Love Bugs do they ruin a vacation?

[coastermom]

OHH Now I know why I have never heard of them Silly northener that I am. Thanks for the info though.

 

[nbodyhome]

I will also echo this: if you're driving, take the time to get them OFF your car before they dry. I drove through the Everglades one May and the grill of my car was absolutely plastered with them. Didn't wash it for a few days (once parked in Key West, you don't give up that space!), and it took a chisel to remove them. Ruined the front of my car.

The everglades is where I've heard it is worse - I've seen traffic on I-4, especially trucks where they came from elsewhere, and lots of bugs on the front. But I don't remember any particularly bad time of love bugs in memory. I can't even tell you when love bug season is, that is how little I notice it.

It isn't like there are always swarms of them around. Sometimes you'll just see a couple - that is how they travel, of course, in pairs. Again, I really think the seagulls have been more of a problem at Disney, especially lately. There are gnats occasionally that I've seen (and felt!) at Disney, and a few years back there were a lot of palmetto bugs (roaches) on the docks of FW and maybe elsewhere on property. But this is Florida, and we get bugs and seagulls and such here!

 

[PrincessV]

The everglades is where I've heard it is worse - I've seen traffic on I-4, especially trucks where they came from elsewhere, and lots of bugs on the front. But I don't remember any particularly bad time of love bugs in memory. I can't even tell you when love bug season is, that is how little I notice it.

Yep, same here. I see them, but not in mammoth swarms at all.

Again, I really think the seagulls have been more of a problem at Disney, especially lately.

I noticed the same thing last visit. I remember commenting on the fact that when I first started doing WDW regularly, every once in a while you'd see a gull masquerading as a duck, but now they're takign over the joint! Word traveled to the coasts, I guess.

But this is Florida, and we get bugs and seagulls and such here!

True - I've gotten pretty used to it now, and I forget how horrified I was when I first moved down here!

 

[skater]

If it were mosquitoes or bees of any kind (I run screaming at the sight of a stinging insect - setting a terrible example for my 3 children!), I would reschedule a trip. Love Bugs just don't bother me. I might freak out more if we had our own car down there.

 

[nbodyhome]

I noticed the same thing last visit. I remember commenting on the fact that when I first started doing WDW regularly, every once in a while you'd see a gull masquerading as a duck, but now they're takign over the joint! Word traveled !

The seagulls still shouldn't ruin anyones vacation, but there were a lot at Epcot/Boardwalk a couple of weeks ago, divebombing on some! It anything, they make it memorable, as long as nobody gets hit by one (I haven't ever seen that).

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

They are ugly and annoying, but we just dealt with them in September. They were bad this past year.

One CM said her mom always told her that the more love bugs there were, the less intense the hurricane season would be. I think the hurricanes really do blow them away.

They usually come out in May and mid-September. We were there for both last year. We did discover that they seem to like light colors, white especially. DS1 was in a navy stroller and I put him in darker clothes and they left him alone. I had them all over my white sneakers though.

It did make it somewhat irritating to sit on the balcony for long periods, but we are going back almost the same dates this year.

 

[nicoleakr]

Are the love bugs there in October?

 

[goofydad621]

We where there in Sept 05 and never saw a single love bug.

We where there in Sept 06 and you could eat lovebugs there would have been another kind of free dinning.
They were everywhere we stayed at AKL and my DW gave up on trying to lay out by the pool you would brush one pair off and 5 would take its place.

At night they were not out so you could enjoy the pool more then. They also did not bother you if you were in the water.

All said and done we are going back again this year last week of Sept first week of Oct. so they didn't ruin our trip

 

[Luv2CDisney]

We were there the 3rd week in September '06. They were all over our doors at CBR. They are definitely attracted to light colors. We couldn't eat outside at MGM they were all over the tables. When we were at the pools you couldn't really lay out because they would go on you and the towels.

