To Richard Drutchas and any other interested parties,
 
You are somewhat correct in your assumption that love bugs compete with bees
for nectar/pollen on the blossoms of the saw palmetto plant.
 
I am an Entomologist with the USDA Center for Medical, Agricultural and
Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) Research Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida.
In the late 60's, I was an Entomology student at the University of Florida
and in the summer of 1968, I did a summer project for the late Dr. L.
Hetrick in which I made observations on the life cycle of the love bug
(Plecia nearctica Hardy).  The information appeared in a Florida Coop
Extension Service, IFAS Circular # 360 by Driggers and Short (in case you
are interested in learning a little more about these beasties).  I also did
a couple of drawings of a mating pair of love bugs for that work which seems
to make it's way into our newspaper every couple of years.
 
I was also a beekeeper for many years as a result of taking a beekeeping
class for part of my education major.  The honey gods were speaking to me on
the sunny afternoon of my very first Apiculture laboratory for when I
arrived home I found the very first swarm of bees that I had ever seen in my
life. They were hanging on an Azaleas bush limb beside my own driveway.  I
nuked that one and was on my way to a rewarding hobby.  I no longer have
bees, but am still fasinated by them.
 
Palmetto honey was, and I imagine still is, one of the interim crops between
the Orange blossom and the Gallberry flows.  But, at the time, love bugs
were merely a brief, twice a year nuisance.
 
There are several things going on in this relationship between Palmetto,
love bugs, and bees of all kinds (not just honey bees).
 
I have been gathering photos and some information for some time now and
would like to get some definitive answers to a few of the more pressing
questions some day.  However, the goals at our laboratory lie in the area of
investigating pests of economic importance such as stored product pests,
mosquitos, field crop insects, fire ants, etc..  Therefore, it becomes
difficult to justify the necessary time and effort to study what seems to be
a minor problem.  I have chemists interested in studying and/or identifying
and/or synthesizing whatever compounds might be involved if the right
priorities can be established.  So far, it's a slow process, but I'll let
you know if we make any headway.
 
Your email on the subject shows that good observations are part of the
process of being a good beekeeper and is encouraging me to follow through on
this subject.  If there are others out there who would have input on the
love bug/bee relationship, I would like to hear from them.
 
I no longer subscribe to this list due to the tremendous load of email that
tends to build and build till I have the time to sort through it all.  Any
correspondence on the above topic should be sent directly to my address
below (otherwise, I won't get it - get it?)
 
Eddie Leach, Entomologist
USDA, ARS, CMAVE
1700 SW 23rd Drive
Gainesville, FL  32608-1069
(352) 374-5708
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