Lovebugs Overwhelm Central Florida, Including Disney World Resort Rooms
The return of lovebugs to Central Florida has been in full force lately, and some Walt Disney World guests are finding them in unexpected places, including inside their hotel rooms.
Lovebugs, also known as Plecia nearctica, are small flies that feed on pollen and nectar. They are active during the day and tend to appear in massive numbers twice a year, typically in April-May and August-September.
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences explains that lovebugs aren't native to Florida, having arrived in 1949. Despite a long-running myth, there is no evidence that they were created in a lab to control mosquitoes.
Female lovebugs are attracted to automobile exhaust compounds, which they mistake for decaying organic matter where they lay their eggs. Heat and light-colored surfaces also play a role in their attraction to cars. This year's infestation has been particularly bad, with some areas experiencing outbreak levels while nearby spots remain unaffected.
According to Dr. Norman Leppla of the University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology Department, lovebug remains aren't acidic, but the baking process on hot surfaces causes paint damage over time. To clean off lovebugs from cars, Leppla recommends using wet clothes dryer sheets or a high-pressure washer.