The Stubborn and Slow-Moving Lovebug

August 10th, 2019

The lovebug is an annoyance, but little more. Originally, the lovebug was found in Central America, but it found its way to the southern states. Anyone living in the southern states has seen hordes of these, particularly around highways. These insects are not venomous, they do not sting, and they do not typically destroy crops. Most of the time, they are simply a nuisance, but one that can be highly annoying and is worth trying to fight against.

Where Lovebugs Go

Lovebugs are primarily attracted to decaying plant debris. If you have a compost pile or if you have decaying crop debris after harvesting, you may very well see a swarm of these. However, they also seem to confuse the chemicals in exhaust fumes for plant debris. This combined with the fact that they are attracted to heat are why they are most prevalent on the highways.

Controlling Lovebugs

Unfortunately, they are not easily controlled with chemical pesticides. Pesticides can only treat a given area. They travel along the highways and will keep coming regardless of the chemicals you use to get rid of them. The best thing you can do to prevent damage from these is to treat your car paint and other paint around your home with wax or protectant so that they do not bake onto the paint and cause it to become damaged.

Localized Control

If you have a particularly bad case of these on your property, we might be able to help. Localized control may be possible, at least on a temporary basis. We can clear out the lovebugs from your property for your event or holiday, even though they are likely to come back quickly. Contact us today for more information.