If you think you’re seeing more lovebugs than usual, you’re not imagining it. The end of summer is their second mating season of the year. LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it is a normal part of their life cycle, but there are more lovebugs this year than in previous years.
“We’ve had a little bit of a warmer winter; we’ve had a wetter spring; and then, in the past few years, we’ve had those hard winters as well as some drought conditions that really impacted their populations,” Ashbrook noted.
Ashbrook says lovebugs are harmless to humans, but their blood can degrade car paint.
“The lovebugs, they like to form these big mating aggregations where they’re all hanging out and trying to pair up. Sometimes that ends up being in the road, and our cars get them smashed on the vehicle,” Ashbrook explained.
He recommends getting your car cleaned at a car wash or using dryer sheets to wipe them off.
Ashbrook says lovebugs are more commonly found near areas with more moisture and decaying matter, like marshes, swamps and forested areas. He says lovebug larvae help break down and recycle organic materials.
“The adults, they are a nuisance; but luckily, they only live for a few days at a time. We just kind of see them for a few weeks; of course, at the end of the summer this time of year,” Ashbrook said.
