It’s Could as soon as extra, which suggests lovebug season has ‘formally’ returned to Walt Disney World…or has it? This submit rants a bit about these bugs, shares data & suggestions for avoiding love and different bugs throughout their peak months in Florida, and extra. (Up to date Could 8, 2024.)
Referred to as the month of merriment and renewal, Could is when poets write of lovers, topic to the identical drive which reawakens the vegetation, really feel their hearts open once more. Named after Maia, the goddess of springtime and progress, Could is a delicate and heat month that causes flowers to blossom, crops to sprout, and other people to bop.
That’s, except you’re in Florida. Positive, love is within the air, nevertheless it’s in bug kind. The state additionally has 20 million genetically modified mosquitoes that have been launched final yr within the Florida Keys, as a part of a landmark challenge throughout which researchers discovered completely nothing from this highly-scientific Simpsons clip. That is to say nothing of invasive species, that are exploding within the state per a really amusing/scary “dispatch from Florida” in Nationwide Geographic.
Reducing to the chase, are you questioning why little pests are throughout Walt Disney World? (No, we’re not speaking about babies–sorry for the confusion.) These are swarms of flying bugs generally known as lovebugs, and so they seem twice per yr in Central Florida. Lovebug season often happens in Could and September, though the precise “depth” of the season varies dramatically based mostly on climate circumstances. Some years, lovebug season is terrible; different years, it’s nonexistent.
Dr. Norman Leppla, a professor of entomology and nematology on the College of Florida explains that lovebugs require a “Goldilocks” atmosphere to thrive. Not too moist, not too dry–excellent. Primarily, common rainfall occurring comparatively persistently throughout the winter.
Lovebug larvae reside in decaying vegetation on the soil floor. If the habitat is just too moist, they drown. If the atmosphere is just too dry, the larvae dries up. For the final two years, the Orlando space had far much less rainfall than common by the beginning of lovebug season. This included a number of stretches of uninterrupted dry climate, which successfully dried up the lovebug larvae. In consequence, the 2023 love bug season wasn’t dangerous in any respect.
It’s the same story in 2024, albeit for a probably totally different motive. Dr. Leppla notes that he as soon as once more isn’t seeing many lovebugs in Central Florida this yr. Nonetheless, the explanation behind this decline is a thriller. Leppla speculates it could possibly be on account of numerous components, similar to pathogens, though he acknowledges the problem of pinpointing the reason for a decline in insect populations. He additionally signifies that there’s probably not any analysis being achieved on lovebugs to search out out what’s taking place since they’re not integral to the ecosystem.
“They’re carefully associated to mosquitoes, and we’ve bought loads of mosquitoes, so why don’t we have now loads of love bugs?” Dr. Leppla questioned throughout an interview on Fox 35 Orlando. “It’s not predators. We haven’t seen any parasites. May very well be a pathogen,” he continued. “It’s simply exhausting to inform when a inhabitants of bugs declines. What’s the trigger?”
In consequence, you shouldn’t anticipate to see many–if any–lovebugs at Walt Disney World throughout Could 2024 (and even August and September, for that matter). That’s one nuisance you’ll be able to cross off your checklist for this month at Walt Disney World. However on a completely unrelated observe, the cheer and dance competitions are again and greater than ever, so there’s that.
For many who final visited Walt Disney World in 2019 or 2022, this will probably be a welcome reduction. Whereas lovebugs flew below the radar in 2020-2021 and 2023, 2019 and 2022 have been fairly dangerous.
In actual fact, 2019 was the worst lovebug season we’ve ever skilled at Walt Disney World (and we’ve visited or resided in Central Florida throughout this ‘season’ yearly for the final decade-plus). The primary day driving throughout lovebug season that yr, we thought a lightweight rain had began. Seems it was only a ‘bug drizzle’ hitting the windshield.
The terrible 2019 lovebug season is definitely what initially impressed this submit. In Epcot, love bugs have been swarming in all places, however a innocent irritant. That’s, till a pair flew at my mouth whereas I used to be consuming poutine fries. No individual or pest will get between me and my poutine. Sufficient is sufficient. No extra whispering–it’s time for a proverbial yell.
Kidding apart, there are plenty of myths about lovebugs. Regardless of having ample expertise with the bugs through the years, everything of my data previous to researching them out of curiosity (which in flip led to this weblog submit) consisted of individuals on social media asking, “what’s up with the entire bugs at Walt Disney World proper now?!” and locals giving their solutions.
Like Pop Warner and Jersey Week, love bug seasons are seemingly unexplainable pure phenomenons that’s spoken of in hushed whispers amongst Walt Disney World followers. Nobody likes the annual infestations, however we don’t need to anger our new insect overlords that the ‘it’s powerful to be a bug’ documentary at Animal Kingdom warned us about.
