Lovebug Control: How to Get Rid of Lovebugs

This page is a general lovebug control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of lovebugs. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee complete control over lovebugs.

Homeowners in the southeastern half of the United States are no strangers to those red and black bugs that seem to be attached at the hip. The love bug, also known as the honeymoon fly, double-headed fly, or march fly, is a species of fly that seemingly never fails to leave small blotches of remains when they fall victim to our vehicles.

While lovebugs can be annoying, especially when driving throughout the southern states, they do not bite or sting. They are harmless to a person or animal's health, but they do pose a risk to your vehicle's paint. When the bodies of lovebugs are left too long, they become acidic, which can damage the painted surfaces of cars and possibly clog machinery passages to the engine, causing mechanical issues.

Combined with these factors, their ability to gather in large numbers along the exterior of homes can irritate any homeowner. Despite all of this, lovebugs are beneficial pests but can quickly overtake your yard with their breeding habits. Their presence and the damages they cause can be reduced by following the tips and products listed in this DIY guide.

Identification

Before proceeding with treatment, you must confirm that lovebugs infest your property. Careless identification can lead you to use the wrong products and treatment methods, which can be a waste of time and money. To know what lovebugs look like, refer to the following characteristics.

• Lovebugs are small black flies with long, slender bodies, except for the top of the thorax, which is reddish-orange. Like most flies, they have one pair of smokey black wings.
• The reason these pests are called lovebugs is because they spend the majority of their adult lives mating, and they only live for about 3 to 4 days as adults. A male and female lovebug will conjoin together until the female is ready to lay her eggs. Until then, the male will perish and remain attached until this action is completed.
• They range in their sizes, with males measuring between 6-7 mm and the females at 6-9 mm in length.
• Eggs are irregularly shaped and colored gray.

Use the image and description above to identify lovebugs correctly. If unsure, contact us by phone, email, or in person at one of our store locations so we can properly identify the pest and recommend the appropriate treatment options.

Inspection

Once you have confirmed lovebugs on your property, proceed with the inspection. During this phase, you are learning where lovebugs congregate, how severe the infestation is, and the conditions attracting them.

Where to Inspect

Lovebugs are primarily found in the southeastern states, especially in regions close to the coast. They congregate in large numbers near sites that produce exhaust fumes from vehicles or lawnmowers, near piles of decomposing plant material such as fallen leaves, close to hot asphalt due to the heat, on light-colored surfaces (especially when freshly painted) on surface exteriors, and near ornamental plants as they feed on nectar. Often, these conditions are commonly found along roads, residential driveways, highways, lawns, and around homes or structures.

What to Look For

Typically, lovebugs emerge in large numbers from April to May and again from August to September to breed. You often see one male and one female attached, but you may find them separate.

Treatment

When conducting pest control treatment, you will need to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) before mixing and applying insecticides.

Lovebugs are sensitive to various active ingredients commonly used in insecticides, such as bifenthrin, permethrin, cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, or deltamethrin. They are also easily controlled by pesticides that utilize or are derived from plant-based ingredients. Since lovebugs are the most nuisance on the surface of homes or cars, you will want to spray an insecticide with a long residual.

Unfortunately, not many insecticides can be sprayed on vehicles' surfaces. We recommend applying a fresh layer of wax before you travel and installing a grill screen across your car's radiator to reduce vehicle damage from lovebug acid. You must also keep up with regular mowing to reduce breeding habitats and resting sites for lovebugs.

Step 1: Mow Turfgrass and Clean-Up Yard Waste

Lovebugs lay their eggs on decaying vegetation in tall turfgrasses due to the reliable food sources and consistent moisture. For this reason, you will need to clean up your yard and trim vegetation around your home before applying an insecticide.

Prune away long tree branches and shrubs, mow the grass to the recommended height, rake away leaf litter, and pick up other plant debris. This will reduce the breeding and resting sites for insects on your property.

Step 2: Apply Repellent Insecticide

To prevent lovebugs from swarming against your house and other structures, spray a repellent insecticide with a long residual as a barrier application. Supreme IT is a broad-spectrum insecticide made with 7.9% bifenthrin that will treat a wide variety of pests. After application, this product will protect treated areas for up to 90 days.

Determine how much Supreme IT to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. Measure the length and width of the treatment area in feet, then multiply them together (length X width = square footage). 

Mix 0.33 to 1.0 fl. oz. of Supreme IT per gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft.

Fill your sprayer with half the water, add a measured amount of Supreme IT, and pour in the remaining half of the water. Close the spray tank lid and shake until the solution is thoroughly mixed.

Broadcast the Supreme IT solution evenly over your lawn and apply it over any ornamentals on your property. Then, conduct a barrier application around the outer perimeter of your home. Spray entry points like windows, doorways, and along eaves. Then spray the outer perimeter of your home by spraying 3 feet up the structure and 3 feet out.

Allow the product time to dry completely. The barrier will work to repel insects from treated areas, and insects that do make contact with the spray or its residual will have their nervous systems impacted and will die in hours.

Prevention

Once you have controlled lovebugs, you must take preventative measures to ensure they do not return to your property. Listed below are some ways to prevent lovebugs from returning to your home:

• Protect your vehicles with ongoing washing and wax coating to reduce lovebugs. To keep lovebug residue from residing underneath your car hood, install an approved bug screen or grill screen. If possible, don't leave your car on for long periods in your driveway, as the fumes and exhaust entice lovebugs to your property.
• Keep up with routine lawn care and maintenance. Maintain your trees and shrubs, and continue to mow your lawn regularly when the grass grows too tall. Proper care will reduce the number of spots lovebugs have to rest in. Make sure to remove all decomposing leaves, sticks, or grass clippings to remove their food source.
• Switch on porch fans during the day to deter lovebugs from hovering underneath porch ceilings and against foundation walls.
• Lastly, use year-round control with a residual repellent like Supreme IT. Spray Supreme IT every 90 days to continue fighting pests and ensure year-round protection.

Key Takeaways

What are Lovebugs?

• Lovebugs are an invasive species of march flies whose females and males pair up and remain together until the end of their lifecycle. These nuisance pests are known for their ability to quickly assemble on multiple surfaces and chip away car paint when splattered across it.

How to Get Rid of Lovebugs

• To get rid of lovebugs and their swarms, you will need to mow tall turfgrasses and remove all plant debris, such as grass clippings, fallen leaves, and sticks, to eliminate breeding and food sites. Once these conditions are removed, apply Supreme IT as a barrier to your home's foundation.

Preventing Lovebugs Reinfestation

• Prevent lovebugs from returning to your home with regular lawn care practices such as mowing and picking up fallen plant debris. Apply Supreme IT quarterly to control and prevent lovebugs before their breeding season begins.