They're back! South Florida drivers plagued by swarms of 'love bugs'
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10 things to know about Love Bugs
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By Katrina Elsken Lake Okeechobee News
South Florida drivers are once again dealing with the dreaded "love bug" (Plecia nearctica) season.
10 things to know about love bugs:
Love bugs are an invasive species, but they made it to Florida under their own power. In the 20th Century (due to climate changes and/or loss of habitat) they migrated from Central America, moving up through Texas and Louisianna, then down into Florida. Entomologists have tracked and documented their movements. They were first recorded in Florida in 1949.
Contrary to a pervasive myth, love bugs were NOT introduced by the University of Florida to eat mosquitoes. Love bugs do not eat other insects. As larvae, they eat decaying plant material. As adults, they consume plant nectar.
Lovebugs are attracted to roadways by the chemicals in exhaust fumes, which they may confuse with the odor of decaying plant material (their desired place to lay eggs). Heat also attracts them, so as the Florida sunshine heats up the pavement, they are drawn to the roadways.
Love bugs have a short life cycle with two generations a year. Peak mating times are three to four weeks in May and September. The insects spend most of their lives in the larvae stage. The winged adult stage lasts just 3 to 4 days. They mate, lay eggs and die. The eggs hatch in about three weeks. The larvae eat decaying organic material. This stage is shorter in the hot summer months (May-September) and longer in the cooler winer months (September-May). The pupa stage lasts 7 to 9 days. Then they emerge as winged adults and the cycle starts again.
Love bugs do not bite or sting people.
A female love bug can lay 300 eggs or more. How many eggs will hatch depends on weather conditions.
Love bugs can be a traffic hazard as they splatter on windshields.
Leaving dead love bugs on a vehicle to bake in the sun for too long can damage the paint.
Soaking love bug debris with water makes it easier to remove.
Love bugs are most active during the hottest part of the day. Traveling at night can reduce the chance your car will hit a swarm. For more about love bugs, see the UF/IFAS publication "Living with Love Bugs."
