ceremony, 1:30 p.m. at North Lauderdale Veterans Memorial, Rock Island Road and Kimberly Boulevard.

• Parkland: Remembrance, 5 p.m. at Parkland YMCA Family Center, 10559 Trails End. Activities include Broward Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, Trade Center steel display and reading by children.

• Pembroke Pines: Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. at Pembroke Pines City Center, 10300 Pines Blvd.

 

Resources:

Ceremonies to remember 9/11 happening in Southwest Florida –  http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2012-09-11/Ceremonies-to-remember-911-happening-in-Southwest-Florida#.UE8rvI1lQf4

NBC Miami: 9/11 Remembrance Events in South Florida – http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/911-remembrance-events-in-south-florida-169286546.html

The Miami Herald: Here are some commemorations scheduled for Tuesday to remember 9/11 – http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/10/2995947/here-are-some-commemorations-scheduled.html

CBS Miami: Guide To 9/11 Anniversary Observances In S. Florida – http://miami.cbslocal.com/guide/guide-to-911-anniversary-observences-in-s-florida/

firefighters memorial park

Never Forget!

[PHOTOS]: Hurricane Isaac Destruction

by Leave a Comment

I decided to look up some photos of the “havoc” Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac wreaked on South Florida, and here is what I found being publicly shared on social media sites around the web:

[NOTE: Not all exact locations are known. If you are the owner of any of the pictures being shared below and want credit or to have them removed from this page, please contact us here to do so]

hurricane-isaac-beach

Mass Floodings!

hurricane-isaac-flooding

isaac-flood

The aftermath! A slippery car accident on Oakland Park Blvd. and 441 (State Road 7):

isaac-car-accident-oakland-park-441.jpg

And the best one yet, the Hurricane Isaac "Never Forget" Meme:

never-forget-isaac‘

If you have any Isaac photos to share, you can submit them here! Have a good day 🙂

A Taste of Florida Lager by Florida Beer Company

by 1 Comment

Florida Lager bottle

Light 2026 note. When we first wrote about Florida Lager, it was under Florida Beer Company (Melbourne-area roots). The brewery later continued in the Space Coast orbit under the Carib Brewery USA banner, and the easy-drinking Florida lager tradition lives on in their lineup (often seen as Sunshine State / Florida lager styling). Availability on South Florida shelves rotates — check your local bottle shop.

Florida Lager pint glass

Our original tasting note still fits the style: a golden, approachable craft lager with malt-forward comfort — a friendly “starter” Florida brew beside hoppier local IPAs. Pair with backyard cooking or a low-key Intracoastal sunset, not a homework assignment in beer snobbery.

Curious what to eat with that pint? Drift over to the Eating in South Florida guide.

Historical review with a branding/continuity note. Confirm current beer names and tap lists with the brewery or retailer.

Tropical Storm Isaac Set For South Florida

by Leave a Comment

Several news agencies have released forecasts on Wednesday morning showing Tropical Storm Isaac, set to be a Hurricane by Thursday, on a crash course with South Florida as early as Monday.

tropical-storm-isaac-forecast

The latest track for Isaac posted by Meteorologist Kait Parker shows the storm reaching South Florida shores as early as 2:00 a.m. on Monday, August 27th.

Republican Convention Worries

One worry is that the hurricane could reach Tampa on Tuesday when Republicans gather for the 2012 GOP Convention.

"It is too early to determine what, if any, impacts might be experienced in the Tampa area next week during the RNC," said Dennis Feltgen of the US National Weather Service.

____________________________

Whether or not Hurricane Isaac affects your region, it is always important to be prepared with a Hurricane Checklist (Coming Soon).

____________________________

Diana Nyad ends 103-mile swim attempt from Cuba to Key West

by Leave a Comment

cuba-key-west-swim

Swimmer Diana Nyad, who turns 63 on Wednesday, cancelled her fourth attempt to swim from Cuba to Key West on Tuesday morning, citing storm squalls and jellyfish. Last year’s attempt was thwarted by ocean swells, shoulder pain, and asthma.

The swimmer’s representative Mark Sollinger reported that Nyad had been pushed off course by an “extremely difficult” Gulf Stream. She was just 50 miles short of success.

The last successful swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida was accomplished by Susie Maroney in 1997, who completed the attempt in 23 hour, 47 minutes and used a shark cage for safety, according to the Los Angeles Times in 2011.

Instead of using a shark cage for protection, Diana Nyad was followed by kayaks with underwater electrical shields that emitted a frequency intended to repulse sharks.

A Reuter’s report claims that this was likely Nyad’s final attempt.

Something tells me that after four attempts, this will not be the last one!