Key takeaways
- UF/IFAS calls insecticides against lovebugs expensive, potentially harmful and of no value, because new adults drift in almost immediately.
- Lovebugs are poor fliers: screens, an outdoor fan and the gentle outward airflow of a running AC system keep most of them out.
- Their crushed bodies turn more acidic within 24 hours, so wax the front of your car and wash lovebugs off within a day.
- Each flight lasts only a few weeks, in April-May and August-September, and lovebugs do not bite, sting or carry disease.
In this article
- What Are Lovebugs and Why Are There So Many?
- Why Spraying Lovebugs Doesn’t Work
- How to Keep Lovebugs Out of Your Home
- How to Keep Lovebugs Off Your Porch, Patio and Pool Area
- How to Protect Your Car From Lovebugs
- Lovebug Remedies That Don’t Hold Up
- When Lovebug Season Hits South Florida
- Make Sure It’s Really Lovebugs
- Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to get rid of lovebugs is to keep them out rather than try to kill them. Screens, an outdoor fan, a vacuum cleaner for the stragglers and a waxed car do far more than any spray, because University of Florida researchers have found that insecticides simply do not work on a pest that keeps drifting in by the millions.
The good news is that lovebugs are a nuisance, not a danger. They do not bite, sting, transmit disease or damage your home, and each flight lasts only a few weeks. This guide covers what actually helps at home, on the patio and on the road, which popular tricks to skip, and how to tell when the bugs on your windows are something more serious.
What Are Lovebugs and Why Are There So Many?
Lovebugs (Plecia nearctica) are small black flies with a red thorax, about 1/4 inch long for males and 1/3 inch for females. They are famous for flying in attached pairs. The species spread naturally along the Gulf Coast and was first collected in Florida in 1949; today it is found throughout the state, according to UF/IFAS.
Their numbers come from where the larvae live. Lovebug larvae feed on partially decayed plant material, especially in moist grassy places such as pastures, Bahia grass and roadsides. A female lays an average of 350 eggs, and two generations a year emerge almost all at once, so a single neighborhood can see enormous swarms for a few weeks and then almost none. If you are curious why you always see them in pairs, read why male lovebugs die after mating.
Why Spraying Lovebugs Doesn’t Work
It is tempting to grab a can of bug spray, but UF/IFAS entomologist Norman Leppla describes insecticides against lovebugs as expensive, potentially harmful and of no value. There are three reasons:
- They keep coming. Lovebugs are widespread, and adults continually drift in from surrounding areas, so the ones you kill are replaced almost immediately.
- They travel on the wind. With winds of 5 to 7 mph, pairs move across the landscape, and stronger winds can lift them as high as 1,500 feet. Your yard is never the only source.
- Sprays hit the wrong insects. Treating shrubs and lawns kills honeybees, lady beetles and other beneficial insects, while the lovebug flight continues.
Treating the lawn for larvae does not help either. The larvae live in thatch, pastures and roadside grass across a wide area, and new adults keep arriving from surrounding areas.
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How to Keep Lovebugs Out of Your Home
Lovebugs are poor fliers, and that is their weak spot. A little air movement or a physical barrier stops most of them.
- Keep the AC running and doors closed. UF/IFAS notes that the positive pressure created by an air-conditioning fan can keep lovebugs out of a building. Opening doors briefly lets fewer in.
- Check your screens. Repair tears in window and door screens, and pay special attention to the side of the house that faces the prevailing wind.
- Vacuum the few that get in. A vacuum cleaner removes lovebugs from walls, windowsills and light fixtures without staining surfaces.
- Rinse exterior walls and windows. Lovebugs that land and die on light-colored siding leave spots; a garden hose clears them before they dry.
How to Keep Lovebugs Off Your Porch, Patio and Pool Area
Outdoor living spaces are harder to protect, but the same principles work.
- Use a fan. An outdoor fan pointed across a seating area or workspace keeps lovebugs away, according to UF/IFAS.
- Screen it in. Screened enclosures over decks and pools keep most lovebugs out, which is one more reason South Florida pool cages are worth maintaining.
- Skim the pool. Lovebugs that drop into the water are easy to remove with a skimmer before they clog the filter basket.
- Time your projects. If you are painting a fence or the outside of the house, avoid peak flights: lovebugs are attracted to light-colored surfaces, especially freshly painted ones, and they stick to wet paint.
How to Protect Your Car From Lovebugs
Cars take the worst of lovebug season. Pairs drift over highways, where they are drawn to heat, engine exhaust and vibration, and they end up splattered across bumpers, hoods and windshields. Large numbers can clog a radiator and make a liquid-cooled engine overheat.
