If you live in Florida, you have had at least one encounter with a love bug. And like any resident, their presence can be annoying. Whether relaxing in your backyard or sitting in your car, a group of these honeymoon flies can buzz around you for hours.
This article will teach you the basics of love bugs, how to attract them, and how to get rid of them.
What Are Love Bugs?
Love bugs are a specific type of fly that travel in pairs. The love bug appearance has a black body with a red-colored head.
Love bugs have short lifespans and spend most of their lives as larvae. They become a nuisance in numbers but don’t cause any physical harm to people or animals.
What Attracts Love Bugs?
Like many other bugs and pests, scents and environmental conditions attract love bugs. If you find yourself surrounded by a swarm of these insects, these factors might be the cause.
Humidity
The reason why love bugs reside in Florida is because of the humidity. Florida is known to have humid climates that make the air thick and filled with a mixture of heat and water vapors.
Many insects, including love bugs, thrive on moisture. They search for humid areas like restrooms and kitchens to breed and feed.
Mating Seasons
You can expect swarms of love bugs during the Spring and late Summer. In Florida and other areas around the Gulf State, these insects gather to find a permanent mate.
When two love bugs find a compatible other, they stick together for several hours while the female love bug creates eggs.
Exhaust Fumes
After a long drive, your car becomes a natural attraction for love bugs. They won’t be aiming for you, but the released exhaust fumes.
The reason for this attraction is that female love bugs enjoy UV-irradiated aldehydes. The odor reminds them of decaying organic matter, which also acts as a spot for the female love bugs to deposit their eggs.
The chemical confuses the bugs but still acts as a natural attraction.
Light Colors
You will never find love bugs flying in the dark. These pests are active in the afternoon and stay within the warmth of the light.
The brighter the surface, the bigger the swarm. The UV sun rays bounce off the surface and maintain a heat that attracts the bugs like a sweetener.
How To Repel Love Bugs?
Love bugs pose no threat and are easy to swat away. However, many people don’t want them to be around at all. Here are a few methods to prevent love bugs from swarming around you.
Lawn Maintenance
When love bugs are searching for a place to breed, dead leaves, grass, and decomposing matter will attract them. Mowing your lawn, raking the leaves, and other lawn maintenance chores remove any chance for love bugs to settle.
Citrus
Different types of scents can be strong repellents for insects. Love bugs do not enjoy any citrus-scented odors.
A reliable method is using a dish soap mixture or diluted lemon juice to ward off the pests. You can also use citrus-scented mosquito candles and keep them lit around the house.
Cold Climates
If you live in a humid area, find ways to keep your surroundings cool and free of love bugs.
Develop shades and install A/Cs to maintain a strong breeze. Eliminate all the heat, and the love bugs won’t be a bother.
Conclusion
Love bugs find a place in the humidity and heat of the Floridian sun. They appear during specific times of the year and pose no threat to people. You may also be interested in finding out about June Bugs.