Love bugs wreak havoc on Bay Area bumpers

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Love is in the air - literally.

Love bugs are swarming through the Bay Area as they search for their perfect match.

"It's interesting the males tend to prefer a big, big female," said entomologist Tom Wisdo.

According to Wisdo, this is shaping up to be an intense love bug season, he said "it's worse than normal."

Wisdo said favorable weather conditions may be a factor.

The love bugs get their name for obvious reasons; they are mating, and experts say they can lay up to 250 eggs.

But it's a cruel world for love bugs, as many get killed by cars.

Local car washes, though, embrace love bug season with open arms.

According to Devon Cason, a manager at Mister Car Wash on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, it's important to get remove dead love bugs off cars.

"If you don't keep getting them off and you just leave them, they'll ruin the paint," said Cason.

He also recommends getting a coat of wax, to add a protective layer.

Aside from dirty cars, love bugs are harmless, according to Wisdo, "they're not mosquitoes so they don't bite, they just make love."