They’re baaaaack! We’re talking about those in your face, stick to your clothes, destroy the front of your car –  LOVE BUGS! 

Love bugs come out twice a year, May and September, and this year Positively Osceola wants to help you be better prepared to handle them. We all know that love bugs are annoying, but what’s even more annoying is having to scrub the windshield, sideview mirrors, and front bumper of your vehicle.

The best solution to preventing the build-up of those nasty little, we mean, beautiful little love bugs that have formed a bug graveyard on the front of your car is to act fast! Get your car washed because they are acidic and will slowly destroy your clear coat and paint.  You can use a dryer sheet to swab off the bugs or a wet paper towel with soap. If the love bugs are especially hard to remove, apply a light layer of baby oil to loosen them.

Keep love bugs off of the radiator with a bug screen both outside and inside the grille. It is also suggested to put an extra layer of wax on your vehicle as a protective layer.

Remember, as annoying as love bugs are, they are good for one thing in mother nature. The female love bugs lay from 100 to 350 eggs which are deposited beneath decaying vegetation. Larvae (immature stage) feed on decaying plant material and live on the soil surface just beneath the decaying organic matter. Larvae perform a beneficial function by converting the plant material into organic components which can again be used by the growing plants.

After larvae mature, they transform into pupae. The pupal stage requires about 7 to 10 days. and that helps recycle decaying matter into organic matter. So, love the love bugs… or, at least be glad they’re not around all year!