ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Love is in the air -- and it's nasty.
Lovebug mating season is underway, with the little guys and gals flying around and being a nuisance to anyone trying to enjoy the outdoors. The name, lovebug, is just that: You'll often see them attached to a mate as they fly about.
The University of Florida swears it didn't bring them to Florida as some sort of science experiment despite a persistent rumor. Rather, they migrated from Central America and went through Texas and the Gulf Coast states before arriving here.
There usually are two seasons in which the bugginess reaches its peak: May and September. For about four weeks, lovebugs are most active.
And annoying.
Lovebugs mostly are a bother in terms of the sheer number of them. There's no pesticide to control them, and they don't bite and sting, but they can cause damage. UF says a bug "baked" on a car can damage its paint, so it's advised they be washed off ASAP.
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