Florida
Are lovebugs coming back to Central Florida!?
ORLANDO, Fla. – Over the past couple of years, experts have noticed a heavy decrease in lovebugs across Central Florida.
However, that trend may have just been reversed.
Lovebugs are known for flying through the air while getting “stuck” together during their explosive breeding seasons, causing plenty of splatters on the front of people’s cars.
But in recent years, Florida natives have noticed a stark drop in the number of these pests flitting about.
During a 2024 conversation with Dr. Norman Leppla — a professor at the University of Florida specializing in pest management — he explained that lovebugs’ disappearance was part of a larger trend.
“I really don’t know why, but we’re having a crisis globally with the loss of insect species and all kinds of other organisms just plain disappearing. And we’re quite worried about it,” he said at the time.
[ Where did all the lovebugs go?]
But this week, News 6 reached out for a follow-up after several members in the newsroom noticed more lovebugs in the air this year.
“Your newsroom members are correct in noticing more lovebugs than last year,” Leppla wrote. “I have seen some in North Central Florida during the past couple of weeks where there were none last year. They certainly aren’t abundant, however.”
According to Leppla, the number of lovebugs you see flying around depends on the survival of larvae, which in turn depend on continuous moisture to feed and develop.
Female lovebugs can lay hundreds of eggs, but if the environment is too dry or submerged for too long, the larvae end up dying — resulting in fewer lovebugs.
Typically, lovebug season pops up twice per year in Florida: in April to May, and August to September.
Per Leppla, lovebugs actually reached nuisance levels last month down south in places ranging from the Florida Keys up through Ft. Myers.
“They probably occurred in swarms along the lower east coast, as well,” he continued. “They will continue to be relatively abundant in local habitats where larvae can develop. Lovebugs will exist as far north as the climate will enable the larvae to survive.
However, lovebugs aren’t originally from Florida.
They actually hail from the Yucatán in Mexico, having traveled into the Gulf Coast through Texas during the early-to-mid 1900s. In the Sunshine State, they weren’t seen until around 1950.
That means that even if lovebugs really did disappear from Florida, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gone for good.
“They live in that tropical habitat, and they came here as our habitat became more conducive to lovebugs,” Leppla previously explained. “That’s usually what happens. And so they spread, and they can certainly just recede right back to the tropics.”
[ Don’t touch these fuzzy Florida bugs!]
But that begs the question: what are the impacts of lovebugs possibly disappearing from Florida?
The short answer? Not much.
In fact, lovebug guts reportedly contain an enzyme that can eat through the clearcoat of a vehicle, which can damage the vehicle’s paint. As such, it could be good news for drivers.
“It’s not going to cause a lot of issues for the folks here in Florida,” Leppla stated. “Only the car wash people.”
Leppla gave News 6 a few tips to keep the pesky insects away. Here’s what you should know:
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Lovebugs are attracted to light colors, so you can avoid wearing light-colored clothing and being near light-colored walls to not draw them in
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They are also bad flyers, so you can use a fan to blow them away
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Lastly, lovebugs don’t fly at night and take a break around noon, so if you limit outdoor exposure during the morning and afternoon times you may be able to avoid them
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Florida
Deadly July 4th shooting arrest; South Florida man accused of Miami stabbing attack
Florida
South Florida’s top deals: Davie school building sells for $16M
🏆 Residential: The top home sale to hit records was in Pinecrest, where a home at 5865 Southwest 96th Street changed hands for $7.8 million. The sellers were Luis and Liz Messianu, who purchased the 7,800-square-foot property in 2024 for $7.3 million. The buyer was Bunny S Sunshine Haven LLC. The home went on the market in February for $8.2 million. Judith and Nathan Zeder with Coldwell Banker Realty had the listing, and Dennis Carvajal with One Sotheby’s International Realty brought the buyer.
🏆 Commercial: The most expensive recorded commercial deal was in Davie, where a school building sold for $16 million at 3367 North University Drive. The seller was 3367 N University Holdings LLC; the buyer was JSI N University LLC. The building measures about 46,000 square feet.
