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Lovebugs are
small black flies with a red thorax that have been invading
our lives in April-May and August-September. They are considered a
nuisance mainly because they congregate in large numbers
along highways and splatter on windshields and grills of our
cars.
Damage: Car's windshields become covered with the fatty
remains that can become thick enough to obscure vision. The
flies can also clog radiators and cause our cars to
overheat. The fatty tissue can pit our car's finish if not
removed within a few days. A word of caution, do not paint
your house now, lovebugs can mar freshly painted surfaces.
Feeding: Adult lovebugs are harmless - they do not sting or
bite. They feed on the nectar of various plants, especially
sweet clover, Brazilian pepper and goldenrod.
Frequency of flights: Two flights of lovebugs occur each
year in Central Florida. The spring flight occurs during
late April and May. A second flight occurs in fall around
late August and September and flight periods generally last
4-5 weeks. Flights are usually restricted to daylight hours
and temperatures above 68 degrees F. Mating takes place
almost immediately after emergence of the females. Adult
females live only 2 to 3 days.
Control: There are several effective insecticides available
for lovebug control, but spraying can be impractical because
infestations occur over such a vast area and for a short
period of time. You can control lovebugs in confined areas
like porches and around your home with aerosol sprays
available for other household insects. Predators have
substantially reduced the population of lovebugs in Central
Florida during the past several years. Lovebug larvae
populations are extremely high in pasture areas, making an
ideal environment for certain bird predators like robins and
quails. Armadillos are thought to be predators as well, but
scientific data has yet to back this up. Certain beetle
larvae, earwigs and centipedes have been found to be natural
predators of lovebug larvae in the soil.
Lovebugs and your car: There are several things a motorist
can do to lessen the lovebug nuisance. First, traveling at
night can reduce the incidence of lovebugs since they are
active only in the day, usually after 10 a.m. Also
traveling at a lower speed will reduce the number of bugs
splattered on your car. There are many types of screens
available that can be placed on the front grill of your car
to protect the finish and prevent the radiator from becoming
clogged. If a large screen can't be used on the front of the
car, a smaller screen can be put behind the grill but in
front of the radiator.
Splattered lovebugs should be washed off the car as soon as
possible. Cars that have been waxed recently are more
protected from damage by lovebug residue. Soaking the area
with water for several minutes will aid in removal too. When
lovebugs are numerous, or you know you will be traveling at
the peak times, you can spread a light film of baby oil or
use an aerosol oil spray over the front of the hood, above
the windshield, and the grill and bumper. This practice will
make lovebug removal easier.
Content courtesy of Seminole County Gov
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