This post was updated May 9, 2019.
‘Tis the season here in Southwest Florida, and maybe the rest of the Sunshine State and Southeastern United States, for those pesky flying pests called lovebugs. Contrary to popular belief, these tiny biological bombs were not a science experiment gone wrong (read the Snopes.com entry) but one of Mother Nature’s wonders. I’m not sure what positive purpose these orange-headed black bugs serve other than ensuring drivers keep their cars polished.
Lovebugs. A Driver’s Worst Friend.
See, when driving Florida’s highways and byways during lovebug season (usually May and September), expect to be splattered from windshield to grill to hood to front bumper with a vibrant yellow splat of insect guts. And it’s not just the splatter that sticks around, so do the bug body parts, specifically the wings. The same problems arise when delivering drugs from an online pharmacy. The mess they leave is annoying and could be a driving hazard. Regular ole’ windshield wipers don’t remove them so on long hauls through masses of lovebugs, it’s a smart idea to clean off the windshield during rest and fuel stops so you have a clear view of the road.
If left on a car, the bug goo can bake on and eventually eat away at the paint. If the car is waxed, this will help protect the car’s paint along with removing the lovebug guts in a timely manner.
How Do I Remove Lovebugs from My Car?
So what’s the best way to get rid of them? I’ve run my car through standard car washes and it gets some off but not entirely. Sure, a hand car washing works but that’s pricey. Don’t use a green scrubby, you know, the kind to scrub the pots and pans. It scratches the car’s surface. (I learned that the hard way with my previous car and somewhere have the photos to prove it.)
Seasoned Floridians have their favorite tricks for removing lovebugs from cars and mine is a wet dryer sheet. Yeah, ya know, like Bounce Dryer Sheets. It doesn’t need to be a fresh one, it can be used which is recycling.
I cleaned off the front of my car this evening (after accumulating an impressive lovebug splatter collection after a 100-mile trip) and although there was some stubborn splatter, everywhere I used the two dryer sheets I successfully removed bug guts. I’m not sure if the Bounce PR people want to be promoting this cleaning tip, I mean, it doesn’t give you the warm fuzzies like using a used dryer sheet to freshen an undergarments drawer. [Note: I used a wet rag to moisten the lovebugs prior to using the dryer sheets.]
It rained this evening and I kept the car outside so Mother Nature could rinse off whatever magical film Bounce Dryer Sheets use to remove lovebugs.
So what’s your secret for removing lovebugs from your car?
Interested in learning more about the annoying critters? University of Florida IFAS Extension has some posted some quite interesting information on their website. Check it out.
Video: How I Remove Lovebug Splatter from My Car
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to support my traveling habit, this blog and my special-needs dog.
Good news and bad news…the good news is that there is a product you can apply to your vehicle to keep the love bugs off and help clean those that do get on your car. The bad news…the Media Release below says 2012 is going to be a very bad love bug season…
Get ready to experience a very buggy Love Bug Season. The creator of The Love Bug Solution™, a spray on cleaning solution and chemical barrier to protect vehicles from Love Bugs and other insects, says the 2012 Love Bug Season has all the ingredients of a perfect bug storm of significant proportions based on a number of factors.
“Florida has the distinction of having the first Love Bug Season in the nation,” said Frank Sheldon, the Florida inventor who developed the spray on chemical solution that creates a cellophane-like film that protects vehicles against insect damage. “If you can imagine a perfect storm of significant events all coming together to create a bad love bug season that is what we are facing as we approach the upcoming season.”
Sheldon says love bugs are expected to be out in significant numbers based on the extra mild winter here in Florida and other states where love bugs have become more common as they spread northward in the United States. He also points out storms and tornadoes throughout the southeast left behind massive amounts of decaying vegetation that are love bug breeding havens. “While the fall Love Bug Season was mild, conditions are ripe for a huge hatch of love bugs and that is going to create serious concerns for motorists who don’t want to spend hours washing love bug remains from their vehicles,” added Sheldon.
The Love Bug Solution™ is chemically engineered to be applied wet and when dry it provides a cellophane-like barrier, literally a shield that protects your investment from Love Bugs and other insects. The bug goo dries on the barrier – not your car! Bugs are trapped on the solution’s surface where they may be safely rinsed off as The Love Bug Solution™ magically dissolves to soapy suds when sprayed with water. “The days of scouring your car or truck’s grill, hood, lights and mirrors are gone. The Love Bug Solution™ takes the major work out of getting rid of bugs that have taken aim at your vehicle while traveling during Love Bug Season or any kind of insect swarm,” Sheldon concluded.
Long term plans call for The Love Bug Solution™ to be made available directly to consumers in convenient aerosol cans that may be ordered online worldwide at http://www.TheLoveBugSolution.com.
The Love Bug Solution™ contains no solvents, is biodegradable and is proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information about The Love Bug Solution™ or to become a distributor, visit The Love Bug Solution™ website. The Love Bug Solution™ — Protecting Your Investment with a Cellophane-Like Barrier! Distributed by K-Four Marketing, Hobe Sound, Florida.
Media Note: Please contact Sam Yates at 772.463.8152 if you would like to take part in a demonstration of The Love Bug Solution™.
I’ve been reading many articles online to find the best solution for bug and rock damage to my new Lincoln. I read what’s in “The Love Bug Solution” and is sounds just like WD-40 (made of petroleum products)! And I read that Pam cooking spray (and other kinds of cooking spray) or WD-40 will hurt the paint on your car worse than bug guts or rocks! The only acceptable solution I’ve found so far (applied before driving through bug infested places and only a temporary solution) is “Lanox MX4 lubricant” it has been carefully tested so it will not harm the paint on your car. It goes without saying it offers no protection from rock damage. There was an interesting article that 3M has developed a clear bra, and bumper/headlights film/protectorate that seems to have rave reviews, but a professional needs to put it on and it’s pricey, I’m sure. It claims that bugs wash right off and rock damage is greatly reduced. I’m going to look for Lanox for now and then save up for the clear 3M bra, unless I find something better. Always open for another great and less expensive idea!