📊 Residential: Matthew and Nadia Weaver purchased a newly built home at 299 Northeast Seventh Street in Boca Raton for $6.8 million. The seller was a company managed by Marco Capoccia. Built this year, the home measures 5,800 square feet and has five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. The sale breaks down to about $1,200 per square foot. Jacqueline Feldman with One Sotheby’s International Realty represented both sides of the transaction.
If you like this digest, you can get it even earlier — every evening — by subscribing to TRD Data, here.
Florida
Why the Red Sox are sending Roman Anthony to Florida (and to another doctor) – The Boston Globe
ANAHEIM, Calif. — In sending Roman Anthony to Fort Myers, Fla., to continue his injury rehabilitation, the Red Sox have assigned him one blunt goal: Make it back to Boston.
The geographic reassignment is “a very good opportunity,” interim manager Chad Tracy said, for Anthony to not have to deal with much other than figuring out a way to return from a partially torn ligament in his right ring finger, which continues to impact his hand/wrist — and, thus, his ability to swing a bat.
“His focus, a singular focus now, is if you’re in Florida, it’s to get yourself healthy and not have to deal with all the other stuff that goes with it,” Tracy said before Sunday night’s series finale against the Angels. “So it’s a singular focus, very focused on getting himself healthy and getting back to us.
“We want him. We want him in the lineup. So I’m going to keep in touch with him frequently and see how he’s doing, with the hope that we get him back.”
And “other stuff” refers to what?
“Just the day-to-day of being at Fenway,” Tracy said. “He’s going to get asked questions about it constantly. And for him being there, his focus is on one thing right now: That’s get yourself healthy.”
When Tracy first mentioned Saturday that the Sox decided Anthony would be based out of their Fenway South spring training/minor league facility indefinitely, he presented it as logistical. The home clubhouse at Fenway had grown crowded because of the number of injured players, he said, so moving Anthony was a way to open space — as the Sox had done with a handful of pitchers previously.
On Sunday, Tracy added: “It’s also a very good opportunity for him to go and get away from” the “other stuff.”
Anthony has been out since May 4, when he got hurt on a seemingly random swing.
Nine weeks later, he has not resumed a hitting program as he and the Sox navigate the highly unusual baseball injury.
This week, Anthony will visit a new doctor: Gary Lourie in Atlanta. Lourie is a hand specialist, the Braves’ head team physician, and a partner at The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia.
“Just for peace of mind,” Tracy said. “I expect we’re going to be in a good spot. But really just about getting him in a spot where he can focus each day on just pounding away at getting that hand healthy.”
Casas set back again
The latest in the plight of Triston Casas: He has suffered from a wrist issue in recent days, Tracy said, so he is shut down from hitting again.
The Red Sox will “check on that” before letting Casas resume anything bat-related, per Tracy.
For Casas, 26, it is another in a string of injuries. He hasn’t played since having knee surgery 14 months ago, and for the past three months he had been trying to return from an abdominal issue.
“He’s gone through a lot,” Tracy said. “Between the knee, he had a little hamstring flareup, obviously the oblique, and then he’s coming back from that, and now there’s a wrist that’s popped up.
“So, just dealing with different things. Having not played in a while, things have popped up. So we’ll keep an eye on him, and once he’s able to, keep progressing as we can.”
Early update
Connelly Early’s second opinion, also this week, will be with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, the team said. Meister is a leading orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon who specializes in elbow problems.
Following his early exit Tuesday, Early got an MRI and was diagnosed with posterior elbow inflammation but no structural damage, the Red Sox said Wednesday.
Singling out Seigler
Anthony Seigler batted leadoff for the fourth time in five games. Tracy called him “a logical choice for it” because of his ability to swing at strikes, not swing at balls, and work lengthy at-bats. “He puts the bat on the ball,” Tracy said, “and help hopefully get the game started off right for us” … Masataka Yoshida was the DH, just his second start in a stretch of seven games (amid a run of the Sox facing more lefthanded starters than usual) … The Sox’ next rotation decision is Thursday. They could go with Sonny Gray (on turn), Patrick Sandoval (for his long-awaited team debut), or somebody else against the White Sox.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.
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