How To Repel Florida Love Bugs

Love is in the air. No, it is not that warm and fuzzy feeling welling up on your inside. It is a flying insect — it is a love bug!

Love bugs are not harmful to you and do not spread any diseases. However, they are annoying flyers constantly hitting your surfaces when flying around. For example, they will fly into your car’s windshield whenever they are around.

If you have them around your space, we compiled some practical deterrent strategies you can apply to repel them in this guide.

The next sections will provide practical ways to repel Florida love bugs. But before we go into all that detail, let’s familiarize ourselves with misconstrued facts about these unwanted creatures.

How To Identify Love Bugs

Love bugs are hard to miss as they usually fly in pairs. They have dark-colored wings and bright red thorax.

Depending on age, these flies can measure between three to eight inches. Seeing as they thrive in warm climates, you can easily find them in Florida and other parts of the United States.

They have mating seasons when they are most active. This is usually between April- May, and August – September. They are most active at these times but rampant throughout the summer season.

Are Love Bugs Beneficial?

These Florida love bugs are seen as pests but can also benefit the environment. Early in their life cycle, they feed on grass.

Through their waste, nutrients return to the plants and the ground. They also aid in the recycling of organic matter.

All these benefits only come from the younger love bugs. When they develop into adulthood, they become the annoying flying pests they are known as.

Why Do Love Bugs Fly Together?

If you have seen these insects, you know they always fly in pairs. This causes them to be slow and clumsy while flying.

When it is time to mate, these love bugs come together and stick together. That is just how their lifestyle is. Unfortunately, for their mating process to be complete, it usually takes hours.

Seeing as they are insects that can hardly stay in a spot for that long, they attach and fly around. Then, after mating, the male love bug usually does.

The female still carries the dead male around to get nutrients and nourishment for her eggs. She only lets go of the male when she is ready to lay her eggs.

Are Love Bugs Dangerous?

Love bugs are pests, and many people assume that pests are dangerous. As accurate as this is, it does not apply to love bugs.

They are not dangerous. They do not bite humans or pests. They sure do not sting, either. They do not carry any diseases at all too.

Love bugs that feed on plants but mostly on decaying materials. Generally, they convert your waste back to nutrients for the environment. They are natural recyclers.

What Can Attract a Love Bug?

Love bugs love bright and sunny light. They love the color white and the way the sun reflects on it. So if your automobile is white, love bugs will flock around it.

Heat and warmth can also attract a love bug. Blacktop roads usually have love bugs flocking around them because of the heat they emit.

Since adult love bugs feed on nectar, they are undoubtedly attracted to flowers. So if you have a garden full of beautiful flowers with lovely scents, you may have just placed a bait for some love bugs.

With love bugs, the aim is to reduce their numbers and keep them at bay. However, you cannot eliminate them as they have their seasons.

They are likely to return in the next season. So the best you can do is deter them until their season ends.

Chemical solutions do not prove effective in keeping love bugs away. Instead, it would be best if you opted for a more natural solution.

How To Keep Love Bugs Away From Your Home

If these flying creatures find their way into your home, you must get them out. A simple method will be to put on your fan.

The air from the fan will bow the insects away and distract their flying. In addition, flying in pairs makes them clumsy and unable to withstand the force of air from the fan.

You can also make your homemade bug spray. With a cup of water, three tablespoons of mouthwash, and citrus dish soap each, your love bug repellant will be ready.

Mix all these ingredients into a spray bottle around your home. It will keep all the love bugs away from your space.

You can also purchase love bug repellant spray from any store around you. These sprays are often odorless and will not harm you in any way.

How To Keep Love Bugs Away From Your Yard

As you already know, love bug younglings feed on grass cuttings. So naturally, you must mow your surroundings regularly if you have an entire grass lawn.

After mowing, take up the dead grass and dispose of it correctly. If you have decomposing leaves or sticks lying around, pick them up.

How To Keep Love Bugs Away From Your Patio

Like other insects, love bugs dislike citrus scents. You can also use some homemade love bug repellants on your patio.

Spray a good quantity on your patio, and the love bugs will keep their distance from your patio.

How To Keep Love Bugs Away From Your Car

To keep love bugs away from your car, you may want to hold off painting it. At least till the love bug season is over.

Fresh paint can draw these insects to your car, especially bright colors. But, unfortunately, they will stick themselves on the car and spoil your new paint job.

If you can, do not drive at love bug peak hours. This is usually around 10 am. However, if you must go, you must prepare yourself.

Love bugs may litter the highway, so you need to wax your car. Doing this will minimize the damage they cause to your vehicle’s body.

Also, wash your car after a trip. Love bugs leave stains that can damage your car’s paint if they stay on for longer.

If love bugs have been on your windshield, they will make it dirty and soggy. In addition, you’ll not be able to drive appropriately as this stain will restrict your vision.

If you have love bugs on your windshield, you can easily remove them. With a mixture of glass cleaner, warm water, and soap, your windshield will be sparkling in no time.

Pour the mixture on your windshield and let it sit. Then, go in with a sponge and wipe your windshield until it is squeaky.

Conclusion

Do not catch a love bug. Instead, let them out of sight. Forget their name — they do not spread love. They will only make you angry.

If you have read up, you can quickly identify a love bug and keep it away from your house. With the steps above, you can keep these pests out of your way.

Depending on where you notice their activities, you can apply homemade bug spray or use the readymade types in hardware stores. So go, So go ahead and try them out!