Love Bugs

Being swarmed by the little buggers. Don't ever recall them being this bad.

Don't open your mouth while outside you may get an unexpected snack. 




Husband had to come home and wash (scrub) the windshield, and go back out to finish his work.

Their dead bodies eat your cars paint if you don't get it off. They are harmless but annoying. I go outside and I am swarmed.

For more information if you would like.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in694

Man I hated those when I lived in FL

Man I hated those when I lived in FL

You mean you did take any with you? 

They are awful this year just every where.

Back in the day, I remember traveling between Miami & Orlando to go to Disney World. When we got back home it seemed like it would take a week to scrub all those buggers of the front of the car! Did not like them very much. To bad they don't eat misquitoes. 

Being swarmed by the little buggers. Don't ever recall them being this bad.

Don't open your mouth while outside you may get an unexpected snack. 






Their dead bodies eat your cars paint if you don't get it off.

Maybe that was what is was......

Used car market is in such bad shape due to economy and still hasn't rebounded from the whole "cash for clunkers" deal that we have been doing not only online auctions for cars but actually sending people outa state to bid on cars. Hawaii is great cause they cycle thru rental cars so often (but trashed cause of sand and salt water) but Miami has a lot of he higher end cars.
We got 10 cadillacs from the Miami auction and half of them had such bad "bug damage" that I ended up just sanding down the front bumpers and painting them.
Most all need to be at least cut and buffed.

I usually just mix a gallon of engine degreaser and quart of soap, no water. Spray entire car with surface clarifier (like a CLR product but more acid based), wash with mixture, more clarifier and clay bar then rinse with 300degree pressure washer. 
Even that didn't get the bugs off!!

I usually just mix a gallon of engine degreaser and quart of soap, no water. Spray entire car with surface clarifier (like a CLR product but more acid based), wash with mixture, more clarifier and clay bar then rinse with 300degree pressure washer. 
Even that didn't get the bugs off!!

As I read your cleaning process I  was thinking do I have that, and what does it do to the paint?  Then your last sentence did me in.  .   

 I washed the windshield of the truck yesterday with a bug / tar/ pine sap remover additive for the your washer fluid. Used full strength and they came off pretty good so tried it on the hood NOPE, bugs still there.

Saw someone driving their convertible with the top down the other day. Yuck stuck bugs to the interior.
Would hate to be a motorcyclist in this mess. Don't say cheese. 

The little things like white. Our truck and van are white. Lady that came from town to pick up my table said I  will have to wash my car when I get home. (I could still see through her windshield) they are terrible out here. The table was white I was trying to get it in her car before they were every where.

Well we aren't to concerned with what it does to the paint cause we have the facilities to fix most screw ups.  Plus they are used cars so as long as you fade the paint evenly....  lol

The engine degreaser works great for bringing white paint jobs back to looking good. Not the spray stuff. That has something in it that will eat the paint off. Comes in gallons.  I'd suggest doing a test area with watered down degreaser first.

Go to your local auto body supply store and you can get surface clarifier. Removes all mineral build up, water spots.....
Clay bars are great . Ask them for the softest, least abrasive one.  And do a test spot with this to. Some are real abrasive and sands the clear down.

You can YouTube how to use.

The above technique should work if the bugs are fresh but one they etch in your screwed.


Should add that I don't use this mixture on cars more than 5-7 years old. Maybe up to 10. Judge each car by paint quality.
The new clear coats can handle it.

And I'm in a mild climate. Would defiantly do a test area first in a climate like yours. Direct sun, heat, humidity, salt.....all can take its toll on the clear coats durability.

And if you do try it, do it in the shade. It will streak if mix dries/bakes on car. Can be fixed but is a *****.
And try to avoid getting degreaser on glass. Puts a film on it.

But even if you don't try it, I'd suggest the clay bar. Clean's windshields fast. They grab everything off.

Thanks guys.

Think I might give the nail polish remover a try first and see. Have plenty of that on hand.  The Truck needs a good waxing anyway.

The van is an '93 the truck an '02. The van looks as good as the truck.

I use to get them the little buggers off pretty good but been so long since they have been this bad and traveling this much, lost my touch.

OK off subject time. 

But how do you remove bad window tint. The van's two front windows are awful. Ripples, peeling at bottom, really hard to see out of.
Don't want to roll them down because of the bugs.  .
Thanks.

Tree sap I use good old rubbing alcohol. Found nail polish removes paint on some cars, mostly old oxidized cars though.   And I always have gallons of alcohol around for putting clear bra's (3m protection) on cars.....and I'm not wasting my good nail polish!  Jeez.   

Window tint?   Take a black garbage bag and cut it open.  Press it to the out side of the glass and cut it to shape of window. Jump inside. Spray a heavy mist of water on tint and press plastic so it sticks.  Let bake in sun for a while.  Should peal off.
If not, try again but use 1/2 h2o & 1/2 rubbing alcohol.

Anything that doesn't peal off?  Add some dish soap to mix, spray heavy and scrape with razor.  Careful though. Some window will scratch on inside.  And lacquer thinner will get off the little itty bitty bits of sticky crap.

Side windows are a b*tch. This method works best on back window but have done it on side windows too.
You can YouTube a method for using a heat gun but I haven't had great results this way.

Yes Alcohol best for sap or anything sticky. Oh and fire ant bites. 

Thanks for the tip on the windows. It is coming off but do not want to pull until i am sure can get the rest off. The van is a boat and hard to drive (seeing what is beside you). And packed with stuff to sell.  Don't want to make the view worse.

Will let you know how it turns out.  Hopefully better the mattress spring ideas. 

   @Alias300

Well finally got the tent off thanks so much for the tip. Worked like a dream. The windows appear to have a factory tent on them not dark just a hue.  Most likely in the glass.

Now I can see when attempting to pull out in traffic.  .