Florida Drivers Don't Love Love Bug Season

MIAMI (CBS4) -- Love bugs are in the air, but Florida drivers say they don't feel the love.

The insects, which aren't really bugs but rather flies, don't bite, sting, transmit disease or destroy crops. So why aren't they welcome in Florida? Love bugs take flight in droves each April-May and August-September, and that's when drivers report a coating of smashed love bugs on their car windshields, grills and paint jobs. They're attracted to vehicle exhaust fumes and swarm toward busy roads.

They're also attracted to each other. Those large swarms are actually made up of love bugs making love. They mate for 12 hours and only live 3 to 4 days, if they don't end up as insect debris on a car windshield.

To minimize the mess, experts recommend putting a coat of wax on your car, and storing a spray bottle filled with soap and water in your vehicle, along with a mildly abrasive cleaning pad. Spattered love bugs left on a car and exposed to sunlight will turn acidic in 24 hours, which can damage paint.