Love Bug Assessment?

[MacScuba]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

[dewilson58]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

A light year, but it's never nasty.

[vintageogauge]

This was an easy year, only had to clean them off a few times, probably the least I have seen while living here.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

This year was mild compared to the first time we came down to seriously consider buying (we'd been to the Villages a few times for vacation and to visit friends before deciding to move here). We went to a home for sale with our agent, and it was swarming with love-bugs. The lanai floor was covered in dead ones and more were swarming along the doorway from outside to the Lanai. Around 5 feet wide and 2 feet tall at the corner on the way to the main door outside, the siding of the home was completely obscured by them.

They were flying around our faces, landing on our clothing, it was horrible.

This year - was a mild annoyance for a few days, that's it.

[JEM0715]

Definitely a mild one this year, but don't worry, they'll be here around September again for about 10 day avg. Rule of thumb if you don't have diamond coat on your vehicle, get them off everyday, they have acid in their bodies that if you let go, will honestly discolor your paint and/or eat through your paint. They are just pesty, no harm to humans.

[Chi-Town]

This is the mildest I can remember. A couple of times in the past the front grills of cars were black from them daily. Nasty for sure, but they don't bite and don't last long.

[vintageogauge]

Definitely a mild one this year, but don't worry, they'll be here around September again for about 10 day avg. Rule of thumb if you don't have diamond coat on your vehicle, get them off everyday, they have acid in their bodies that if you let go, will honestly discolor your paint and/or eat through your paint. We have diamond coat put on our new vehicles which warrants against this UF experiment that went awry. They are just pesty, no harm to humans.

I just keep a spray bottle of Bug's B Gone in the garage, it actually melts the bugs so I spray it on and wipe if right off with a wet rag that I keep beside it in a bucket of water. Takes less than a minute

[dewilson58]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

COVID!!!! Less loving, more social distancing.

[kkingston57]

This season was light. Love bugs have became smarter(LOL) last year they were terrible. They recognized that there were more cars on roads this year and did not come out.

[bowlingal]

Mac.....we got off lucky this time. Let's see in Sept.

[Windguy]

We have diamond coat put on our new vehicles which warrants against this UF experiment that went awry.

That’s an urban myth. From Wikipedia:

Urban legend holds that lovebugs are synthetic—the result of a University of Florida genetics experiment gone wrong.

Research by L.L. Buschman showed that migration explained the introduction of the lovebug into Florida and other southeastern states, contrary to the urban myth that the University of Florida created them by manipulating DNA to control mosquito populations.

You really should check your facts before you accuse an organization of doing something wrong.

[pms051102]

Please explain UF experiment. Interesting...

[CarrieOn]

There were tons and tons of them on the pickle ball courts
They are attracted to white
The benches are white & so are the lines..
I had a graveyard where ever I was
Swatting them down to peril on the courts
Also at the pool..
my experience was they were bad for weeks

[thevillagernie]

wait until september

[MandoMan]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

I only saw perhaps a couple dozen total. At this moment my girlfriend is on her way up to her summer cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks, where she will spend the summer. Her friends say the black flies are terrible right now, and also the mosquitoes. But the black fly plague will be over in a couple weeks. Then will come the biting deer flies half an inch across. It’s cool and beautiful, but a lot more insect life than I see around here.

[Tmarkwald]

I think I saw about 2. LOL. maybe just lucky in my village..

[scottiesrgreat@gmail.com]

This is the third time I have lived in Florida - and I don’t ever remember love bugs —— so when I heard all the hype - I was worried. Hahaha ….
Yep - I’ll wait until September … bet they’ll be bad then *wink wink*

[J1ceasar]

Lucky , in the past ten years I'd say , 1-2 were bad .

[JimmyDebbie]

My understanding is that the mild breezes we have had the past few weeks helped to keep them at a minimum.

[davem4616]

I was expecting far more, but then again we didn't do much traveling

Some years the windshield would get loaded with bugs when traveling on the Florida Turnpike
in April

[Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

Last year driving on the Turnpike to South Florida we had to stop in most rest areas to douse my windshield with water in order to “soften” the imbedded love bugs so I could remove them, it was awful when we got to our son’s home we removed the rest of them on the bumpers, grill etc, my car then was white and you could only see black on the front of the car, those things are hideous!!!!!!!!!!!

[sallyg]

It was a light season in Marsh Bend. Last year was much heavier. Guess there is an ebb an flow.

[chasandvalr]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky? It depends on where you drive. Had you gone down by the coast, you would have seen a difference. And it depends on a persons' tolerance for the bugs. One bug can be a plague to some. Only happens twice a year and for about two weeks. No need to panic.

[MrFlorida]

Maybe Covid got to them as well....

[DAVES]

They must not taste good. I've not seen birds or lizards feeding on them. They are not particularly fast and it is catch one get one for free.