Before You Drive
- Wax the front of the car. UF/IFAS recommends a coat of car wax on the front of the vehicle so splatter does not bond to the paint.
- Add a bug screen or hood deflector. A hood air deflector reduces splatter, and nylon screening that hooks onto the front of the vehicle catches lovebugs before they reach the radiator.
- Drive outside peak hours when you can. Swarming peaks at 10-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m., and lovebugs do not fly at night.
Cleaning Lovebugs Off Paint and Glass
Fresh lovebugs are not very harmful to paint. The trouble starts when they bake in the sun: in UF testing, crushed lovebugs dropped from a pH of about 6.5 to 4.25 within 24 hours, and if they are left for several days, bacterial action increases the acidity and can etch the finish. Modern paint coatings have made this less of a problem, but timing still matters.
- Wash lovebugs off within a day, ideally the same evening.
- Soak the area with water for about five minutes to soften the remains.
- Wash gently with car shampoo and a soft cloth or sponge, then rinse.
- Clean the windshield and wiper blades so smears do not reduce visibility.
- Check the radiator grille and remove packed bugs after long highway drives.
Lovebug Remedies That Don’t Hold Up
Plenty of lovebug advice circulates every spring. Here is how the common ideas compare with what research shows.
| Method | Does it work? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Insect sprays on doors, shrubs or lawn | No | New adults drift in almost immediately; sprays also kill beneficial insects (UF/IFAS) |
| Citronella or “mosquito” candles | No | Lovebugs do not fly at night, and no research shows candles repel them |
| Mowing or treating the lawn | No | Larvae live in grassy areas well beyond your yard; adults arrive on the wind |
| Screens, closed doors and AC | Yes | Lovebugs are weak fliers and positive air pressure keeps them out |
| Outdoor fan | Yes | Air movement keeps them away from seating and work areas |
| Vacuum cleaner | Yes | Removes the few that get inside without stains or residue |
| Car wax plus washing within 24 hours | Yes | Keeps acidic remains from etching paint (UF/IFAS) |
| Lamp oil, fuel or harsh degreasers on paint | Avoid | Flammable or harsh, and they can strip the protective wax |
Some drivers swear by baby oil, cooking spray or dryer sheets. None of these has been tested the way wax has, and oily films collect road dust. Stick with wax and a prompt wash.
When Lovebug Season Hits South Florida
Florida has two lovebug generations a year, each lasting about four weeks. Most South Florida adults appear in April, and a minor December flight has been recorded in the southern part of the state.
active peak
Source: UF/IFAS EDIS (IN204, IN694)
According to UF/IFAS, populations peak slightly earlier in southern Florida than in the north, and places 20 to 30 miles apart can have very different numbers, which is why some neighborhoods turn into yearly hotspots. For more on timing and what drives a heavy year, see important facts about lovebug season.
Make Sure It’s Really Lovebugs
The spring lovebug flight overlaps with the season when several other insects swarm, and a cloud of small flying insects around your home is not always harmless. Lovebugs are easy to recognize: black body, red thorax, flying slowly in attached pairs during the day.
Be more cautious if you see winged insects coming from inside walls, piles of shed wings on windowsills, or swarms around lights after dark. UF/IFAS Extension notes that termite swarmers fly from dusk to dawn, are attracted to lights and drop their wings within minutes of landing. Those are signs of termite swarmers or flying ants, not lovebugs, and they call for an inspection. Our guide to telling termites from flying ants shows the differences.
Warm, wet months also bring other pests indoors; the most common summer pests in Florida and these spring pest control tips cover what to watch for. If ants, roaches, spiders or other insects are getting inside along with the lovebugs, Toro’s residential pest control plan, Total Home Protection Gold 365, treats inside and outside your home every other month, with a free inspection to start. Lovebugs will be gone in a few weeks; those pests will not.
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305-594-4767Frequently Asked Questions
What kills lovebugs instantly?
Do dryer sheets or baby oil keep lovebugs off cars?
Why are lovebugs attracted to my white house?
Do lovebugs damage plants or lawns?
Can a pest control company get rid of lovebugs?
Sources
- Living with Lovebugs, UF/IFAS Extension
- Lovebug Plecia nearctica Hardy (Insecta: Diptera: Bibionidae), UF/IFAS Extension
- Lovebugs are back! But experts say the familiar Florida pest is a harmless nuisance, UF/IFAS News
- Termite Swarms, UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County
Educational content. This article is for general information about pests in South Florida and is not medical, legal or professional advice. If you have a bite, sting or allergic reaction, contact your doctor; in an emergency, call 911. Pest problems vary from home to home, so a licensed professional should inspect before treatment. When using any pesticide, always read and follow the product label.
