Love Bugs

Spring love bug season is here. This year, it seems like it will be a short season, with not too many of the pesky critters. For all of you non-Floridians, love bugs are a small insect, about the size of a lightning bug. Typically, the fly joined to a member of the opposite sex, mating.

The bugs emerge in May and September, and fly around for about 2 – 4 weeks. When we do not have much rain, the bugs are not as numerous. They tend to be found in the largest quantities along the roads and highways. It seems that they are attracted to the exhaust fumes and heat of the roadways.

During one particularly bad season, a large swarm followed me as I cut the grass on the riding mower. Even as I used the trimmer and blower, they kept flying around me. Needless to say, I kept my mouth tightly closed the whole time.

Love bugs pose no threat at all to humans; they do not bite or sting, they are just very annoying. They are so light you don’t even feel them landing on you. Light colors seem to attract them more than dark colors.

Driving during a bad love bug season can cover the front of your vehicle with thousands of dead bugs. It is best to remove them as soon as possible; they can cause damage to the finish. There a lots of opinions on what works best to clean them off. The car wash services do a big volume during the season. One popular remedy is to use Johnson’s Baby shampoo, it is said to clean the sticky bodies off very well. Using plenty of water before you use any detergent helps.