Was just reading Anita Answer's post on allearsnet.com, and I found the below Q&A from today. Hmmmm.... Makes me wonder if Anita got an idea here! (And by the way, Elizabeth isn't this Elizabeth).
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Elizabeth writes: [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We visited Walt Disney World at the end of September 2006 and were surrounded by little flying bugs which we found out were called "Love Bugs." We were also told they tend to come out one or two times a year in Florida. Although they weren't harmful in any way, they were extremely annoying and we were wondering if there was a specific time frame that they tend to swarm because we would love to go back at that time of the year again. Thanks for your help![/FONT]
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Hi Elizabeth! [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Love Bugs (Plecia Nearctica) are commonly found all along the Gulf Coast of the United States and northward on the Atlantic coast from Florida to South Carolina. Love Bugs have two "flights" a year, one spanning April and May, and one spanning August and September. The flights generally last for four to five weeks, and the number of bugs varies year to year, dependent on certain weather conditions and the presence of natural predators. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Adult bugs have no natural predators because they don't taste good (not that I know this personally...) but their larvae are apparently quite a treat for birds and other insects, and armadillos like them too. If natural predators are around in abundance during the Love Bugs' larval stage, then the flights may not be as dense. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Love Bugs themselves aren't dangerous, as they don't bite or sting. They can be a huge annoyance, however, when they appear in large numbers and can seem to be everywhere, plus their acidic bodies can cause damage to automobile paint jobs if dead bugs are not washed off immediately. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There are a couple of things you can do to keep them at bay: First, wear dark clothing, as they're attracted to light, bright colors. This is counter-intuitive during times of hot weather, but you'll have to choose between being cooler or being annoyed by Love Bugs. I personally would rather deal with the annoyance of the bugs than Florida heat. The other thing you can do is visit the parks after dusk. Love Bugs don't fly after the sun goes down. This, of course, will severely limit your park time. Once again, I'd choose the annoying bugs over staying out of the parks. Even if you don't want to take those steps, the good news is you still have eight other Love Bug-free months to visit the World. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A.A.[/FONT]