I HATE Love-bugs! At least I get some satisfaction as their little bodies explode...
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From: Columbia, MD
I HATE Love-bugs! At least I get some satisfaction as their little bodies explode...
...across my windshield. Heck, my brother and I used to take tennis rackets out back and just swat the crap out of hundreds of them.
What are they you ask?
Love Bugs are small flies that are in the process of mating when they swarm over the roads. So usually there are two individuals: the large one is the female and the small one is the male. The female usually gets her way and she drags the male around with her. They remain coupled, end-to-end, for up to three days: hence, the name, lovebug.
Two flights of lovebugs occur each year. The spring flight occurs during late April and May, with a second flight during late August and September. Flights extend over a period of 4 to 5 weeks but individual adults live only 2 - 3 days. (NOTE: I am estimating that there are in the TRILLIONS of these little things all over Florida during these times of the year. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!)
Lovebugs are a considerable nuisance to motorists. They congregate along highways and splatter on the windshields and grills of trucks and automobiles. Vision can be completely obscured, and the bugs can clog radiator fins causing vehicles to overheat. A screen placed in front of the grill will keep the radiator fins from clogging, and will protect the front of the car. Splattered bugs should be washed off as soon as possible. Soaking for several minutes with water makes the mess easier to remove. If the remains are left on the paint for several days, the fatty acid's in the "bug juice" will pit the car's paint.
Oh come on coda, how bad can they really be? I mean they're just little bugs!
For the record, so you all understand, these little ****** fly slow as hell, and can't avoid being hit on the open road. How bad are they? A picture is worth a thousand words:
How do I get them off my car?!?
Well, here's one way, and a link of ways to remove their little fatty-acid filled bodies:
Regular windshield wiper fluid often does not easily remove the bugs and the result of running your wipers is a streaked gooey mess that cuts visibility. Keeping a bucket in your car stocked with a bottle of water, a non-scratch pad, and baking soda is your best defense. The baking soda is known to make removal of the little critters easier.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/990614c.cfm
Where can I learn more than I want to know about Love-bugs and where they really came from?
http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/lovebugs.htm#add
LOVE-BUGS
What are they you ask?
Love Bugs are small flies that are in the process of mating when they swarm over the roads. So usually there are two individuals: the large one is the female and the small one is the male. The female usually gets her way and she drags the male around with her. They remain coupled, end-to-end, for up to three days: hence, the name, lovebug.
Two flights of lovebugs occur each year. The spring flight occurs during late April and May, with a second flight during late August and September. Flights extend over a period of 4 to 5 weeks but individual adults live only 2 - 3 days. (NOTE: I am estimating that there are in the TRILLIONS of these little things all over Florida during these times of the year. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!)
Lovebugs are a considerable nuisance to motorists. They congregate along highways and splatter on the windshields and grills of trucks and automobiles. Vision can be completely obscured, and the bugs can clog radiator fins causing vehicles to overheat. A screen placed in front of the grill will keep the radiator fins from clogging, and will protect the front of the car. Splattered bugs should be washed off as soon as possible. Soaking for several minutes with water makes the mess easier to remove. If the remains are left on the paint for several days, the fatty acid's in the "bug juice" will pit the car's paint.
Oh come on coda, how bad can they really be? I mean they're just little bugs!
For the record, so you all understand, these little ****** fly slow as hell, and can't avoid being hit on the open road. How bad are they? A picture is worth a thousand words:
How do I get them off my car?!?
Well, here's one way, and a link of ways to remove their little fatty-acid filled bodies:
Regular windshield wiper fluid often does not easily remove the bugs and the result of running your wipers is a streaked gooey mess that cuts visibility. Keeping a bucket in your car stocked with a bottle of water, a non-scratch pad, and baking soda is your best defense. The baking soda is known to make removal of the little critters easier.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/990614c.cfm
Where can I learn more than I want to know about Love-bugs and where they really came from?
http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/lovebugs.htm#add
LOVE-BUGS
Last edited by purecoda; May 5, 2003 at 09:27 AM.
Coming home from Carlisle yesterday my car looks like that....but it doesn't help I was doing 100 the entire way home 
But I don't think they were lovebugs, we get them here, but I haven't seen them yet.....I call them boxelders or something like that
But I don't think they were lovebugs, we get them here, but I haven't seen them yet.....I call them boxelders or something like that
Love bugs aren't this far north. in FL, GA, MS and AL I hear they're HUGE problems. My friend who moved from Miami to Savannah almost had the paint on his '02 Mustang GT (though he was a former turbo DSM driver) destroyed. Their guts do HORRIFIC things to paint and clear coats. I have enough problems with normal bugs, thank God we don't have love bugs. 
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Heh I live in Sunrise, Florida....it's hot as **** here, and we have the gayest insects. Fire ants, lovebugs, mosquitoes.... God I can't wait till I get older (I'm 17, 18 in sept)....When I do I'm moving to Colorado.....
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Los Angeles, CA
When I lived in New Orleans we had those, too... along with many, many mosquitos. One extra thing we had was the season of stinging caterpillars. Don't ever park under an oak tree or they'll drop out and either splat themselves or leave some other mess. We also had a season of baby frogs coming out of the canals. Millions of them jumping everywhere about the size of pennies, but at least they don't fly. 
Then again, I would think that the worst thing for your car is living in the north where they put salt on the roads for the snow.
Then again, I would think that the worst thing for your car is living in the north where they put salt on the roads for the snow.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 158
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From: Raynham, MA
As posted, get the love bugs off as soon as possible! They are very acidic - kind of like Alien eh? If you wax / protect any of the car, the leading edge of the hood, bumper, A pillars, and mirrors deserve more than several coats to combat these suckers. And to think they bred these things to try and control mosquito population.