In Florida we have 2 seasons when the "Love Bugs" (for those not familiar - male & female fly around attached) are thick and end up smashed on windshields and the front of cars.

1. Given that the car has a good wax protection, what other protection would be recommended to allow them to slide off and postpone the effect of the acid from their guts eating through the paint (short of stopping every 15 minutes to wash the car). Would spraying the front with WD40 (or something similiar) help them slide off better? Would WD40 hurt the paint?

2. What product could I keep in the car for removing them when I'm away from home and water?

 

bug removing spray removes waxes and protection. I have not seen one that claims otherwise. They just fail to mention about what it does to the protection layer.

Really, If you have a semi fresh layer of wax, you only need to get something like SpeedShine from Griot's. I spray the bug gunk down with the speedshine using one of their small sprayers that I keep in the car. I then let is sit, spray it again. let it sit another minute or two, dont let it dry, then I lightly soak a microfibre towel with Speedshine. It is sold in the gallons for not that much, lasts long. The bugs then just fall off the paint and the surface is actually shinier than the rest of the car due to the speedshine. It doesnt look to pretty with liquified bug guts dripping, but at least it is 95% off.

I think the application of a slick quick detailer like Slick from Detailersparadise, or Speedshine, actually give a temporary teflon-like coating to the paint. I wouldnt think bug gunk would come off most other cars that arent treated as well as mine. I remember my older cars with welded on bug crap through the summer. I now make sure a solid layer of wax is on the car. I wash it weekly. And, if I am going on a trip through the boondocks, I make sure I spray down the car with loads of QD spray before heading off.


There are other solutions to this that are intriguing but none of them are from true OCD detailing geeks. I'm interested myself to hear other techniques.

wd40 definitely works but so does a brillo pad or an explosive charge. None of them sound that healthy for a car's delicate paint.

 

www.griotsgarage.com has BugOff which is to be applied before the
mashing bugs.

i use BugRelease from Wizards www.detailersparadise.com which helps
remove bugs during a wash. this stuff is SUPER.

 

If you didn't have such a cute car, the bugs wouldn't look to be humpin' while ridin'!

 

I think it's a "cute" car too. I got my first negative comment yesterday. A friend said she didn't really like MINIs...she thought they looked like clown cars. Oh well, guess they're not for everyone.

 

stab her in the heart.

 

They ARE clown cars.

Learn to take it like a man, El Jefe....

 

Oh no Love Bugs!

We, from Virginia, have never heard of this Love Bug thing in FL. OMGosh! We were covered with these critters in seconds during a stop for gas somewhere in Daytona, FL. No one told us that the guts eat away at your paint until days later the subject came up while we were at Sea World in Orlando, FL. Here we are two years later, and the paint is still fine on the F150 truck. It didn't get de-bugged for 10 days, upon on return home.

 

now i have to stab two people in the heart.

damn. this is trickier.

 

Try scissors. Maybe a really big pair.

 

Thanks for the recommendations. Sometimes on the highways the bugs can be so thick they look like black snow.

All this talk of stabbing, El Jefe - maybe there's someone in the practice who could help you get over these violent thoughts.

 

Pam, in your situation, you need an invisable bra! It would be worth the money where your at. Think about it.

 

Heh, Love bugs.



impatientimpatient:impatient impatientimpatient:impatient impatientimpatient:impatient impatientimpatient:impatient :impatient

 

I would do that, but I stabbed all of them and they arent moving.

I am waiting now for my hydro and new gear from dp and autopia place. exciting waste of cash day

 

If you want to get the bugs off the Mini take a wet dryer sheet and wipe down the area then hose. Works Great!


CaptC

 

you aren't a detailing fanatic eh?

 

Move to Arizona... It's TOO FREAKIN' HOT for bugs!

 

Been to AZ - yes it's hot but the humidity here can be a killer. It's 94% here today and just north of here it's 100% Bugs, lizards - all kinds of critters just love it here. Husband & I are trying to set our sights for CO in a few years.

 

i say my MCS is "comical." definitely cute and funny looking
in styling, yet cool.

 

I'm a big fan of invisible bras. Invisible bikinis too!

 

on El_J ?

 

But you guys have those scorpions hiding out in your shoes don't you? We saw some wild life show about them crawling into any vacant space they can find that is out of the sun. I'd hate to have to check my shoes for scorpions hiding out in them. No thanks, I'll stick to having spiders around the house.:impatient

 

Pam

I asked these questions earlier this year. What I ended up doing was getting a spray bottle filled with a mixture of water and Zaino car wash. It was what i use for claying the car, but watered down a little. On top of that, i would make sure that i rinsed the car every day or two and re-applied either Z7 or Hydro to keep it slick.

I have heard of the WD 40 thing, it just seems like it would either eat my paint, eat my wax, or be a pain to remove. Not sure about any of these, just seems like a bad Idea.

BTW, what part of town are you in?

 

Some of us here in the Tampa area have had success removing the love bugs by spraying the leading edges of the car with Pam, or any cooking spray. It's messy, but a quick spray prior to driving, and they will all wash off with a hose when you reach your destination. This, combined with my invisable 3-M bra, and the darn things are not much of a problem... a mess, but not a problem.

 

Coop310 - Were're in Maitland area. Did you go to MINI movie nite w/Sunshine Minis last Sunday? We were there. Where are you? Thanks for the tips. Figured some sort of spray to remove them periodically if you're on an all day trip would be good. Wonder if paper towels (with paper fiber) would be a real no no to use with the spray. Think the months for love bugs are May and September. We should see the onslaught soon.