I live in north central floida and I am so tired of those nasty love bugs. I can't even go to the grocery store without having to come home and scrub them off my truck. If you leave them on there they will eat through your paint. I have double waxed where they hit my truck in hopes that they would come off easier, and they do somewhat but boy after 3 weeks of this I don't care if I ever leave home again until they are gone. Anyone have any solutions?

1. Clean off the front of your truck thoroughly.
2. Polish (not wax) the surfaces on the front of your truck.
3. Apply a "thin" coat of Petroleum Jelly.

When it comes time to remove the bugs us a water hose and they will come right off!

Hey thanks thats a good idea. It won't discolor the paint?

No discoloration. I worked at a detail shop while in college and we would do this to customers cars. We also had a "Miracle Fluid" that we used on Tree Sap. We would charge extra for this fluid and the process of removing the Tree Sap with Rubbing Alchohol...ooops I gave up the secret formula!

You do have to apply another layer of polish on the paint of the affected area to protect it after removing the sap.

the love bugs aren't bad here this year. thank goodness

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/Nismom/lovebug.jpg

EEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!

What is a love bug?

What is a love bug?
I was wondering the same thing actually.

I was wondering the same thing actually.
sure...make the new guy ask the stupid question lol jk

sure...make the new guy ask the stupid question lol jk
I have asked my share of stupid questions in the past, I will pass the torch on. lol

accepted, I guarantee I can carry it for long while:zunge-festgeklebt-b

TitanFan, I hearby knight thee as Sir Torch Carrier. Hold that torch high, and with honor. lol

Love Bugs are these little black bugs they flock to your truck when you drive it. They are found in the south (someone correct me if i'm wrong on this). I used GOO GONE when I lived in FL, but it might take a little elbow grease to get them off. They are not as bad here in VA, boy am I glad. I hope this helps.

Any pics of these pests?

Someone did that lived in lousiana. let me see if I can find the thread.

Well the search isn't working for me but here is a picture.

http://cricket.biol.sc.edu/love2.jpg

Imagine several hundred of these on the front of your car and truck. That's what a lot of people are going through.

Whome, this is off-topic but I noticed you have your bike listed as RIP on your sig. Hopefully you weren't hurt in the crash?

Whome, this is off-topic but I noticed you have your bike listed as RIP on your sig. Hopefully you weren't hurt in the crash?

Well I did break my right ankle and had a little road rash on my knee (jean ripped open) and on my lower back (leather jacket slid up). I'm walking on my ankle now after a month and a half. I'm going to physical therapy 3 tiimes a week and still need some more strength and movement in my ankle. But I'm doing very well thanks for asking!

Thats good, sounds like you are on the road to a full recovery. Just looking out for my ClubTitan brothers and sisters.

Best thing I have found for the luv bugs is a bounce dryer sheet like you use in the dryer wet the front of the truck and rub the dryer sheet on the bugs pulls them right off with no scratches or residue have the painted front bumper and not so much as a scratch on it. barely have to rub it works like magic don't know why but it does.......

Best thing I have found for the luv bugs is a bounce dryer sheet like you use in the dryer wet the front of the truck and rub the dryer sheet on the bugs pulls them right off with no scratches or residue have the painted front bumper and not so much as a scratch on it. barely have to rub it works like magic don't know why but it does.......

How'd you figure that one out? Very cool nonetheless. Thanks for info.

Or you could get one of those giant pieces of screen to cover the whole front end like the snow birds do LOL

CW

Some people use Pam.

How'd you figure that one out? Very cool nonetheless. Thanks for info. Had a next door neighbor who worked at the dealer body shop tell me about it one day didnt belive him till I tried it.

Some people use Pam.

Who's she? HaHaHaHaHa.

Don't use Pam, it will stain the paint!

i have the love bugs to thank for my messed up bumper......i hate those things

Do these things have acid for blood? I was just talking to a co-worker and she got a bunch of these on her new BMW on a road trip. She washed them off as soon as she could and they still etched the paint. The dealer tried to fix it but couldn't and she had to go to a body shop.

yes, the do have acid in them, you should see my bumper, i had a bunch of them on there and my paint started flaking off, so i didn't wash it for over a week cause i was afraid it would take off more of the paint so now i have a bunch of stains on my bumper .......i need to get me a chrome one now....lol

Their body content is acidic and splatters all over your car when hit. They need to be removed asap or they will reak havoc on your ride! The best protection is to polish and then wax ( a few coats) on the areas that will be affected: front bumper, hood, side view mirrors, ect. This will allow for their easy removal post-impact!!
They need to be removed as soon as possible: as already stated a DRYER SHEET works wonders. Rinse the bumper off to remove as much of bug as possible, then scrub with dryer sheet. It will take elbow grease but the remainder of bug will come off. Having the coats of wax on the areas will prevent a lot of the bug from sticking to your vehicle. If the bugs are left on to long, you will have acid etching (indentations in your paint in the exact shape of the bug splatter) that will not come off. IT will have to be repainted to be corrected.
You have to be careful using products labeled and advertised as bug removal products because they not only remove bugs BUT ALSO ANY PROTECTANTS YOU HAVE ON YOUR PAINT: POLISH and or WAX..... ONe product that I've found that helps in removal is Meguiars Detailing Spray. I spray it on, let it sit, then come back with a bug scrubber sponge (has waffle weave fabric around a sponge) and remove bugs then wipe with microfiber.
If you have gone on a long commute or came through an area that has a lot of love bugs and your vehicle is really covered with the bugs and splatter, here is a heavy duty solution that will get the large amounts off without having to go through an entire box of dryer sheets!
1- Get a large towel (beach type) or a couple of regular sized ones: Make sure these aren't your wife's good ones!!!! You will want to designate these for love bug removal.....
2-Soak the towel in the bathtub or large sink with HOT water.(as hot as you can stand)
3- Ring it out, but leave it dripping slightly if possible.
4-Lay it (or them if you are using more that one for a large area: SUV, Full Size Truck, ect) across the area and try to mold it to the shape of your vehicle. I usually lay it horizontally across the lower edge of my hood and let it drape downward to my bumber area. I usually have to move it around a little to get it balanced right to stay.
5- Let it remain there for 30-45 minutes, depending on the amount of ugs and how bad they are stuck to your vehicle.
6- If you want to speed up the process, you can spray a little bit of fabric softener on the hot towel and it will speed up the release of the bugs.
7- Wipe of the residue that should have been broken down by the hot water and/or fabric softener. You may still need a dryer sheet or two for some stubborn ones but the hot water towel will break down most of the junk.

Hope this helps. I live in a mecca of love bugs on the gulf coast of Alabama, and these tips have helped me keep my Titan in as good of shape as possible considering the assault on it by these bastardly bugs. IF YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THESE BUGS AND NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH THEM......BE GLAD!