If you’ve recently spotted amorous insects flitting around your car in a parking lot or driveway, or had the unfortunate “luck” of driving through a swarm of them, you already know: Lovebugs are back.
The flies closely related to mosquitoes and gnats are an invasive species in Florida that often make their appearances twice a year, generally around May and September.
➤ Lovebugs, a fly Florida residents love to hate
So just like (almost) clockwork, some residents around the state are already seeing the insects as they emerge from the soil as adults and begin their, um, passionate adventures, with no regard to your car or home.
What are lovebugs?
Lovebugs are flies related to mosquitoes and gnats, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
They can be identified by their black, slender bodies and red thorax.
Other common names for lovebugs include March flies, double-headed bugs, honeymoon flies, united bugs, and “some expletives that are not repeatable,” according to Dr. Norman Leppla of the University of Florida’s Entomology and Nematology Department.
When do lovebugs appear in Florida?
Lovebugs generally “appear in excessive abundance” throughout Florida as male-female pairs for only a few weeks every April-May and August-September.
“Although they exist over the entire state during these months, they can reach outbreak levels in some areas and be absent in others. They are a nuisance pest, as opposed to destructive or dangerous, in areas where they accumulate in large numbers.”
Higher temperatures cause adult populations to peak slightly earlier in the southern areas of the state, Leppla said.
Do lovebugs appear everywhere at the same time?
“Lovebugs occur in some areas and not others from year to year.”
Adult lovebugs occur earlier in South Florida because they develop faster in a warmer climate. They are only abundant for about two weeks in an area.”
Are there fewer lovebugs in Florida?
“In general, the lovebug, Plecia nearctica, has decreased in abundance at most locations in Florida during about the past four years,” Leppla said via email April 28.
The reason why is unknown.
Did February freeze affect Florida lovebug population?
Don’t count on it.
“Like other insects, lovebugs develop slower in cold weather, but the larvae and pupae can survive brief freezes under vegetation on the soil surface.”
How long do lovebugs live?
In nature, adult lovebugs live just long enough to mate, feed, disperse and deposit a batch of eggs, about three to four days.
Females lay an average of 350 eggs and up to 600 under decaying vegetation.
The eggs hatch in about 20 days.
Were lovebugs made in a lab?
No. There’s a persistent myth lovebugs were created in a lab by University of Florida researchers to control mosquitoes.
➤ Did UF create lovebugs?
Lovebugs are small, slow herbivorous insects that feed on pollen and nectar. They’re active during the day, while mosquitoes are active at twilight or nocturnal.
“For these and many other reasons, the lovebug would be a poor candidate to genetically engineer as a mosquito predator, even if it were possible,” Leppla said.
Where did lovebugs come from?
Lovebugs are not native to Florida or the southern United States.
They reached Florida in 1949 and hit outbreak levels in the 1970s, Leppla said via email April 28.
“During the 1970s explosive populations occurred progressively southward nearly to the end of peninsular Florida and northward into South Carolina.”
How do you get rid of lovebugs?
Their remains can be removed from surfaces easily if you tackle the job within 24 hours. Don’t leave their remains to bake in the sun, Leppla said.
“Lovebug eggs are somewhat like chicken eggs in not damaging car paint directly. They aren’t acidic or basic, rather it is the action of ‘cooking’ on the paint that causes the damage,” Leppla said.
➤ How to clean lovebugs off your windshield, car, house
Once they’re stuck on though, there are plenty of suggestions on what works:
Leppla’s recommended removal method? “I recommend using wet clothes dryer sheets to remove lovebugs (eggs) from cars as soon as possible.”
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Do lovebugs bite? Are they dangerous for people or pets?
Finally, some good news: Lovebugs do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases and are not poisonous.
They’re also active only during daylight hours and are much less mobile during the early and late daytime hours.
What attracts lovebugs?
Female lovebugs are attracted to compounds found in automobile exhaust fumes, confusing the chemicals with the odors emitted from decaying organic matter where they like to deposit their eggs.
They’re also attracted by heat, which explains why they’re commonly seen on Florida highways.
They’re also attracted to light-colored and shiny surfaces.
Can you avoid lovebugs if you’re driving?
Lovebugs are most dense from one to five feet above ground, which happens to be the perfect height for being in the way of moving vehicles.
Combine that with the allure of automotive exhaust fumes and the heat from the roads and you have a match not made in heaven for Florida drivers.
There is something you can do, though.
Keep in mind lovebugs do not fly during the night, Leppla said. Peak activity starts at 10 a.m. and they stop flying at dusk.
Lovebugs start flying when the air temperature reaches about 68 degrees. That tip won’t help us as we shift into full Florida summer mode.
Why are they called lovebugs?
Male and female lovebugs fly in tandem. Enough said.
Why are lovebugs stuck together?
Let’s have a little birds and the bees talk … or in this case, some lovebug love talk.
“The male lovebugs swarm in the morning and afternoon. Females emerge later (guess they like to sleep in) and flies into the swarm.
“If grabbed by a male, the pair land on vegetation where the male transfers sperm to the female.
“That process can take an average of 12.5 hours but they can remain coupled for several days.”
Are there any benefits to Florida from lovebugs?
“These potentially annoying flies are actually beneficial as larvae because they help to decompose dead plant material,” UF said.
The adult lovebugs also passively provide some pollination of flowering plants as they feed on nectar, Leppla said.
“Like cute little migratory birds, lovebugs signal changes in the seasons from spring to summer and again from summer to fall.”
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tcpalm.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Lovebugs make their presence felt in Florida. What to do
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
