May Trip-LoveBug Season...What the heck was I thinking?????

And unlike flies... they DO NOT startle and fly away.... even swatting at em and missing don't scare them...lol

Like other have said they don't bite or sting but they crawl all over you and are irratating...lol
 
ive been a lot in September and once in may. September is also their love bug season. only once did I notice a "swam" of them. by lockers in typhoon lagoon. and I just waved my hand and they moved away long enough for me to get my stuff situated and leave. they are around but they have not bothered us at all
I feel the hype and talk about them on the boards is way more than whats actually there
 
We live right next to Disney in Celebration, they started about 2 weeks ago, last weekend there were a TON, but the past few days they have been less and less, haven't seen any today. FYI...they are attracted to the color white, so white shirt=lovebugs loving you:)
 
We live right next to Disney in Celebration, they started about 2 weeks ago, last weekend there were a TON, but the past few days they have been less and less, haven't seen any today. FYI...they are attracted to the color white, so white shirt=lovebugs loving you:)
Now this is great news...so that means in another two weeks they may be gone!!! Yea I have completely eliminated white from my dress code while Im there.
 


We live right next to Disney in Celebration, they started about 2 weeks ago, last weekend there were a TON, but the past few days they have been less and less, haven't seen any today. FYI...they are attracted to the color white, so white shirt=lovebugs loving you:)
Well, that explains a lot! And why they were bothering me and not so much my husband, who was wearing a dark shirt. His theory was "if you don't pay attention to them they won't bother you. Look, they're not bothering me." Now I can prove him wrong. LOL!
 
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My girlfriend and I went last May (the 19th to 26th I believe), and the only time I remember noticing any lovebugs was when we were waiting for the bus at Coronado Springs. I don't remember seeing any in the parks, probably because I was so distracted.
 


We've been to Florida three times in May. The first time, we drove down from Canada and spent time in and around Orlando. We had a real problem with them and they coated the car. We had to have them cleaned off several times so that they wouldn't damage the paint. A few years later we had a rental car and drove from Orlando to Tampa to Fort Myers to Cocoa Beach, back to Orlando and then to WDW. We only found that they were a problem when we were south of Orlando. The third time we just flew to Orlando and stayed at WDW and never saw one (that I recognized). I think that they're more of a problem outside of WDW; there may be a few but there's not a huge number of them unless it's changed over the years.
 
Maybe in May and September, they could rename the attraction to "It's Tough to be a Love Bug."
 
Ok so we leave for our week long trip on May 16th, and up to this point I have been sooooo excited, that is... until I started reading about these darn LoveBugs. I have read previously a little bit about them, but never really paid too much attention to it. In my mind I pictured ladybugs and never really gave it too much thought. Well today, I finally decided for some reason to google LoveBugs, and holy crap now Im completely freaking out!
First of all, yes I know I should have done some more reasearch before booking a May trip. Of the numerous times I have been to WDW, I have never been in May and yes I should have done my homework...but alas I did not... obviously.
What has me so worried are two things, first of all apparently there are swarms of these things in May. How the heck are you supposed to enjoy an outdoor park with swarms of bugs? Now maybe when I go there wont be any swarms, maybe there will be just a few bugs flying around (which would be fine) but Im trying to prepare for the worst and I just dont know how this will be enjoyable with swarms of bugs flying around. Second, we are driving down, in our new car, and Ive read that Lovebugs can destroy the paint on your car...has anyone tried anything that worked protecting your car from these bugs?
Has anyone just gotten back from WDW that can report on the LoveBug situation?
Bugs in general, any kind can eat through clear coats. This info is coming from detailing cars for over 30 years. Plain and simple any bud would have to be on ur paint for multiple months to etch through ur clear coat. After a week or two with all the heat it will etch the finish but that can be easily clayed or polished off.

All you need is a fresh coat of a good wax or sealant. Then u can let them go for a while if u want. When u get home wash and polish as needed for any marks and rewax. That's all u need to do. When we drive to North Carolina every year i rinse off the truck with a power washer. To knock everything off cause i hate to have a dirty truck. Lol. Oh and I never use the soap at a power wash place cause they strip wax off regardless of what the owners might say. The soap used in those sucks. Use them only for getting rough stuff off and then bucket wash on ur own at home or take it to someone to do. Those stations are awesome for the winter to knock off salt before u come home for the night or after a storm to knock off anything that might built up.
 
