Love is in the air, sort of. It's that time of year, again. Love Bugs are here, again. I know they have a scientific name (Plecia nearticlcia), but everyone here just calls them Love Bugs, because they mate, all the time, flying through the air cojoined. They stay mated for 12-15 hours as they fly through the air, never looking where they're going. I have never seen a lone Love Bug they're always in pairs.
I've read about them and they say they're recent invaders, originally coming up from South America they've spread across the Southeast and made it to Georgia and South Carolina about 20 years ago. And scientists say they're here to stay. They come twice a year, in April-May and again August-September, and they come in swarms. This year hasn't been as bad as some years, I don't know if it was because of the heavy rains we've had, but it's been bad enough. My pool gets covered with them and you'll frequently feel their tickling feet walking on you, but don't smash them they stink. At times you may drive through swarms of them, clogging up your radiator. They can cover your car and if you don't clear them off they can permanently damage the finish.
Few things will eat them, earwigs and centipedes being among the few, they must really taste nasty. We have lots of lizards but none of them go near them. The only thing we've found that slow them down are old-fashioned fly strips that we hang outside our door to keep them out of the house.
It's been said that love stinks and in this case I believe it does.
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