My favourite of the lovebug myths is that they’re the results of a genetic experiment gone mistaken on the College of Florida, which has gained a lot traction that it has a Snopes web page. Whereas that’s an incredible city legend and may completely be utilized by Capcom for the following Resident Evil plot, it’s false.
In accordance with the College of Florida’s personal web site, the varsity didn’t introduce the love bug to the state. After all the College of Florida would need to throw us off the scent and deny being the trigger. Nonetheless, [joke redacted because I have no dog in the South’s college rivalry fight, and also the good sense not to bring the wrath ~25% of Floridians down upon me].
Actually, lovebugs migrated from Central America, touring by means of Texas and Louisiana earlier than arriving in Florida within the twentieth century. The bugs have been seen in Louisiana as early as 1911, and customary in Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana within the Nineteen Forties. By the top of the twentieth century, lovebugs had unfold closely to all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico, in addition to Georgia and South Carolina.
The lovebug (Plecia nearctica) is also called the honeymoon fly or double-headed bug. The title is derived from (youngsters, skip this paragraph) their affinity for public fornication. Could and September are their mating intervals, throughout which period they’re joined in flight. Even after mating has ended, grownup pairs stay coupled–even in flight–for a number of days.
Lovebugs have two mating intervals, one within the spring and one within the fall. Every of those final for about 4 weeks, with Could and September being peak lovebug season. These bugs are often most energetic between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., in temperatures above 84°F.
When it comes to debunking another myths, lovebugs usually are not drawn to any specific colours or scents at Walt Disney World or on vacationers. They’re drawn to decomposing plant particles, however might confuse these odors with chemical compounds in exhaust fumes. Warmth additionally attracts lovebugs.
These two causes in tandem are why lovebugs are particularly widespread on roadways round Walt Disney World, and why your automobile will appear to be it simply plowed straight by means of the Battle of Winterfell after only some miles. They’re a ‘impartial’ insect, however micro organism will increase their acidity that means they will injury car paint if they’re “baked” within the solar over the course of days.
Should you’re driving to and round Walt Disney World in your personal car, it’s really useful that you simply get a automobile wash or put an additional layer of wax on as a protecting layer earlier than leaving dwelling. (There are three Speedway fuel stations round Walt Disney World property.) As for clean-up, some of the standard hacks is to make use of a moist dryer sheet to swab off the bugs.
As for people, lovebugs are primarily a nuisance. Lovebugs usually are not toxic, and they don’t chunk, sting, or transmit ailments. When it comes to avoiding lovebugs, there aren’t actually any nice hacks for that. Chemical pesticides and sprays are ineffective on lovebugs.
The little pairs are ubiquitous this time of yr. Having two banging bugs fly into your open mouth might not be your superb trip expertise…nevertheless it’s most likely even worse for them, so there’s that silver lining, I suppose. Suffice to say, lovebugs are extremely irritating.
Love bugs don’t pose any threat to people in anyway (and couldn’t chunk even when they wished to), however they’re extremely annoying. They’re actually in all places proper now, and whereas most of what’s written above is in jest, you’ll be able to’t stroll round Walt Disney World for lengthy proper now with out them flying into you otherwise you operating into them.
It’s price noting that for hundreds of years, Florida was seen as uninhabitable and inhospitable for people. That’s no joke (for a barely amusing learn, try “A Requiem for Florida, the Paradise That Ought to By no means Have Been“). Whereas water administration and the miracle of air-conditioning have made points of Florida extra tolerable, Mom Nature can’t be tamed.
Bugs and extreme climate stay a problem in Florida for a lot of the yr. Whereas lovebugs are all the trend proper now, different bugs will be problematic later in the summertime. I’ve personally by no means had a lot of a problem with mosquitos, and discover Walt Disney World’s mosquito monitoring and prevention program to be fairly efficient.
Sarah, however, is like ‘bugnip’ to bugs. She now swears by Buzz Away, which is a pure and DEET-free insect repellant. Earlier than that, she discovered these Zekpro Bug Repeller Bracelets efficient; at Walt Disney World you’re already sporting no less than one bracelet, and including too many begins to method hippie territory.
Because the official begin of Atlantic hurricane season approaches in only some months, we’d additionally refer you to our Suggestions for Visiting Walt Disney World Throughout Storm Season. There have already been a few intense afternoon showers of late, and that’s solely going to grow to be extra frequent as we method summer season.
In the end, I understand this wasn’t essentially the most useful or informative article, particularly because the solely factor for combating lovebugs whereas within the parks is “you’ll be able to’t actually do something.” However, hopefully you discovered my venting fascinating or helpful. Or, perhaps you’ve additionally had lovebugs pester you all day or fly into your mouth whereas consuming poutine, through which case, we are able to commiserate with each other’s ache and frustration!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing it is advisable to know!
Your Ideas
Have you ever ever skilled the annual love bug plague at Walt Disney World? Have any ranting of your personal to do about them? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
