Love bug news

[Disney922]

We sail this Saturday hope the sail a way is not cancelled kiddos will be so dissapointed that is the best way to start the cruise.

Anyway, we have been to Disney in late Sept early Oct and they are pretty bad then too. Are they worse in May?

I have heard May/Sept.

We are from up North and they just remind me of mosiqutos Can't stand those damn things I know these are nothing like that but...ugh!

Missy

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

I live in Central Florida and they are just now really coming out. Before now it was just a few here and there. Getting more annoying each day. Give it another week and YUK! The port might be a bit different from here in terms of timing, not sure.

 

[LoveMickey]

We r hoping that they don't interfer with our sail away. I was wondering what happened to them when u sailed away. Did they stay on the ship? I would think they would not like the ocean breeze.

 

[Grumpymom73]

I live about 30min from WDW and about 90min from PC. The love bugs have started but it's impossible to say how they will be in an hour let alone a few days or weeks. Then tend to swarm certain areas and just a few blocks away they might not be bad at all. I do know they are attracted to certain smells like gasoline. They swarm our gas stations! I have seen houses covered with them (like the pics someone posted) and the house next to it completely clear. The little buggers make no sense. They can be extremely annoying cause they fly right into you but they are otherwise harmless. I would imagine once you set sail they wouldn't be a problem.

Best wishes to everyone sailing soon!

 

[heatherb819]

we sailed last May on the TA and they were horrible, piles of them everywhere. The sail away party was post-poned. They had it when we left CC, our first port. The entire top deck was closed and they were vacumning and sweeping them up. Once we got to CC they were pretty much gone. The crew did a fabulous job cleaning them up. I'm sure you'll still have the sail-away just maybe a day later. They still had a sail-away party in the atrium. (not quite as exciting) but it still served the purpose.

 

[Tinker179]

So wear dark colors? Any other preventative measures? Glad my kids love bugs.... Feel bad for the fearful ones (and the parents)...

 

[Dizpinfriend]

That's gross. Was your sailaway cancelled? Were you allowed on verandahs? What was your sail date?

We sailed on May 15th, 2011. The sailaway was not cancelled, but the bugs were like interactive confetti... the streamers they handed out came in very handy to swat the buggers away... There were announcements requesting that guests in veranda rooms wait to stay off them and keep the doors closed until we were way out of port. Once we were sailing, the bugs disappeared pretty quickly. I will say that the crews worked their butts off to remove any stragglers and the few that got inside the ship. By the following morning, there was very little evidence of the love bugs... Disney handled it beautifully in my opinion.

 

[AmandaRG]

I live in Central Florida and they are just now really coming out. Before now it was just a few here and there. Getting more annoying each day. Give it another week and YUK! The port might be a bit different from here in terms of timing, not sure.

Thanks for that bit of not-so-good-news, H!!! We sail in 11 days and the girls are TERRIFIED of flying things. I don't know how to help them chill...but I can see a freakout coming on. Guess we will be staying inside on our turnaround day on the b2b?!!! Maybe they will be fine in two weeks.

 

[snelsonbrown]

At Wal-mart, they carry the bug zapper for about $7.00 and it really works - they are already swamping here at the shop so there is about a zillion less to be around...the zapper took them out

 

[Dizpinfriend]

We were on a 4 night, and when we returned on the 19th, there very few lovebugs left...

I will send some pixie dust and positive thinking that the bugs will be gone before your cruise sails!!!!

 

[Capt_BJ]

I live near the port. Last Wed my drive to work (3 miles on I-95) was a 3 SPLAT day

today was a 27 SPLAT day

LB's are out in force but NO WHERE near the volume seen at this time last year where I'd have 50+ SPLATs going to work . . .

some 'authorities' say that LB's are drawn to HEAT which is why they tend to be drawn to vehicles (engine heat) and roads (hot surface) and building sides facing the sun at a particular time. If that's true they'd be drawn to a DCL ship due to the general metal construction compounded by the dark hull.

 

[tigger2on]

Oh my gosh - I sailed last year on May 15th on the Dream - and they were just AWFUL!!!! It was something out of a horror show... We had the sail away party, but not many attended - the bugs were everywhere - like interactive confetti.... From what I understand, last year was an unusually bad season.

I hope they are minimal this year, for all you folks sailing!!!

We did a back to back with that cruise!!! OMG! My dd became a human bowling ball while we were doing the muster drill trying to get away from them. She was traumatized LOL

 

[tigger2on]

are you serious?? lovebugs get soo bad they have to cancel the sailing away party? Thats nuts!

They didn't cancel it on the 15th and that was the worst they'd ever seen them in years! However, the sail away party was quiet in comparison to the usual #s on a sold out ship. Many stayed inside.

 

[mmgibbs7]

I grew up in Florida with the love bugs.
Do you all happen to know what they are?
Half mosquito and half lady bug.

Not slimy or gross. Clean little bugs till they splat!

Just annoying.

They escaped from University of Florida I believe.

 

[meplus3]

How long is Lovebug season?

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

They escaped from University of Florida I believe.

I thought so too but apparently that is an urban legend.

 

[Weedy]

Here is a link to a local new story

http://www.wesh.com/video/31050646/detail.html

 

[suzyqn]

We sailed May 19th last year. By the time we got to the port I could not see out my windshield. Hint: Just keep running the spay over and over.

The worst for us was that we brought both of our cars and my DH felt that if we did not get them off ASAP we'd kill the paint job on both. After two sippy bottles of water used very sparingly, an old towel, and a lot of sweat, my DH cleaned off both cars in the parking garage.

We thought that was the worst of it but waiting outside to get in to the port was insane. It really freaked my dh and I out.

They did not cancel the Sail Away but did say to keep all veranda doors closed until leaving the port.

 

[DVC Jen]

Thanks for the link. Still crossing my fingers it isn't too bad for us on the 18th.

 

[PizzieDuster]

Here is a link to a local new story

http://www.wesh.com/video/31050646/detail.html

Thanks for the link!

Ew, I wouldn't call them Love Bugs. I'd call them PITA bugs (pain in the a** bugs). My DD13 would be freaked out and never leave the stateroom