If you live in Florida, you're among the many who dread love bug season. Every year, around this same time of year, those black flies begin appearing on the windshield, grille, or hood of your car. And since love bug's bodies are acidic, they can eventually cause harm to your vehicle's finish.
Aside from each other, love bugs are very attracted to highways and warm temperatures. With the combination of car and heat exhausts, highways become the hot place for singles ready to mingle, which is why your car might resemble something of a love bug graveyard.
Luckily, the team at Richard Dean Insurance are here to share with you five easy ways to get those pesky love bugs off your car before it ruins your finish, and even some ways you can prevent paint damage all together.
How to Prevent Paint Damage:
If you can, avoid driving during love bug hours. Love bugs have a tendency to really make their presence known from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when temperatures are over 84 degrees. Because love bug bodies are so acidic, you'll want to take preventative measures to avoid them all together.
The best way to protect your vehicle during these seasons of love is by maintaining a coat of wax on your car. The wax will serve as a protective barrier between your paint and the contaminated love bug remains. Additionally, a good soaking with soap and water for approximately five minutes every few days will help.
What if waxing isn't your thing and you can't use this tactic to prevent love bugs from plastering themselves all over your car?
Here's How to Get Love Bugs Off Your Car:
1. To make love bug splatter easier to remove, fully soak the bug-laden area with water. If the bugs are especially plentiful, apply a mild coating of baby oil to further loosen them up. 2. Lightly scrub the love bug splatter area with a wet dryer sheet 3. Wipe frequently and use new dryer sheets between different areas 4. Scrub till they're gone [obvious, yes, but a necessary step] 5. Clean off any leftover love bug residue when you wash your vehicle
Other Ways to Protect your Automobile:
A light coating of cooking spray on the side mirrors can make it easier to remove love bugs after the fact
Keep bugs off of the radiator with a bug screen both outside and in the grille
Driving less frequently during season will prevent hitting massive swarms of bugs
Love bugs are not the only challenge that comes with the weather. Learn what to look for on the roads and how to drive safely this spring with helpful tips from the Richard Dean Insurance team.