Love Bugs

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by AJ32162

"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.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

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.

[Chuckls]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I will send you some of my very helpful wasps.

Wasp.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.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Chuckls

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.

[Casey10s]

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.

[Chuckls]

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

[ls1ac]

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.

[22R]

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

22R

[Grady]

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.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by 22R

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

22R

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





humfrz

[WNDSRFR]

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.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

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!

[Impureclient]

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.

[JD001]

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