There aren't "swarms" of bugs. Will there be lovebugs? Probably. Will there always be two of them flying around or on some surface? Yes. Because they are lovebugs and they, well, er, like each other, a lot. Will some people freak out and try to kill the lovebugs? More than likely. Will the lovebugs harm anyone at all? Nope.

Since you are driving, I would recommend you take some water and paper towels with you and when you stop for rests or fuel, just wipe down the outside of the car either with the towels or just with the windshield stuff the gas stations provide.
Paper towels on paint. Not a good move. It will etch ur clear coat. Buy a few micro fiber towels and go into the bathroom and keep one wet and one dry. Use those. No other chemicals. Especially those buckets when u get gas. It's all dirt in there that u r wiping on the paint of ur car.
 
I agree with the other Florida posters who say the love bugs are really not a major annoyance when you are out and about walking (or maybe we are just used to them). However, depending on when and where you drive they can literally cover the front of your car! The worst places I have seen are through the north-central corridor (I-75, US301) during the late morning/early afternoon hours. They are not active at night. Apply wax before you leave, including the grill and bumper, and rinse the bugs off as often as possible, as others have noted. (You should also wax before you leave to head home.) You can also buy bug and tar remover cleaner (I think Turtle Wax makes some.). I've heard people say to use baby oil or non-stick spray in addition to waxing to make the bugs easier to remove, but I don't know if they actually work.
All u need is a good wax. Don't use other household stuff. Big and tar is great but strips wax just to know. U will have to rewax or reveal then.
 
Thanks for the tips! I will definitely be applying wax before the trip and on our way home. We will be traveling on i-95 south until we reach Jacksonville, then we will be taking a slight detour to visit my Aunt and Uncle who live in Altoona for the night. Im not sure the way the GPS will take us but I know Altoona is about 45 mins north of Orlando. Im pretty sure we will hit some of these bugs on our way down. I saw online where a company sells Love Bug Solution-its a spray that dries a protective film onto the car and washes off with water. Have you ever heard of it?
Just wax. Don't waste ur money. They r selling u a detail spray wax that comes off between washes.
 
As others have said, they won't bother you....they're similar to ladybugs in that they're just there and fly around, but they don't bite or sting. I've never seen them in the parks, myself, but I have seen quite a few around the bus stops and on the windshield of the bus (ew!).

I am copying and pasting (I hope it works) a paragraph from an article I found on Huffington Post that states that they like exhaust from cars, so that may be why they aren't found around the parks so much. Some people in the past have posted pictures on the boards of them outside of their hotel room by the exhaust system. That could be a bit disconcerting, IMO.

From the Huffington Post:
"But why are they attracted to roads and vehicles? As it turns out -- tests have shown that lovebugs are attracted to automobile exhaust that has been irradiated with UV light (i.e., sunlight). Why? It has been proposed that the chemicals in car exhaust, aldehydes and formaldehydes, are similar to the chemicals released by decaying organic matter. Even heat is an attractant for lovebugs and heat radiating off asphalt may be attracting these insects. Thus, the lovebugs are not stupid, per se. Roads are warm and have accumulated an abundance of automobile exhaust, mimicking areas that are appropriate for lovebugs to lay their eggs. Lovebugs are tricked into swarming along roads and around vehicles!"
 
Just wax. Don't waste ur money. They r selling u a detail spray wax that comes off between washes.
Thank you so much for all of your advice! Wax and micro fiber towels it is! Are all car waxes the same or is there a brand in particular thats better to use?
 
As others have said, they won't bother you....they're similar to ladybugs in that they're just there and fly around, but they don't bite or sting. I've never seen them in the parks, myself, but I have seen quite a few around the bus stops and on the windshield of the bus (ew!).