[tophcfa]

I only saw perhaps a couple dozen total. At this moment my girlfriend is on her way up to her summer cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks, where she will spend the summer. Her friends say the black flies are terrible right now, and also the mosquitoes. But the black fly plague will be over in a couple weeks. Then will come the biting deer flies half an inch across. It’s cool and beautiful, but a lot more insect life than I see around here.

Don’t forget the worst of all possible little buggers that have been absolutely horrendous up north this spring, the tiny deer ticks that carry Lyme disease. Give me a thick cloud of love bugs over ticks any day.

[OhioBuckeye]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

MacScuba, you must be a really new resident. Just wait, you’ll hate to go outside!

[pmken2]

They were very light this May. Who knows what September will bring.

[DonnaNi4os]

In the nearly four years I’ve been here, love bugs have been an annoyance in May and November. So far in has been light but we have had consecutive windy days that makes it is difficult for them to fly. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are late this year. It seems everything has changed during the pandemic and nature has changed too. Let’s hope it stays a year with low a populous of those annoying little bugs.

[willbush]

Wait until Sept when it really gets bad

[richs631]

Newbie here. After reading about Love bug season in this forum, I was expecting something akin to a plague of locusts. In Marsh Bend I think we only had a few days when the bug quantity was “annoying”. Is this considered an “average” season, or did we get off lucky?

It was definitely a mild year due to the cold winter but never so bad

[Jean G]

There is consideration for this being a new area where much of the insect and wildlife was killed or runoff during the building process. We won’t really know for a few more years how bad it will be around here.

[DaleDivine]

A light year, but it's never nasty.
We moved here in Feb 2014. They were really nasty that spring. Lots of trucks coming into TV had so many on their windshields they could hardly see out of them.
and wipers and washers smeared them even worse.
:ohdear::ohdear:

[wganderson13]

Like all insects, birds, fish & animals they are down 75% from the 80's. Nothing compares to it now. . Remember when you had to clean your windshield every time you gased up, even before the love bug season? Overpopulation is causing us into a free fall on the environment. America's a shell of it's former self.

[butlerperkins@gmail.com]

2021 0525 Tuesday @ 11:33
I have lived in Louisiana - New Orleans and the north shore (north of Lake Pontchartrain). When love bugs arrive on the north shore, they proliferate. Daily car washes are a necessity (to those who wish to keep their vehicle spotless). The consensus among my family and friends is that they are a nuisance, at worst; cute as can be, at best.

Forget all that and come up to Maryland right now. Brood X of the cicadas is in peak season. They are truly an alien-like life form! Seventeen years ago when they emerged, my children were little. They have returned. They are everywhere in Columbia, Maryland - by the millions and millions - each about a half to a third long as your longest finger.

You can not walk without stepping on some. They fly. The struggle to traverse the ground with their tiny legs (to reach the trees [which they climb to the top to find "love"]). They "sing" to one another at outrageous decibel levels. Heavens, they are all over.

These little creatures are unsightly and disgusting to many. To me they are nothing short of a miracle; a testament to the brilliance of life on earth. I have gently picked up dozens and escorted them to large trees to help them reach their lofty goal. Many simply do not make it. It is touching. It is sad. It is astonishing. I was in awe seventeen years ago when they last appeared. I am even more astonished now - that I am older - and witnessing the passing of time. I am thrilled to be in Maryland at this very time, to witness these little creatures' ever-so brief emergence. I am truly a witness to millions of miracles!

[Billy1]

Many years ago, can't remember 70's or 80's, Love bugs were much worse than today. We had screens mounted to the front of our cars, because they would not only ruin your front end, but could clog your radiator. There seems to be less love bugs today, maybe insecticides.

Is it true the term fly united came from love bugs?

[xkeowner]

[QUOTE=CarrieOn;1950243]There were tons and tons of them on the pickle ball courts

As small and light as they are they must have been several feet deep or you may have exaggerated just a bit.

[Marty94]

So happy it was a light season. In past seasons, I’ve had to pull over on the turnpike to clean my windshield. Yuck!! What a mess!

How Mating Lovebugs Put Drivers and Cars at Risk (https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-florida-lovebugs-1968302)

[lauraw]

Consider yourself lucky this year!!!

[tophcfa]

The title of this thread scared me. I thought they were going to add an assessment to our taxes for Love Bugs.

[NancyLee]

I was expecting far more, but then again we didn't do much traveling

Some years the windshield would get loaded with bugs when traveling on the Florida Turnpike
in April
Yes, and when a lot of them smack on your windshield, DO NOT USE YOUR WIPERS or it will all become a white smear. Saw some really bad years when I was at UF.

[OhioBuckeye]

Light colors seem to attack them more. Especially White!