When Love Bugs attack!

[wdwmagic]

There are always questions about the Love Bug invasions at WDW, so I thought it would be interesting to see some photos of them at WDW.

Here is a look at a couple in the parking lot at AK and DHS.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Not a Herbie RTA as I was expecting. Not biking weather then.

 

[Master Yoda]

We did not see too many on the drive down I-95 to I-4 this weekend but the cars that we saw coming from the I-75 route were covered. Someone with a mobile detailing service could make a small fortune in WDW right now.

 

[CoastalX]

From my understanding, when they are on the front of your cars like that, to wash them off as soon as possible beacuse there is an acid in their bodies that can eat away at the clearcoat on cars!

 

[Master Yoda]

From my understanding, when they are on the front of your cars like that, to wash them off as soon as possible beacuse there is an acid in their bodies that can eat away at the clearcoat on cars!

Quite correct. If you are driving to WDW in the next week or two pack a bottle of bug and tar remover and a few microfiber cloths. A good coat of wax before you leave will also aid in their removal as well.

 

[cdunbar]

Quite correct. If you are driving to WDW in the next week or two pack a bottle of bug and tar remover and a few microfiber cloths. A good coat of wax before you leave will also aid in their removal as well.

Exactly because the two dollar car wash at the gas station WON'T get them off....

 

[Master Yoda]

Exactly because the two dollar car wash at the gas station WON'T get them off....

Again correct. If you soak them down with bug and tar remover prior to entering the car wash it well help a good bit but on its own the no touch car washes like the one at the HESS station next to the Boardwalk will do little to nothing to a smashed love bug carcass.

 

[PurpleDragon]

I can attest to the removal of the finish off your car. I already have permanent damage done to the front of my car where there were lovebugs smashed all over it. It looks like its still bug guts on my bumper but upon further inspection you will see the its actually paint missing off the car. Also my headlight covers are now semi frosted for the same reason. >.>

The bugs are at their worst on the northern stretch of the turnpike (for me at least). I have a bottle of bug and tar remover in my garage. We will be taking our new van down there next week, I'll be sure to clean it off as soon as we reach our destination.

 

[Master Yoda]

I can attest to the removal of the finish off your car. I already have permanent damage done to the front of my car where there were lovebugs smashed all over it. It looks like its still bug guts on my bumper but upon further inspection you will see the its actually paint missing off the car. Also my headlight covers are now semi frosted for the same reason. >.>

The bugs are at their worst on the northern stretch of the turnpike (for me at least). I have a bottle of bug and tar remover in my garage. We will be taking our new van down there next week, I'll be sure to clean it off as soon as we reach our destination.

Are you talking about your actual headlights or an after market headlight cover? If it is your actual headlights that is brought on mostly by oxidation an there is a good fix. Wal mart sells the 3M headlight restoration kit for less than $20 and it works great.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Headlight-Restoration-Kit/13023890?sourceid=1500000000000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13023890

 

[brkgnews]

Images from Fort Wilderness last week:
http://www.trailerlife.com/cforum/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24001545.cfm

My best way to get them off the windshield (NOT THE CAR PAINT!) is to soak them down with windex or something similar, then scrape them off using a straigh razor blade as a squeegee.

(This kind of blade)

 

[greebomusic]

When we were down a couple of weeks ago, I had to explain to my son just what the deal with love bugs is as he's never seen them before. 6 days and he is still asking about them. Then on the Disney Express back to MCO he notices thet splatter on the windshield, points and says "love hurts". It's our new family vacation tag line!:lol:

 

[cowanfamily]

My wife woke up while I was driving down the turnpike last year. She thought it was raining outside. It was the love bugs.

 

[devoy1701]

they're mostly gone in our part of the woods. They came out in full force about 2 weeks ago...during the day there would be literally thousands covering the front of our house and you couldn't step outside for a second without some landing on you... but we were doing yardwork this past weekend and their numbers have dropped significantly. I washed my car Sunday afternoon and I really don't have much on my car from commuting the past 2 days either! So either the swarm has moved farther inland or they have already started dying off this season.

Good Riddance I say!

 

[PurpleDragon]

Are you talking about your actual headlights or an after market headlight cover? If it is your actual headlights that is brought on mostly by oxidation an there is a good fix. Wal mart sells the 3M headlight restoration kit for less than $20 and it works great.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Headli...0000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13023890

Its a combination, the bulk of it is lens oxidation, but there are a couple of spots on the edges of them where there were lovebug guts for an extended period and there is a nice etched line in them now. I'll try that 3M stuff and see how it works. Thanks!! :wave:

Also on a similar note, some bird droppings will eat thru your cars finish as well. I had that happen to the roof on my expedition I had a number of years ago. There was bird droppings on there that apparently got missed after a few car washes. Once I finally saw it, when I went to clean it off there was exposed metal underneath it.

 

[Master Yoda]

Its a combination, the bulk of it is lens oxidation, but there are a couple of spots on the edges of them where there were lovebug guts for an extended period and there is a nice etched line in them now. I'll try that 3M stuff and see how it works. Thanks!! :wave:

Also on a similar note, some bird droppings will eat thru your cars finish as well. I had that happen to the roof on my expedition I had a number of years ago. There was bird droppings on there that apparently got missed after a few car washes. Once I finally saw it, when I went to clean it off there was exposed metal underneath it.

That bird must have had Indian food the night before.:lol:

 

[PurpleDragon]

That bird must have had Indian food the night before.:lol:

LOL!! Well it sat there on my roof for the bulk of the summer (3-4 months). So whatever acids were in the droppings did a number on my car. I'm sure had I cleaned it off quickly it wouldn't have been an issue, but since the vehicle was old I didn't wash it very often so it sat there all summer and baked. :brick:

 

[jennc2001]

That's why I'm glad we're going in December....the love bug's mating season is in May and Sept (if I'm not mistaken) and we won't be there in Sept like we normally are....WOOHOO!!

 

[powlessfamily4]

Your in soooo much trouble!! You didn't tell me about the love bugs!!!!

 

[loveofamouse]

We weren't hit "too" bad in Jax but I drove to a friend's in Sanford which is right outside of Orlando. We got the raining effect of LBs smashing the window and bumper. I definitely took out a good number of the population lol. I got them off easily with hand washing.

CarBux is good at getting them off(ride through wash with free vaccuum)

 

[disneygirl1024]

What exactly is a love bug? What do they look like? Is it a japanese beetle that looks like a lady bug?