I
just got off the phone with Alison Bath, USA Today Correspondent. She wanted some information on “lovebugs” and
if we were seeing increased populations in the Houston area. We talked for a few minutes, and I answered
to the best of my ability her questions about lovebugs. She will be writing an article for USA Today
on this subject. When it is posted I
will add the link to this post. Until
that time I thought it would be good to post information on lovebugs since many
of you have experienced them this past week and will continue for a few more
weeks.
When
September roles around we can be assured of several things, 1) temperatures begin
to moderate, 2) school is back in session meaning 3) longer lines at traffic
lights 4) chance of a hurricane in the gulf, and 5) lovebugs!
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Lovebugs, Plecia
nearctica Hardy
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Though many of you probably recognize them better this
way:
Or this way:
These
insects are black flies (yes flies!) with a thorax that is a reddish-orange
color. They are in the insect order Diptera
and insect family Bibionidae. Their
common name is March flies. We usually
see these flies in our area around May and September. I have noticed flight activity to be highest around mid-morning.
By
looking at the picture I think you can see why they have the nickname,
lovebugs. They often fly while still
coupled during mating. Lovebugs are a nuisance
when smashed on car windshields, headlights, radiator grills or for that matter
any part of your car. Their large
numbers can interfere with any human activity such as running, walking, riding
a bike, or motorcycle. Have you ever
tried to paint a house when lovebugs are flying? They bring new meaning to the term “textured
paint!” Lovebugs both immatures and
adults are considered medically harmless, i.e., no biting or stinging, and the
immature stage can actually be considered beneficial since they decompose plant
material.
Adult lovebugs emerge
after rainy periods and can be very abundant in some locations. They will begin to be noticed in spring (May)
and early fall (September). The heaviest
emergence usually
occurs in the early fall. Adults are 3/8
inch long with a pair of smoky colored wings.
The female is larger than the male and will fly off dragging the
attached male.
Eggs
are deposited in ditches and other damp areas that frequently have water
present. Since these are flies, the
larvae is called a maggot, is 3/8 inch long, grayish in color with a dark head.
The larvae are seldom seen but they can be found in moist soil along the edges
of waterways and can be found in well-watered lawns with an accumulation of
thatch. Another reason not to over water
your lawn!
The late Dr. Jon Jackman, Professor and
Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University has a great publication on
lovebugs which I always refer to when a lovebug question comes up. This publication can be found here: Lovebugs
He
created a list for management ideas for lovebugs. He had some good ideas so I am re-printing it in this posting. You can always go to the link for
his publication above in case you would like to print it out. Maybe one of your children would like to write
a report on the lovebug. Dr. Jackman’s
article is the place to start.
Lovebug
nuisance management strategies from Dr. John Jackman:
There is no easy solution to lovebug problems. It may be necessary to
learn to cope with lovebugs with a variety of methods for a few weeks each
year. The following facts and suggestions will help:
1) Lovebugs
do not fly at night or during cool weather, so driving schedules can sometimes
be arranged to avoid peak lovebug flight activity.
2) Fewer
flies are smeared over car finishes if vehicles are driven at lower speeds.
Some commercially available wind deflectors positioned on the front hood of
cars and trucks may help deflect flies and keep them from hitting the
windshield.
3) Netting
stretched over front grills can prevent crushed flies from clogging radiators
and thus prevent overheating on long trips. Some netting devices are
commercially available.
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| Netting front of vehicle |
4) Daily
cleaning of a vehicle will help protect the finish and prevent a build-up of
lovebug bodies on engine parts. Commercially available products containing
petroleum distillates can facilitate the removal of crushed, dried insect parts
from car finishes
5) Chemical
control of lovebug maggots is not recommended because they are basically
harmless and the semiaquatic habitat of the larvae is an environmentally
sensitive area.
6) Adult
lovebugs can fly well enough to make treating a large enough area to reduce the
local population impractical.
7) Foggers
and aerosol insecticides designed for quick knock down of adult lovebugs may
provide temporary relief from flying adults. However, compounds used in foggers
disperse readily and therefore effectiveness is soon lost. Lovebug flights may
last for several weeks, so multiple treatments with foggers would be required
for relief throughout the flight periods.
8) Lovebugs
do not respond to insect repellents containing DEET or citronella.
9) Adult
lovebug numbers may be drastically reduced by heavy rains.
10) Lovebug
flight periods are temporary. Avoid house painting when lovebugs are active
11) Lovebugs do not bite or sting
There
are also some myths associated with the lovebugs,
Myth 1) Lovebugs were imported for
fly and mosquito control (false) and
Myth 2) Lovebugs were the result of a University
of Florida genetic experiment gone wrong (false).
Check out Dr. Jackman’s information on the
first myth then check out Snopes.com for their information on the University of Florida myth, link here Love Bugs
