For longtime Floridians, the return of lovebug season is as predictable as the summer heat.
The black-and-red insects, commonly seen flying attached in pairs, have once again descended across the state in large numbers, coating windshields, swarming highways and frustrating drivers. And according to a University of Florida expert, this year’s surge appears to be larger than what residents have seen in recent seasons.
“There's no doubt they're higher. They've been declining for the last three or four years and this season they've just decided to rebound,” said Norman Leppla, a University of Florida professor and lovebug expert. “We don't study them in any detail so there's no data, but it's a surprise to most everybody that they've rebounded.”
Leppla said the increase likely stems from favorable conditions earlier in the insects’ life cycle. Lovebugs spend most of their lives as larvae, and moisture plays a key role in whether they survive long enough to emerge in large numbers as adults.
“In individual habitats they require a certain amount of moisture because they're larvae most of the year and it's the survival of those larvae that lead to this outbreak of adults,” he said.
For many residents, the most noticeable effect of lovebug season shows up after a drive down the interstate. The insects frequently splatter across bumpers, hoods and windshields, leaving behind residue that can damage vehicle paint if not cleaned off.
“That splattering is mostly their eggs,” Leppla said. “Kind of a light color and those eggs can work with UV light to damage the car's surface. So if there are quite a few, the easiest thing is to use a wet dryer sheet. Otherwise just soak them and rub them off.”
Avoiding the insects altogether can be difficult, especially on highways. Leppla said lovebugs are drawn to vehicle exhaust and heat, which helps explain why they tend to cluster around busy roads.
“When they're not being blown somewhere downwind, it's whatever they're attracted to and certainly they're highly attracted to automobile exhaust,” he said.
Residents hoping to limit encounters at home may have some options. Leppla recommended using outdoor fans that blow downstream, maintaining window screens and keeping air conditioning running to help pressurize homes and discourage bugs from entering.
He said common pest-control methods marketed toward lovebugs generally do little to reduce populations.
“Do not try to use repellents or insecticide sprays or anything like that,” Leppla said. “You won't kill enough to matter. Some people enjoy seeing them caught in traps, but it really doesn't affect the number.”
Despite the annoyance they cause, Leppla emphasized that lovebugs are harmless to people and pets.
“They're just a nuisance. They're not dangerous. They don't bite, sting. They're not poisonous. They don't transfer diseases,” he said. “A lot of people are concerned that they're like mosquitoes. They're not. They're absolutely just a nuisance.”
The current wave of lovebugs is expected to taper off within the next few weeks before another seasonal emergence arrives around September, Leppla said.