Love Bugs
 

Does anyone have a solution for keeping "Love Bugs" from sticking to the front of your car? I live in Florida and after a 50 mile trip the front of the care looks like it has a black bumper. I use a bra on my car but can't find one to fit my wife Sub. thanks

WD-40?

https://youtu.be/VQuy_icJeCw

https://youtu.be/_UQw9fopZhk

Clean it and wax the living hell outta' it. You can go with a clear bra as well but I have found that nothing beats a good coat of wax for cleaning bugs off.
Or you could do like I do and park near a wasp nest. Those suckers will pick a bumper clean of bug carcasses in minutes.

WD-40? Only do this if you HATE your car.

Seriously, Wax is the way to go. Then wash them off regularly. The bugs contain a natural acid that eats paint.

What is the problem you have with using WD-40?

It is NOT for paint. Just because Playdoh is non-toxic, does not mean it's food. And just because WD40 is "safe" for use around paint, does not mean its for spraying on your paint. Thats what wax is for.

The only effective way to keep clean your car is wash it as often as you can...I know that during workdays is tough, so my recommendation is to buy one of this "season pass" car wash and wash your baby as often as you can(in a touchless car wash, obviously). Mine is white and have a clear bra but at least in Canadian Spring-Summer nothing is more effective than a good car wash...

Good luck with removing love bugs using only wax. Oh, wait, you don't live in Florida do you? Do you have a lot of love bugs in Eugene?

Not sure what your complaint is? You asked for advice and you got it. Not his fault you don't like it.

I'll go with the rest and say that if you really want to maintain your paint then using a good wax _and_ keeping the bumper clean (as in washing it often enough that bugs aren't on there longer than a couple of days at most) are going to be the best option.

Not sure where I live has anything to do with my understanding of paint.

I used to work at a paint shop. WD40 is not for paint.

And good luck to you too!

Sorry, but you must have me confused with another poster...the OP, perhaps. I never asked anyone for "advise".

Nah, definitely meant you. But you're right that you didn't ask for 'advice'.

We don't live in Florida but that doesn't mean we don't get similar swarms of squishy bugs.
If you use lots of wax and then wash with hot water the wax actually comes off taking the bugs with it. Then you just rewax. Not a difficult concept and there are no miracle instant fixes for bugs no matter where you are.


Mayflies Northern US and Canada. Florida is just not that unique (well not for bugs)


http://www.nhm.ac.uk/resources/visit...5/large/59.jpg
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/bd9c...t=401&fit=crop

"WD40 is not for paint". While I do agree that WD-40 is not specifically formulated to remove love bugs from automotive paint it is effective in removing them without damaging the paint.

I have been dealing with the removal of love bugs twice a year for nearly 50 years and WD-40 works well.

If you don't live in Florida I highly doubt that you understand the magnitude of the problem here.

God they're bad this year. I just got them all off at the local diy carwash and there's already 20 on my bumper.

I will send you some of my very helpful wasps.


https://www.gifmania.co.uk/Animals-A...Wasp-68355.gif

Thanks for the reminder that my tS has gone a few days with some lovebugs on the bumper. Got to put my new pressure washer to use!


Also. I'll take cleaning lovebugs every couple days over those yellow fucks.

There are millions of them at my cottage but you rarely see them until a car covered in bugs pulls in. They will swarm out of nowhere, pick it clean in minutes and then disappear. They have a steady food supply and it is a great example of nature adapting to conditions. Sucks on those odd occasions where one want's a sip of your beer though.

Griot's makes a bug spray for cars. It has a little bit of an oily feel to it but it seems to keep the bugs from getting stuck on the car. Using a wet sponge or a detailer spray takes them off quickly. This does better than washing the car and using a bug cloth on it.

Just get a good ceramic coating and then pressure wash them off :D

An older method is if you know you are going into an area with that problem is to put car wash soap in a spray bottle and spray the front. Ideally let it dry. After the trip use a hose or pressure washer to clean off.


Do not lean against the car.

Tel me if this works.
https://www.bugslide.com/

22R

A good wax, I use Rejex. The sooner you remove them the better. Bugs will cause paint to chip if you leave them on. No we do not have love bugs in Dallas, however traveling thru south Texas different story.

Hell, I don't know, but, the name sounds suspicious to me - :confused0068:


:D


humfrz

Yeah the lovebugs are really bad right now. Drove about 20 miles yesterday and my car looked like it grew a thick mustache. The bugs were five layers thick.
But I waxed the crap out of car the day before so the bugs just washed right off.
And don't forget the rain-x for the windshield. Works wonders.

It really is that simple!

I'm not going to quote the two videos posted above about using WD40 again but I'm still trying to figure out why they were posted in the first place.
The first one directly from the company doesn't say anything about using it on paint and the second one, the guy says "I wouldn't recommend it for bugs".

The main objective is to keep some sacrificial layer between the bug and the paint so they come off easier.

As was mentioned already, they are very acidic and start attacking the paint as soon as they are squished in. If I was dealing with them like some
people who daily drive their cars do, I'd probably just use a spray wax and not wipe/buff it off for the week or so the love bugs mating ritual is in effect.
Which brings up how dumb they are to begin with..."I know, let's attach our genitalia and go get high from the fumes off of traffic".
I just wax with Collinite 845 and they come off pretty easy. I don't normally get piles of them on the car since I don't drive it much, so I usually
can just spray them with a little ONR spray and rub them off with my finger. When they do get heavy enough though and it is time to wash, the
electric pressure washer takes them off easy enough since the wax keeps them from sticking like unwaxed paint would allow.

Just tailgate a larger vehicle... clean car and you save on fuel too.. "2 insects with one stone".

Love Bugs
 

FTFY
Dumb idea.

Brainstorming that's all.. I'll go back to cleaning the bugs off my car..

[emoji38] same here. They almost went away for a few days but they're back now!

My car has been treated to a ceramic coating making cleaning very easy.

Ahhhh most of my teenage years




https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffile...x&c=3411387906

I used to use that driving technique back when I was a yung-dum-fuk to save gas. I was in the Navy and drove between San Diego and Cocoa Beach. I would get right on the ass of a semi and have them drag me across the country. Got incredible gas mileage in my '74 Celica. That is until the day the rear tire exploded within inches of my car. Big chunks of tire smashed against my windshield. Scared the shit out of me.
Haven't used that technique since.

Read recently Hydrogen Peroxide in a spray bottle takes them right off.


https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-removal.html