I hate love bugs!

[SailorBob]

This weekend I was mowing and had to stop and clean out the radiator screen about every 30 minutes. It was not chaff stopping it up it was love bugs. They are like a plague this year the worst I can ever remember them being. They are just swarming everywhere. You can't even open the door to your house without a dozen flying in.

I was just curious if anyone else has this problem...

 

[Lunk]

Ah yesssss...The dreaded asian beetle invasion. If you've got soybeans planted nearby, they're especially bad. Originally brought over here to feast on aphids that were in turn feasting on the soybeans. Every other year we have beans out to my place, and they are everywhere!

 

[Tig]

Saw quite a few a couple years ago, but none before and none since.

 

[Logan]

I hate to hear that they have gone north, thought they were only a southern problem. They have been bad this year in South Georgia. I heard years ago that the U of F had imported them to feast on something or another that was ruining the orange crop in Florida. One of the few things that the university had done wrong IMHO.

 

[SailorBob]

I hate to hear that they have gone north, thought they were only a southern problem. They have been bad this year in South Georgia. I heard years ago that the U of F had imported them to feast on something or another that was ruining the orange crop in Florida. One of the few things that the university had done wrong IMHO.

I grew up in Columbus, GA and we never had any there. I did not realize that they were not native to our area but, we had plenty of cudzu

 

[MMagis]

I think there may be a misunderstanding in terminology. I don’t believe the “love bugs” SailorBob is referring to are the Asian beetles that look like lady bugs. As far as I know, love bugs are a southern thing, and not a beetle.

 

[SailorBob]

I think there may be a misunderstanding in terminology. I don稚 believe the 斗ove bugs SailorBob is referring to are the Asian beetles that look like lady bugs. As far as I know, love bugs are a southern thing, and not a beetle.

The bugs that I am talking about are black with an orange head. They look kind of like fireflies. They fly around hooked up together to mate and then the male dies.

 

[GreenWannabe]

There is nothing lovely about a love bug. The car wash I used to go to in Orlando used to have a sign, "Love bug divorces granted here." They are particularly acidic, and will damage paint if not removed promptly. I used to see white van trucks turned black by a single trip from Tampa to Orlando 100 miles up I-4.

 

[backdoor]

I've seen love bugs as I travelled in the south, but never this far north (Southwest VA).However, the Asian beetles that look like ladybugs are thick here this time of year. During cooler days they congregate on the western ends of houses, and I've watched them crawl through the furry windbreaks between window sashes to get into houses. Funny, but even with the hordes of ladybugs, my rose bushes were always covered with aphids if I didn't spray them. That cudzu makes excellent groundhog fodder, but the targets are small because you usually can only see a head or part of their head.

 

[firemanpat2910]

fly united!!!!! I hate them too. I have to wash my truck every day. They are worse this year I agree. They seem to be attracted to white objects. even with all 3 parked they swarm around a white vehicle more than dark colored. We opened the overhead doors in the shop this weekend and the white walls inside were covered. I cant stand the smell. If you try and use the squeege from a gas station it stinks.