Swarm of lovebugs in Brevard frustrate drivers, close businesses

‘I had to kill at least 20,000 of them,’ Cocoa Beach resident says

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – You can definitely say love is in the air and we are not talking about the good kind of love, we are talking about lovebugs.

Ronald Stevens, from Cocoa Beach, said this is the worst he's seen in years.

"They are just everywhere," Stevens said.

He showed News 6 pictures of his vehicle's bumper and windshield completely covered in bug guts.

"You have to sway and wave your arms to try and get them away so you can get in the house without them getting in there," Stevens said.

Stevens said he had to get his car washed after lovebugs blocked the electronic system on his car.

"I had to kill at least 20,000 of them," he said.

The invasion of lovebugs has not only annoyed Central Floridians, it's caused businesses to shut down along the coast.

The famous ice cream shop, Del's Freez in Melbourne, posted on Facebook Tuesday: "Closed due to the lovebugs being so bad."

Angel Santana, who owns Prestige Detail and Tint shop in Satellite Beach, said this has been a busy season for the bugs.

"It's a very, very, high season this year. We've never seen them like this," Santana said.

Santana advised people not to leave lovebugs on their cars more than 24 hours or they will cause damage to the paint.

He also suggested some home remedies.

"Fabric softener, just wipe it down. Even furniture polish, Pledge, just wipe it down when you get home," he said.

A good soaking with soap and water for about five minutes will also help. For more tips on how to keep lovebugs from ruining your car, click here.


About the Author

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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