Lazy bones
Okay - so I haven't been very interested in writing lately. Guess I've been lacking in motivation as of late more than anything else. But, rather than going off on another emotionally charged issue, I'm going to regale you about love bugs since I spent this weekend standing in the biggest swarm of them that I've ever seen. Have you ever watched those shows where the beekepers stand in the middle of the bees with those suits on and the bees crawl all over them? That's what this was like, but with lovable little love bugs.
If you're wondering what I'm talking about, its these critters. Since almost their entire adult life is spent mating, with the female flying or walking around, dragging the smaller male by his sexual organs, they have been given this rather innocuous name...
And so, since I was working this race and standing amongst love bugs having a massive orgy all around me...and on me, for heaven's sake...I did some research...
They are not, as widely reported this weekend by many a pundit, an experiment gone wrong at some Florida university. They're natural South American insects that have found their way up our direction. They were first noticed in the US in 1940, so they've been around awhile.
The critters have an egg, larval, and adult stage - with the larval stage being beneficial to help break down dead plants. In fact, since that's what they eat, and that's where they have their eggs laid, where I was (Texas World Speedway) is a perfect place for love bug swarms to exist since they just cut the tall grasses and let them lay there as love bug heaven.
Most birds won't eat 'em, though the reports I found said that "some" would, but it was plain that there were none in the area I happened to be in that were interested. Birds do, apparently, like to eat the larva, so that's where they benefit the food chain. I'm thinking the birds have been lying down on the job lately considering all the bugs I waded through.
According to the researchers, the bugs are attracted to chemicals found in diesel fumes, and the heat on the highways. I dunno about this...I'm somewhat skeptical of there being any link with the bugs splatting on cars and the bugs liking highways - they're just everywhere, so they're also going to be over highways, but apparently, the studies say differently.
Killing them? Cars are the best enemy! Any attempt to control them in the wild would also kill off lots of other insects as well - not good for the system. As they are only considered a nuisance that lasts about 4 weeks a couple times a year, the general suggestion is that one just live with them.
Oh, and insect repellent has no effect on 'em as they're not looking for carbon dioxide like the blood-sucking critters repellent is designed for.
They do eat car paint due to their rather acidic nature that gets more acidic as the bodies decompose, thereby etching the paint. So don't leave dead love bugs all over your car...
Unanswered in anything I read was the insects penchant for the dead - they swarm like crazy over dead compadres, although the reseach has never found any kind of pheremonal activity in the insects. Also, all the reports noted the bugs are attracted to the "heat of motors and the highway" but it was quite obvious that they do not like heat and will congregate on the coolest things in the area...they were always on the shady parts of the corner station and you would never see them on the hot brown body of my car, while they were en-masse on the windshield which was significantly cooler. And if you wanted your cup for water to be covered in bugs - you'd put it in the shade...so I always put mine in the sun, and never had another bug in my cup when I picked it up. And don't even get me started about how many hung
out around the very cool water cooler spigot. Bleah.
So now you know all about love bugs!!
If you're wondering what I'm talking about, its these critters. Since almost their entire adult life is spent mating, with the female flying or walking around, dragging the smaller male by his sexual organs, they have been given this rather innocuous name...
And so, since I was working this race and standing amongst love bugs having a massive orgy all around me...and on me, for heaven's sake...I did some research...
They are not, as widely reported this weekend by many a pundit, an experiment gone wrong at some Florida university. They're natural South American insects that have found their way up our direction. They were first noticed in the US in 1940, so they've been around awhile.
The critters have an egg, larval, and adult stage - with the larval stage being beneficial to help break down dead plants. In fact, since that's what they eat, and that's where they have their eggs laid, where I was (Texas World Speedway) is a perfect place for love bug swarms to exist since they just cut the tall grasses and let them lay there as love bug heaven.
Most birds won't eat 'em, though the reports I found said that "some" would, but it was plain that there were none in the area I happened to be in that were interested. Birds do, apparently, like to eat the larva, so that's where they benefit the food chain. I'm thinking the birds have been lying down on the job lately considering all the bugs I waded through.
According to the researchers, the bugs are attracted to chemicals found in diesel fumes, and the heat on the highways. I dunno about this...I'm somewhat skeptical of there being any link with the bugs splatting on cars and the bugs liking highways - they're just everywhere, so they're also going to be over highways, but apparently, the studies say differently.
Killing them? Cars are the best enemy! Any attempt to control them in the wild would also kill off lots of other insects as well - not good for the system. As they are only considered a nuisance that lasts about 4 weeks a couple times a year, the general suggestion is that one just live with them.
Oh, and insect repellent has no effect on 'em as they're not looking for carbon dioxide like the blood-sucking critters repellent is designed for.
They do eat car paint due to their rather acidic nature that gets more acidic as the bodies decompose, thereby etching the paint. So don't leave dead love bugs all over your car...
Unanswered in anything I read was the insects penchant for the dead - they swarm like crazy over dead compadres, although the reseach has never found any kind of pheremonal activity in the insects. Also, all the reports noted the bugs are attracted to the "heat of motors and the highway" but it was quite obvious that they do not like heat and will congregate on the coolest things in the area...they were always on the shady parts of the corner station and you would never see them on the hot brown body of my car, while they were en-masse on the windshield which was significantly cooler. And if you wanted your cup for water to be covered in bugs - you'd put it in the shade...so I always put mine in the sun, and never had another bug in my cup when I picked it up. And don't even get me started about how many hung
out around the very cool water cooler spigot. Bleah.
So now you know all about love bugs!!
posted by Erik | 6:44 PM
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