No love for love bugs

---

Love bugs make an appearance twice a year.

It's love bug season and some people say this year is the worst they've seen in more than a decade, especially in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

"Just really in the last couple of days, they're starting to really come out in force," delivery truck driver Calvin Doss said.

Love bugs love the Bay area's warm temperatures. That, combined with scant rainfall, makes for perfect love bug living.

The most recent drought index map indicated there's plenty of love bug-friendly land in the Bay area. People living in drier, inland counties said the bugs are plentiful, while more humid areas near the coast generally report fewer love bug troubles.

"Love bugs live in dead and decaying grass and other rotting stuff and so highway margins and cow pastures are just right for the love bug," University of Florida entomologist Jim Price said.

Love bugs live in the area year round, but only make an appearance twice a year.

"It takes close to 20, 30 minutes of continually brushing back and forth to get these off of here (car windshield)," Doss said. "When they get on there they dry on, they really stick on."

The average life span of a love bug is one week to 10 days. Entomologists said love bugs were first introduced to the U.S. in the 1940s. They originated in South America.

University of Florida researchers began studying the insects in the 1960s, which may have led to the urban legend that the bugs were created by researchers at the university.

More Manatee County Stories

• Police: Woman who fed homeless killed by drunk driver
• Small community may lose its post office
• Shoppers collect hauls across Bay area (i-poll)
• Locals in Indian community react to India attacks
• Missing woman's words coming to life in play
• UPDATE: Crispers manager shot in head doing better
• Community looks to gadget, not chemicals, to beat algae
• University bans on-campus holiday decorations
• Former homeless man treats hundreds to pre-holiday meal

• Maps and directions
• Airport Information
• Traffic Cameras

• Submit an Event
• Community Events
• Sporting Events
• Entertainment Events
• Spanish Events

Bay News 9 on Demand is free and exclusively available on Bright House Networks digital cable, Channel 342. Here's what's new:

• NEW interactive program guide
• Rudy Guiliani speaks in Tampa Bay (Politics)
• President Bush on airline congestion
• Catch 47 - Rays of Change special show
• 2007 Severe Weather Special - Learn about everything from hurricanes to lightning

Select the size text you want to use to view www.baynews9.com from the choices below.

• Breaking News Alerts
• Live Audio Stream
• RSS News Feed

Become An Asterisk Hunter!

At Bright House Networks, we prefer to keep things simple.

So the next time you're looking for TV, home phone and Internet service with a 30-day, money-back guarantee, but without the fine print surprises, call

1-866-976-EASY.

Learn more at AsteriskHunters.com.