Love bugs typically show up twice a year, and while they don’t bite, they are really annoying to deal with. If you live in a humid place, you’re probably familiar with these flying black insects. Fortunately, there are techniques you can use to get rid of love bugs and deter them from your home, yard, and car. Read through this article to learn how you can repel love bugs and keep them away all season long.

1

Spray entrances with insect spray.

  1. Insect sprays will discourage the love bugs from entering your home. Pick up an insect spray from the hardware store, and spray it around all your entrances, including your windows and your doors. Look for an insect spray that contains citrus, clove, or rosemary oil, since love bugs really dislike those scents.[1]
    • Unfortunately, love bugs aren’t deterred by insect repellents that contain DEET or citronella.[2]
    • Love bug season usually happens twice a year: first between April and May, and then again between August and September. These critters have black bodies and red heads, and they’re pretty small: only 6 to 9 mm in length.
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2

Make your own love bug spray with dish soap.

  1. Creating your own spray is easy, and you can use food-safe ingredients. If you don’t want to blast your yard or home with chemicals, you can create your own insect spray out of products you might already own. Fill up a spray bottle with water, then add a few drops of citrus-scented dish soap and a splash of mouthwash (for the minty smell). Mix it up and then use the spray in your home or on your plants.[3]
    • Reapply the spray once a day during love bug season.
    • This bug spray is safe to use on your skin, so you can spritz yourself with it as an insect repellant if you need to.
13

Contact an exterminator if you need to.

About This Article

Elmer Bensinger
Co-authored by:
Pest Control Specialist
This article was co-authored by Elmer Bensinger and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Elmer Bensinger is a Pest Control Specialist with Eden Advanced Pest Technologies in Spokane, Washington. With over 20 years of experience, Elmer specializes in integrated pest management and products such as insecticides and rodenticides. He studied business at South Puget Sound Community College. This article has been viewed 13,717 times.
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Co-authors: 3
Updated: August 17, 2022
Views: 13,717
Categories: Pest Control
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