 

[kribit]

If it were mosquitoes or bees of any kind (I run screaming at the sight of a stinging insect - setting a terrible example for my 3 children!), I would reschedule a trip. Love Bugs just don't bother me. I might freak out more if we had our own car down there.

I agree. I would MUCH rather have lovebugs than mosquitos. YUCK!!!

 

[Maliki2]

We have our own lovebug season here in Vermont. I saw many more here at home than I did at Disney...they are harmless so they really don't bother me.

 

[perdidochas]

I've seen many threads stating how bad the lovebugs are in Sept., however I've also seen many not even mention that as a problem. We are going mid sept. this year and really want to know if it will impact our fun, like sitting around the parks, pool, etc.? I've been in Sept., and May one time before, and do not recall such a problem. Wasps and Mosquitos must be something more annoying, then lovebugs. Who would want to be stung all the time. Thanks for your help.

Love bugs are no big deal. The only thing harmful they do is harm your car finish.

 

[shovan]

We were there last Sept. & the lovebugs were out in force! The only time it was a problem though was the walkway between Epcot WS & the Beach Club. They were so heavy in that area, we couldn't talk or you'd end up with lovebugs in your mouth! Other than that area, it was fine. Now if the mosquitos would have been that bad, we would have had a problem!

 

[houseofprincesses]

We have seen ALOT of love bugs going in Sept. I can not say they impacted our trip in any way. Occassionally, they would land on us - but they are harmless! My 4 year old did not like them at first but once she realized that they were not going to hurt her and that they were "kissing" bugs - she was fine! Enjoy your trip

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

We were there the last week of September last year.

The lovebugs were pretty bad.

You couldn't really sit on benches or eat outside because the tables and chairs were just covered in them.

You couldn't go near water because they would swarm you.

You could not use the pools because lovebugs are all over.

The worse the lovebugs were though...was at MGM. We were walking down Sunset Boulevard and it was AWFUL. Seriously, an entire swarm had descended! Even weirder is that the boulevard was packed with people! That was probably the worst they were all trip long.

Animal Kingdom was pretty bad too. You couldn't sit outside at Tusker House...I was wearing white and apparently the lovebugs like that color and were swarming all over me

We went by Kali River Rapids...it was terrible.

The lovebugs though...they only come out from around 12:00pm to 4:00pm. They mysteriously appear and mysteriously disappear.

I also did not notice any lovebugs at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, just Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom.

Though I make them sound terrible, they really weren't that bad and the low crowds and free dining more then made up for them.

 

[houseofprincesses]

We were there the last week of September last year.

The lovebugs were pretty bad...

I also did not notice any lovebugs at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, just Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom.

OK - the funny thing is - we encountered the most love bugs at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot! And we were there Sept. 22nd - Oct. 1st!

 

[perdidochas]

I guess we got lucky when we went in 2004. Going between two big hurricanes musta blown 'em all off n' away!

They are seasonal. Generally you see them in May or September for about two weeks or so.

 

[perdidochas]

Well they didn't ruin our trip last October, but let me tell you, they were quite annoying. We stayed at BC and tried to eat lunch outside at the tables and we had to throw our lunch away because swarms of love bugs flew all around and on our food. They were all over the chairs at the pool and swarms on people's beach bags, etc. It was gross. But NO it did not ruin our trip. We tried the best we could to ignore them but sometimes it was impossible. We didn't notice them as bad in the parks.

Much more pesticides are used in the parks.....

 

[Dina]

I know it's crazy, but we saw them this past January. Only in MGM studios--- I have no idea why. It was very warm, but I wasn't expecting them at that time at all. I've been there in August and September with no problem, but then we had them in January--- weird. They don't bother at all, but my 3yo was afraid of them, if there were any on his stroller-- -forget it, he wouldn't sit in it.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

These LOVEBUGS were from last week of September last year. Every morning they'd take a leaf blower and blow them away and every day, they'd come right back!! This is at CSR bus stop.