Love Bugs EWWWW!!!

[twinspluscade]

We were there last year mid-September. Although the love bugs were all over, they're really not that bad.

In appearance, they remind me of the Box Elder bugs we sometimes get here "up North".

We noticed them pretty thick outside our resort door, but honestly....unless you have a bug phobia....it's not something you will dwell in. I'm not a bug person--even ladybugs slightly gross me out; I won't touch them---yet the love bugs didn't phase me. Now the disgusting Palametto bug I spotted one night DID really gross me out! . But the love bugs? No problem!

 

[Iluvthemouse]

Ok, heres my contribution to this thread. This was last year and they were horrible. Worse was at Blizzard Beach. OMG, they were horrible. I hope they arent that bad this year.
Here is our bus station at CSR.

 

[petalutha]

are they worse at the resorts or the theme parks?

I am so nervous for our mid September trip now!

 

[famsen]

We went in early October last year and they were bad. We stayed at POR and you literally had to run into your room and slam the door to minimize the number entering your hotel room. We found them in our room throughout our stay.

Wow! What a difference there must be from resort to resort. We were also at WDW in early October (1st week) and stayed at POFQ and hardly noticed any at all. They certainly never got into our room or I would have had DH chasing them down with his shoe!

 

[famsen]

Now the disgusting Palametto bug I spotted one night DID really gross me out!

I know what you mean. I will NEVER forget the time on our trip several years ago where a palmetto bug came scurrying past the line for Splash Mountain. Everyone was so freaked out at the sight of this huge, scarey thing that the crowds jumped IT's way. It looked like the parting of the Red Sea.

 

[tink774]

I was in WDW from May 14th-19th of this year, and even though I live in the South, I had never encountered these bugs before (that I can recall). My family usually doesn't go to the World in May or September, which could explain why I was unfamiliar with them. I am freaked out by the sight of almost any insect, so to me they were very annoying at first. But DBF and I eventually got used to them, and they probably weren't at their worst when we visited. They usually flocked us at bus stops (we stayed at POP) and at Epcot. Otherwise I don't recall many swarms. I found them to be most aggravating when they would fly up close to my face.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding, and I hope you don't have too much of a problem with the love bugs. I'm sure you and your new hubby will be too caught up in the excitement of the day to be too bothered by the bugs.

 

[Lynne M]

This is definitely a good point. I think as long as the rest of us remain calm she will also....after about a day. Im just wondering when everyone says they are bad, does that mean you cant walk w/o seeing because there are so many? Can you still leisurely stroll w/o them being too terribly bad?

No, it's not that there are huge clouds or swarms of them. Just lots and lots on various surfaces, and to the bugs, you're just another surface to land on.

For example, the AK bus loading area was particularly bad last year. There were probably 20 or so on the bench I was standing next to. Several on the railing. A few dozen on the ground nearby. They'd land on you pretty much continuously....as soon as you'd swat one pair of bugs off your arm, another pair would be landing on your leg.

If you stand still or walk slowly, they will land on you.

 

[LMO429]

Ok, heres my contribution to this thread. This was last year and they were horrible. Worse was at Blizzard Beach. OMG, they were horrible. I hope they arent that bad this year.
Here is our bus station at CSR.

OH MY GODNESS!!!!!!! When we went this past May it was nothing like this picture!!! Yes there were love bugs flying around by the pool and the backlot turn but nothing like your picture!!!!!

What time of year was that picture taken??????? Was it like that everywhere you went or maybe it was just that particular area...

I take my last post back I think I rather be at work than at disney!!! Just Kidding!!!!!

 

[penlanspice]

LOL.. You know i'd forgotten how bad they were and theres me planning for next September.

ILuvthemouse - That picture brings back memories of us waiting for the bus at CR last year!!

If you really want to get married in September then try not to worry about it. We were there from the 9th Sept up until 12th Oct and the first 2 and a half weeks we were swamped by lovebugs (i'm sure I have quite a few photos of all of us running or swatting the pesty things! LOL)

We got married on the 19th and yes they were about but didn't really stop us getting our pictures done and we were married at 12. I did have quite a few stuck in my veil but it wasn't a major problem, the date was more important than the bugs.

I still have the vision in my head which makes me laugh of my DH. We got back to Orlando from our cruise about the 1st Oct and I needed an infill on my nails, so I was in the Salon down in Celebration and my DH was on the phone outside and all i can remember seeing was him running past about 3 times trying to get away from the bugs. (picture a man with a newspaper, arms flying in the air etc.)

 

[HayGan]

I went last Sept and didn't see one Lovebug the whole time. We went in May this year and there were Lovebugs. They are completely harmless and slightly annoying but I can't imagine how they could ruin anyones's trip. DS#1 is not a fan of bugs at all. I found him swatting at them more than the rest of us but it certinaly didn't destroy our trip. Will they be there in 3 weeks when return? Probably, but I'm not going to worry about it.

C'mon people, it's Florida! If you don't like bugs, Florida should not be on the top of your vacation list!

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Does anyone know of any spray to kill these little buggers? The last thing I want is love bugs in my room!

 

[Doc CW]

We were there in June and they were everywhere you couldnt escape their presence it drove me insane. We drove down and we hit so many with the front of our car it looked like we had a bumber guard, I hate these bugs.

 

[KatePOOH]

Hi we are driving to Disney next week with our brand new car. I am wondering if we are there for six days do I need to worry about the bugs damaging our car???? Is there underroof parking at CSR?

 

[DAniece]

The biggest concern with lovebugs is the acidity of their carcassas...
Wash your car when you get to WDW (there's a car wash at the Hess Station next to Boardwalk, also a good place to buy large bottles of Dasani water; it's across from the entrance to the Studios) - also, you can ask at CSR where there is a car wash with power but not brushes (new car, don't want to use brushes!).

EG

 

[Josh125]

Thankfully love bugs have peaked around here. Overall they aren't that bad, bud not much fun either. They are harmless, but will as mentioned turn a car into a mess in a hurry and you HAVE to wash them off or they pit the paint.

 

[HayGan]

Take along a box or two of dryer sheets. They are one of the best ways to remove the lovebugs from your car.

 

[Threehearts]

We go down three or four times a year and we've unwittingly gone during lovebug season twice. It was beyond disgusting and we'll never go again during this time. We laid at the pool and they laid on top of us. They flew into our mouth. Thay are harmless in that they don't bite but we felt like a plague had hit and we couldn't get away. The general sentiment between my husband and I was, "and we paid for this?!" I know that this opinion seems very dramatic but it really was a poor trip for us. Threehearts

 

[TinkerBelle314]

I have heard a couple people say the bugs have already started to come out in Florida...is that true and if so how long do they last? Thanks, I'm trying not to get discouraged about these things but being from the north, and a city girl at that, it is very hard for me to envision them even with pictures.