I am copying and pasting (I hope it works) a paragraph from an article I found on Huffington Post that states that they like exhaust from cars, so that may be why they aren't found around the parks so much. Some people in the past have posted pictures on the boards of them outside of their hotel room by the exhaust system. That could be a bit disconcerting, IMO.

From the Huffington Post:
"But why are they attracted to roads and vehicles? As it turns out -- tests have shown that lovebugs are attracted to automobile exhaust that has been irradiated with UV light (i.e., sunlight). Why? It has been proposed that the chemicals in car exhaust, aldehydes and formaldehydes, are similar to the chemicals released by decaying organic matter. Even heat is an attractant for lovebugs and heat radiating off asphalt may be attracting these insects. Thus, the lovebugs are not stupid, per se. Roads are warm and have accumulated an abundance of automobile exhaust, mimicking areas that are appropriate for lovebugs to lay their eggs. Lovebugs are tricked into swarming along roads and around vehicles!"
This is great to know and makes sense now! Thank you for sharing this!
 
Thank you so much for all of your advice! Wax and micro fiber towels it is! Are all car waxes the same or is there a brand in particular thats better to use?
There r better ones out there. I buy all my stuff from Florida cause all the biggest detail shops are down there. I only use black fire, pinnacle, and Wolfgang. You can't buy any of those in stores. For local buying mothers is fine. Mcquires is also fine.

If you really care about ur new car i would have a pro detail shop seal it. A seal is a candy shell that is applied and helps keep contaminants off the paint for about a year based on wear and the seasons. Omni coat is one of the best. It's what I use. I only get about 6 months out of it with the seasons up here in pa. You still wax monthly but the seal deff works. The one you got with ur truck was prob similiar like you mentioned but not worth it by any means. It's a watered down version that is not usually hand applied and cured properly. When i buy new cars or trucks i tell them to just give me the keys. I don't let them get it ready for delivery. I do it myself cause all that crap they put on them is for looks only in showrooms. I end up having to strip it all off and doing it myself.

But if you want to really take care of your new truck take it to a pro shop and talk about sealing it and mention omni coat. It is top in the industry and a lot of pro shops use it. Deff don't want to do it ur self. It's a 2 day process usually. Works great though.

Anyway for ur trip wax, rinse often, don't worry about drying. When u get home wash and detail. Rewax. Only use micro fiber towels and water for spot cleaning. Keep rags clean!
 
There r better ones out there. I buy all my stuff from Florida cause all the biggest detail shops are down there. I only use black fire, pinnacle, and Wolfgang. You can't buy any of those in stores. For local buying mothers is fine. Mcquires is also fine.

If you really care about ur new car i would have a pro detail shop seal it. A seal is a candy shell that is applied and helps keep contaminants off the paint for about a year based on wear and the seasons. Omni coat is one of the best. It's what I use. I only get about 6 months out of it with the seasons up here in pa. You still wax monthly but the seal deff works. The one you got with ur truck was prob similiar like you mentioned but not worth it by any means. It's a watered down version that is not usually hand applied and cured properly. When i buy new cars or trucks i tell them to just give me the keys. I don't let them get it ready for delivery. I do it myself cause all that crap they put on them is for looks only in showrooms. I end up having to strip it all off and doing it myself.

But if you want to really take care of your new truck take it to a pro shop and talk about sealing it and mention omni coat. It is top in the industry and a lot of pro shops use it. Deff don't want to do it ur self. It's a 2 day process usually. Works great though.

Anyway for ur trip wax, rinse often, don't worry about drying. When u get home wash and detail. Rewax. Only use micro fiber towels and water for spot cleaning. Keep rags clean!
You are awesome, thank you!!! :thanks:
 
I live in the south and sometimes they are heavy and sometimes we barely get any. Either way the are a minor annoyance. The Selfie Sticks will be more annoying I would think!
Before you leave home get your car washed and waxed. The wax will help protect your car and when you head back run through the drive trough car wash thing to removed the bug residue.
THIS made me LOL...I have to agree about the selfie sticks! They were not around when we visited last May, but I have seen recent reports about them as they become increasing popular! I have to say....selfie sticks at the World sound HORRIBLE!!!
 

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