Love Bugs in September, 2013

[jimsanfilippo]

We're planning a 1 week WDW trip and were considering September because of the free dining plan. However, the one other September WDW trip we've made was absolutely miserable because of the massive amounts of love bugs.

Does anyone have answers to the following:
1. I've read they are not bad a lot of years (we must have hit a very bad year). Are there any forecasts of how bad they will be this fall? Is there any way of predicting like is done with other bugs?

2. I've read they are really only around for about 2 weeks at a time. Is there a way to go early or late in September to avoid them? Are they more prone come out at a certain part of September?

And yes, I know they are harmless but I have two small children and a wife that all freak out at the sight of bugs so I can't waste thousands of dollars only to have no one have any fun.

If we can't be reasonably certain we can mostly avoid them we'll have to spend an extra thousand dollars for the dining plan and go in January/February of 2014 instead .

 

[wahmtexas]

We went the last 2 weeks of Sept. 2010 and heard they would be bad and never saw them at all so I think it really depends on the year.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

We're planning a 1 week WDW trip and were considering September because of the free dining plan. However, the one other September WDW trip we've made was absolutely miserable because of the massive amounts of love bugs.

Does anyone have answers to the following:
1. I've read they are not bad a lot of years (we must have hit a very bad year). Are there any forecasts of how bad they will be this fall? Is there any way of predicting like is done with other bugs?

2. I've read they are really only around for about 2 weeks at a time. Is there a way to go early or late in September to avoid them? Are they more prone come out at a certain part of September?

And yes, I know they are harmless but I have two small children and a wife that all freak out at the sight of bugs so I can't waste thousands of dollars only to have no one have any fun.

If we can't be reasonably certain we can mostly avoid them we'll have to spend an extra thousand dollars for the dining plan and go in January/February of 2014 instead .

By the way, my littlest one turns 3 in October so we were trying to get in a vacation before he costs us more for admissions and the dining plan. If we can't go in September then there's no real rush and we'll put it off to the winter in order to escape the cold, dark depression that is Milwaukee in January.

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

We have gone mid-September for the last 6 or 7 years. Only one year were we annoyed by love bugs: 2011. They were all over us at CSR pool to the point of annoyance. However, if you are moving around they are not that bad. All other years we have noticed them, but barely...mainly by elevators at CRS.

 

[NaeNae30]

We went the last week of Sept. 2010 and they were absolutely awful, particularly at the resort. They were coming through the door in our room at All Star Sports. After several complaints to the front desk, they moved us to a new room and we didn't have any problems with them getting in.

After that, the only place they bothered us was while we were waiting for the buses. I do not remember noticing them as much at the parks as the resort.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

We went the last week of Sept. 2010 and they were absolutely awful, particularly at the resort. They were coming through the door in our room at All Star Sports. After several complaints to the front desk, they moved us to a new room and we didn't have any problems with them getting in.

After that, the only place they bothered us was while we were waiting for the buses. I do not remember noticing them as much at the parks as the resort.

Wow, you and Wahmtexas were there at the same time in 2010 with somewhat conflicting reports. That makes me even more confused...

 

[wahmtexas]

LOL that is odd, we were at CBR if that helps, I was prepared for them after reading about them on DIS and we did not see any

 

[winnieatepooh]

Last year we went at the end of september and they were everywhere on the very first day we got there at CSR...but then we never saw them again!!!

 

[mrsaumock]

We were there the last week of sept 2010 and they were bad at our resort....ASMovies. There were a few days that they were all over our door. We talked w other guests who hadn't noticed any so maybe it was confined to certain areas?? We were in the Herbie the Love Bug section.....How ironic is that?!? lol. They were also bad at the resort bus stop but we never noticed any while in the actual parks.

 

[iloveallthingsdisney]

Unfortunately, as someone else mentioned, you can't predict how bad a season is going to be or exactly when they'll be here or how long they'll stay around. I can't imagine it ruining a WDW vacation, but maybe I'm just used to seeing them!

 

[jmelenbrink]

We will be there the last week of Sept/first week of Oct. this year and I have never heard of love bugs. What are they? Do they bite?

 

[iloveallthingsdisney]

http://insects.about.com/od/flies/f/What-Are-Florida-Lovebugs.htm

 

[Iamthequeen]

We were there the last week of September, 2010 at POFQ - and the love bugs were out in force. I don't remember seeing them anywhere but at the resort though.

 

[DisneyFan5150]

I live here in Florida, so I know about love bugs. They won't hurt you, they are just SO annoying! The worst is them getting them all over your car. I just googled about finding out about light or heavy seasons, but I couldn't find anything like that. They usually just come out around May and September and are annoying from what I know. I don't know exact dates either as it may change season to season due to nature.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

Unfortunately, as someone else mentioned, you can't predict how bad a season is going to be or exactly when they'll be here or how long they'll stay around. I can't imagine it ruining a WDW vacation, but maybe I'm just used to seeing them!

Well I can tell you that we were there in September 2006 and knew nothing about them until that trip. They were absolutely everywhere at the resort AND in the parks. You couldn't take two steps without several landing on you and getting in your face. And tram rides in the parking lot were the absolute worst! It did pretty much ruin our trip.

Our first wasn't born until September 2007 so he wasn't with us. Now our two boys will be 6 and almost 3 and if the love bugs are like they were in '06 it will not be good.

We did just book 09/14-09/21, so I'm really hoping '06 was a fluke like it sounds like it was. We got our free dining plan but the bugs could undo any benefit that might be if they're bad. But I'm a gambler so I rolled the dice...

 

[jimsanfilippo]

We were there the last week of September, 2010 at POFQ - and the love bugs were out in force. I don't remember seeing them anywhere but at the resort though.

2010 seems like it was a popular year for September WDW trips.

Everyone who says they saw a lot of them makes it sound like they were barely inside the parks, if there at all.

My wife and kids can probably deal with them at the resort since we're mostly inside the parks all the time on our trips, so I really hope that's the case.

 

[disbelle]

I went during Labor Day week last year and they were everywhere. I was grossed out but the locals wetr used to them. They said it happens around that time every year.

 

[amber_cntrygrl]

We were there the last week of September 2010, and our resort (ASMo) was covered up with love bugs! The only time we noticed them in the parks was in Animal Kingdom, but only in Dino Land. We never saw any in any of the other 3 parks

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[lylone]

Up here in GA we have had lots of rain and have been warned about more bugs around than normal. Florida has had a lot of rain also so I would think that bugs would be more numerous down there also.

We were down there the first week of December last year and went to visit CR and it looked like the BLT was swarmed with them. We used the bathrooms and that CR pool and we did see some in there.
Didn't see them anywhere else... I guess they like the CR for some reason