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Simple Pest Control Solutions For Lovebugs

You may think that Lovebug season is over, but they’ll be back before the summer ends. If you’ve lived in the southeast United States for even a single summer you have inevitably come into contact with these undesirable pests. They seem to hang around in the most inconvenient of places and end up getting smashed all over the front of your freshly washed car. But besides the fact that they’re a nuisance, how much do you know about love bugs?
What Are Love Bugs?
Love bugs, also known as kissing bugs, are actually a species of fly (Plecia nearctica). And while they’re known for being an annoyance, they (like all other pests) actually do play a role in the ecosystem. The larvae of love bugs feed on decomposing plants and animals effectively making them a recycling system for the world around them. These harmless bugs biggest downfall is that they are annoying, and we understand that. But there are some pest control measures you can take to make sure they don’t become too much of a problem.

Remove Their Habitat
Do we sound like a broken record yet? It turns out that the decomposing debris in your yard is a popular snack for a number of different pests. As we mentioned, love bug larvae feed on this debris, so that stack of rotting logs in your backyard is just an invitation for a cloud of love bugs to descend upon your property. The ultimate pest control move is to remove their food source.

Utilize Citrus
Apparently lovebugs are not big fans of citrus scents, so citrus-scented candles or essential oils can be used around your outdoor living areas to repel them. While this pest control method may keep them at bay, it won’t actually eliminate them.

Stay In During The Day
Love bugs are only active during the day, so if you’re looking for the right time to schedule your next house party, you might want to wait until the sun goes down. Sometimes the best pest control method is to attempt to outsmart them!

Don’t Leave Your Car Idling
This probably won’t surprise you, but lovebugs are attracted to the fumes coming from your car, lawn mower, or generator. It makes sense as to why you find them splattered all over your front bumper. If you find yourself needing to run one of these items, just beware that you may be unintentionally inviting some love bugs to join you.

Lovebug season is one of those yearly occurrences that is annoying and gross, but ultimately not harmful. And while there are some pest control methods you can use to deter love bugs from mating on your property, your main tool against them is whatever you can do to keep them away from your personal space, including bug sprays and citronella. If you’d like some more pest control advice on how to eliminate your love bug problem, contact us today.

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