I live in the New Orleans area. Across the south in the spring and fall, we are plagued with little flying insects called LOVE BUGS. They are all over your car and are the biggest mess. They have a high acidity level so if not removed promptly, they can actually take off the paint. This isn't just a quick rinse-off with a hose answer, as anyone living in these areas know.
My question is, has anyone found a good way to clean our cars to make sure the finish is protected?
The newer finishes on cars are better for removing the guts of love bugs but that doesn't help when you have an older car. My bug shield helps tremendously in sending a majority up and over my car. Love bugs are interesting though and in actuality they are beneficial. Not as adults http://pestcemetery.com/conspiracy-love-bugs/ Good thing they only come out twice per year.
If you spray the spots with "WD-40" and let them sit and ahen mix "Windex" and dish washing liquid then scrub off with A heavy duty brush, sponge, ect. After that wash them off.
RE: Cleaning and Protecting Auto Paint from Love Bugs
By Suzie (Guest Post)
I saw Frank Davis on the news talking about love bugs, and he recommended using a dryer sheet to wipe them off. He also said paint color matters. Apparently the lighter color you car is, the more likely you are to attract them.
I spent some time in your area following the horrific Hurricane Katrina while volunteering and can remember those awful bugs! Find sponges that are used for cleaning pots & pans but that won't scratch the surface. They will help to scrub off the bugs along with some soap and water. Once you've dried the surface, spray the painted areas with baby oil. This will keep the bugs from sticking and it won't hurt the paint finish at all. Sounds strange, but I've done it and it really does work! We used it on cars at dirt track races to keep the mud from sticking to the cars. Hope this helps!
My husband works in road construction. He sprays diesel fuel on dried asphalt to remove it from the bed of his truck. I don't know if this would affect your paint or not. Maybe you could set a piece of painted metal outside and test it. Maybe a junkyard would let you test it on one of their cars. If it can remove asphalt, it should remove those bugs. Good luck!
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