Secret Tampa Bay Bonus Content: Insectile Orgy of Death

When I started writing Secret Tampa Bay, I wasn't sure how I could possibly fill 206 pages. After several months of work though, I ended up not with too little content, but rather with far more than I could possibly include. Deciding what to omit was difficult as I'm proud of the research and writing I did on each chapter - consequently I'll be sharing here some of that extra content here with you.

This particular piece I decided not to include for two reasons: 1) with so many things that readers might want to explore in the Tampa Bay Area, I didn't think it was the right choice to include something that they would probably rather not experience, and 2) the phenomenon known as "lovebug season" isn't really specific to Tampa Bay - the nasty little things can be found in multiple states throughout the southeast and along the Gulf coast. They are presently out in force, so it seemed like the ideal time to share this with you.

Insectile Orgy of Death

What are all those nasty-looking little things stuck to everyone’s front fenders and windshields?

The subject of this chapter highlights not something you’ll likely want to rush out to experience for yourself, but rather something you might prefer to avoid, if you can. And it revolves around the two words that makes motorists, visitors and even long-time residents consider an indoors activity: lovebug season.

The first documented reference to lovebugs (Plecia Nearctica) along the Gulf Coast can be traced to Louisiana in the early 1900’s. At the time their known habitat included Florida, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Since then they have spread to Georgia, South Carolina and elsewhere.

Most years see two lovebug seasons, each lasting a few weeks. Typically the first season occurs sometime in April and the second around late August. During these periods, millions of these sex-crazed insects will mate and remain conjoined, even after one of the pair has died, and take to the sky. Clouds of lovebugs will then hover lazily over any light colored or light-reflective surface (including highways and cars).

They don’t pose any threat to humans as far as bites or stings – although they do cause plenty of individuals to swat at the air and themselves as if suffering from a fit of the world’s worst dance moves. They are also a nuisance to drivers against whose windshields they tend to splatter, and due to the acidity of their body chemist, if not removed fairly quickly from automobiles, their remains become exceedingly difficult to wipe away.

Despite evidence of natural migration, there remains a persistent myth that lovebugs were genetically modified and introduced to the area (either accidentally or intentionally) by the University of Florida or some other research organization in a failed attempt to curb mosquito populations.

Know your amorous insects: Lovebugs are annoying but harmless. Kissing bugs, on the other hand, are nocturnal, bloodsucking parasites that carry an inflammatory infectious disease which can be deadly.

Public Display of Annihilation What: Lovebugs Where: Everywhere you least want them to be. Cost: None, unless you factor in the cost of a good carwash Pro Tip: Bug repellant won’t keep away lovebugs, but it will help with mosquitos and biting flies. Always keep some handy.