Love Bugs

[skiqt323]

Has anyone been in Florida with these? I just moved here for the summer for an internship with Marriott (I live mins from Disney if anyone needs help with anything, I'll be here until August 10th) and I just found out about these stupid bugs. They are everywhere!! I also just found out that they come back in September, which is when I want to get married. Has anyone had to deal with this? I think they are just awful and we were at Blizzard Beach yesterday and couldnt even lay out they were soo annoying!!

 

[OceanGdss]

Yes.. I live in FL..they are aweful. They were introduced by the University of Florida into the Florida ecosystem a while back to try to control the mosquito population (another annoying and over abundant pest down here) but the love bugs didn't work. So now we have this semi-annual migration through the state of the little buggers and our cars are paying the price! Everyone in Florida owns a love-bug sheild or bra for their car. Its miserable going down the interstate or highways that run along farms (those bugs just love cows lol). The only upside is that they don't bite (i let them walk over my fingers..kind of tickles) and do wash of pretty easy. As for your wedding in Sept....well..They should be ok. They are worse in the summer migration. I would just watch any drinks you have out, they tend to die randomly in the air and fall into water glasses lol.

 

[Lynn5700]

Those bugs were everywhere when we were down in May. At least they don't bite,lol.

 

[AbbyPan]

Hey there, funny you mention this....I go down to Orlando every September and never had an issue with them... until September 2006.

I am getting married this coming September so it was def in a issue for me. This past vacation the Love Bugs were so abundant and annoying. Like Lynn said though, they don't bite, they just like to cling to you.

I originally wanted to get married at SBP on the Boardwalk, but when my parents saw all the LB's they suggested (kind of demanded )that I change the venue to the WP.

I will say however, that the amount of LB's sometimes depends on whether or not there have been storms during the summer months. Summer of 2006 was very quiet in comparison to the previous summer's, hence, more LB's. Hope we get a couple of MILD storms (no hurricanes, please!) this summer to drive them away...

 

[KellyJo18]

Are they around all summer long? Everything I read makes me think they are at their worst in May and September or is it about the same throughout May to September? I ask because we are moving to Florida tomorrow and I had never heard of them before... we are also getting married at Disney in a couple weeks and now I'm worried they are going to be an issue.

 

[PrincessShanShan]

The lovebugs aren't just in Florida. Most of the southeast has to contend with them also. I'm on the gulf coast (not too far from Biloxi) and generally they come through here mid to late May and then again late August to early September.

 

[tink774]

I am getting married this coming September so it was def in a issue for me. This past vacation the Love Bugs were so abundant and annoying. Like Lynn said though, they don't bite, they just like to cling to you.

I originally wanted to get married at SBP on the Boardwalk, but when my parents saw all the LB's they suggested (kind of demanded )that I change the venue to the WP.

Yeah I had never even seen these bugs before until DBF and I were in the World in mid-May, and after my experience with them I was glad I'm aiming for the WP, especially since I want to get married sometime in April or May. Hope you don't have trouble with them in September!

 

[aprincess72]

Are they around all summer long? Everything I read makes me think they are at their worst in May and September or is it about the same throughout May to September? I ask because we are moving to Florida tomorrow and I had never heard of them before... we are also getting married at Disney in a couple weeks and now I'm worried they are going to be an issue.

It's mostly just May & September. Although this year they seem to be sticking around for June. I'm hopeful that all the rain we just got will get rid of some of them! They were pretty bad at Disney last September but you never know what will happen this year!

DH took a picture of some cars at MGM the other day because he had never seen cars so covered in bugs!

 

[KellyJo18]

It's mostly just May & September. Although this year they seem to be sticking around for June. I'm hopeful that all the rain we just got will get rid of some of them! They were pretty bad at Disney last September but you never know what will happen this year!

DH took a picture of some cars at MGM the other day because he had never seen cars so covered in bugs!

Ick Although that is pretty funny he took a picture! DF and I tried to buy a screen for in front of our radiator but none of the stores up here (Michigan) carry them, they just all looked at us like we were nuts Guess we'll figure it out when we get down there! Thanks for the info

 

[aprincess72]

Ick Although that is pretty funny he took a picture! DF and I tried to buy a screen for in front of our radiator but none of the stores up here (Michigan) carry them, they just all looked at us like we were nuts Guess we'll figure it out when we get down there! Thanks for the info

He's funny like that! He takes pictures of really odd things!

You will be just fine! It's the palmetto bugs here that really get people excited... lol. Nothing like a big cockroach with wings!

 

[KellyJo18]

He's funny like that! He takes pictures of really odd things!

You will be just fine! It's the palmetto bugs here that really get people excited... lol. Nothing like a big cockroach with wings!

Now you're really getting me excited for our big move... I'm starting to think Michigan is looking better and better . I had forgotten about the cockroaches!

 

[phamton]

Yes.. I live in FL..they are aweful. They were introduced by the University of Florida into the Florida ecosystem a while back to try to control the mosquito population (another annoying and over abundant pest down here) but the love bugs didn't work.

Actually that is an urban legend:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/lovebugs.asp

They've been around south Texas since the early 1940's.

 

[OceanGdss]

They have been around, they weren't "created" like most say, and they were in florida prior, but never in such LARGE numbers, that part is true.

 

[phamton]

Lovebugs are cyclic. We haven't had a hard freeze in Orlando for a few years. If we have a couple of hard freezes this winter, they won't be as bad next year.

 

[Silverraindrop84]

Yeah I have to agree they have been pretty bad lately, and no they aren't easy to wash off. I even found out last year if you wait a week to wash them off your car it takes off your paint!! yikes!! but if it rains they aren't as bad, but it hasn't been raining much lately either. I know they weren't bad last year, i guess that is why we have twice as many this year!

But I agree, atleast they don't bite!! But unfortunately they like bright colors!!

 

[skiqt323]

I am soo hoping they won't be bad in September!! AbbyPan let me know how it goes, hope they will be gone. They seem to finally be dieing out now, I went over to the wedding pavilion today to see how bad they would be there, and there werent many at all, but everywhere else still seemed to have some, just not as much as when I got here. I had never heard of them and when I moved into my apartment a week ago, they were everywhere!! Everyone that lives here just seems to be used to them and they say to wax your car before the love bug season to help keep the bugs off and wash them off right away or they will eat the paint right off. We bought annual passes for the summer, so I might have to make a trip down in September to see what they are like!

 

[heatherlynn444]

what i find hilarious is that most people have never seen or heard of them until now. Growing up in Louisiana it was just a part of life twice a year since as far back as I can remember. in high school we used to eat outside and when the bugs came we had to find a place insde or bugs would fly into our mouths haha. they also wll do anumber on your car, so i try to wipe them off as fast as possible.