Alligators, lightning and mosquitoes: staying safe outdoors in Orlando

Florida’s wildlife and weather come with the trip. Vacation home resorts in Kissimmee and Davenport often have ponds between the streets, summer brings thunder most afternoons, and mosquitoes show up wherever water sits still. If you are driving down from Ohio or flying in from Toronto or London, none of this is a reason to worry. Florida’s agencies publish clear rules, and families who know them before arrival enjoy the pool and the parks without surprises.

Are there alligators in Orlando?

Yes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) estimates about 1.3 million alligators in Florida, found in all 67 counties. They live in freshwater lakes, ponds, swamps and slow rivers, in any wetland with food and cover. That includes the lakes and ponds you will see inside many vacation home resorts and on golf courses.

FWC also notes that serious injuries from alligators are rare in Florida. Trouble starts when people get too close to the water or when an alligator learns to link people with food. Gators become more active and visible as spring warms up and mating season approaches, and they are most active between dusk and dawn.

Can you swim in a resort lake or pond?

It is not a good idea. FWC’s guidance is to swim only in designated swimming areas and only during daylight. A resort pond is not a designated swimming area. For a family, that turns into four rules:

• Never feed an alligator. It is illegal in Florida, and a fed gator loses its natural wariness of people.
• Keep your distance if you spot one, even if it looks still or small.
• Keep kids away from the water’s edge. Ball games, play and fishing near a pond need an adult nearby, and never at dusk.
• Leash your dog and keep it away from the water. FWC points out that pets resemble an alligator’s natural prey and should not swim in fresh or brackish water.

Do not pick up a baby gator either. FWC warns that even small alligators can give bites that cause serious infection, and handling them is illegal.

Each resort has its own rules on ponds, fishing and common areas. Read the rules at Orlando vacation home resorts before you arrive.

What should you do if an alligator shows up near the house?

Move people and pets away, do not try to scare it off, and call FWC’s toll free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). FWC treats an alligator as a nuisance when it is at least 4 feet (1.2 m) long and believed to threaten people, pets or property, and it sends a contracted trapper. Let the property manager know as well. If anyone is hurt, call 911 and get care. Here is where to find the nearest hospital to your vacation home.

Why does Orlando get so much lightning?

Because central Florida gets more lightning than anywhere else in the country. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Melbourne, which covers Orlando, calls the area the “Lightning Capital” of the United States. Florida’s interior, where Orlando sits, has 80 to 90 thunderstorm days a year, and the most dangerous stretch runs from May through September. Summer storms build in the afternoon and early evening, right when families are at the pool, in the parks or on the golf course.

Topic	Official figure	Source
Alligators in Florida	about 1.3 million, in all 67 counties	FWC
Thunderstorm days per year in interior Florida	80 to 90	NWS Melbourne
Lightning deaths in Florida, 1959 to 2016	491, first in the nation (Texas, second, had 221)	NWS, NOAA Storm Data
U.S. lightning deaths in 2026, through September 22	16, including 6 in Florida	NWS
Dengue acquired in Florida in 2026, through September 26	252 cases: 223 in Hillsborough (Tampa area), 3 in Orange, 1 in Polk	Florida Department of Health

One of the 2026 deaths happened in Celebration, right next to Walt Disney World, to a person walking on a pathway. The NWS notes that lightning can strike 10 miles (16 km) or more from the storm, often outside the area where it is raining.

What should you do when thunder starts at the pool?

Get out of the water right away and go inside. The NWS rule is “when thunder roars, go indoors,” and stay there until 30 minutes after the last thunder. NWS Melbourne lists pools, lakes and even puddles among the places to leave during a storm.

One detail matters at a vacation home: the lanai (the screened enclosure around the pool) is not shelter. The NWS says carports, open garages, covered patios and pavilions do not count. Safe shelter is an enclosed building with electricity or plumbing, or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows up. Indoors during the storm, skip showers and dishwashing and stay away from doors and windows.

To estimate distance, count the seconds between flash and thunder: about 5 seconds equals 1 mile. If someone is struck, call 911. The NWS explains that the body does not store electricity, so it is safe to touch the person and give first aid. The rest of the pool routine is in how to keep kids safe at a vacation rental pool.

What about the theme parks and the golf course?

At a park, head into an enclosed building such as a shop or restaurant. Universal Orlando’s official safety guide says attractions and entertainment may close because of weather, so expect pauses on summer afternoons. A tree is not shelter: the NWS says standing under one is the second leading cause of lightning casualties.

On the golf course, open fairways and metal clubs are a bad mix. The NWS says to put down golf clubs, fishing poles and other metal objects and get to shelter when you hear thunder. In summer, book early tee times. Courses near the resorts are covered in where to play golf near Orlando.

Is there dengue in Orlando right now?

Florida has had cases in 2026, but most are far from Orlando. The Florida Department of Health report for September 20 to 26, 2026 counted 252 locally acquired dengue cases this year, 223 of them in Hillsborough County, in the Tampa area. Orange County, home to Orlando, had 3 and Polk County, home to Davenport, had 1. Osceola County, where Kissimmee is, had no local cases listed.

The same report lists Orange County under a mosquito-borne illness alert and Polk County under an advisory, the levels the state uses to ask for extra care with bites. Orange County said it carried out targeted spraying after a local case in early September, noting that the mosquito that spreads dengue does not travel far from where it hatches.

If the house has too many mosquitoes, tell the property manager. County mosquito control also takes inspection requests: in Orange, call 311 or 407-836-3111; in Osceola, call 407-742-0505.

Which mosquito repellent is safe for kids in Orlando?

Use an EPA-registered repellent with one of these active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. The CDC reminds travelers that mosquitoes bite day and night and gives these rules:

• Babies under 2 months: no repellent. Dress them in clothes that cover arms and legs and put mosquito netting over the stroller.
• Children under 3: no OLE or PMD.
• How to apply on a child: spray it on your own hands, then apply to the child’s face, avoiding hands, eyes, mouth and cuts.
• Sunscreen first, repellent second.
• Pregnancy: the CDC says EPA-registered repellents are safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding women when used as directed. For more, see visiting Orlando pregnant.

At the house, keep doors closed, run the air conditioning and once a week empty anything outside that holds water.

In practice: before the first afternoon swim, agree on two house rules with everyone. Thunder means out of the pool and into the living room, no exceptions. And nobody goes to the edge of the resort pond without an adult, especially at dusk. Keep the repellent by the back door next to the sunscreen.

Do fire ants and sun need attention too?

Yes, and both are easy to avoid. Fire ants build dirt mounds in lawns, usually under 18 inches across, and swarm out to sting when someone steps on or disturbs one. According to the University of Florida (UF/IFAS), the stings burn, form a white pustule the next day and can bother you for up to 10 days. Some people have severe allergic reactions, which need medical care. Wear shoes on the grass and teach kids not to kick small piles of dirt.

Strong sun comes with all of this. Hydration, shade and sunscreen are covered in how to avoid heat exhaustion at Orlando theme parks.

Situation	Who to call
Emergency: injury, lightning strike, bite, severe allergic reaction	911
An alligator that worries you near the house or pool	FWC, 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286)
Too many mosquitoes in Orange County (Orlando)	311 or 407-836-3111
Too many mosquitoes in Osceola County (Kissimmee)	407-742-0505

Phone numbers checked on official sites in October 2026. If the pool is the heart of your trip, browse our vacation homes with a private pool.