Love Bug ???

Tinkerkel · #1 07-24-2008, 08:53 PM

We will be driving

to the World on September 19. I've heard that love bugs can really do some damage to the paint on a car. Does anyone have more info on this or any suggestions?
Thanks

disneygeek84 · #2 07-24-2008, 09:28 PM

We used to live in SW Louisiana and every year...out they came. I don't really remember them ruining the paint on the car, but they sure are hard to get off. If you're driving, and can afford it, you might want to one of those "car bras" for your car before you go. If not, then wash your car as soon as you can.

Those are the only tips that I can think of. I'm sure someone else will have a better idea.

disneymom15 · #3 07-24-2008, 09:55 PM

Are they even out in Sept? I know they are in full swing in May and early June, but I don't remember seeing them in any other months. I could be wrong, so please correct me if I am.

RPHX2NC · #4 07-24-2008, 10:07 PM

Love bugs are out in September. In Sept 2005 they were visible on bus stops at CSR(not too bad), in Sept 2007 we didn't see any at POR or the parks. This year is the first time we will be driving so I am not sure about love bugs and cars.

Beast_fanatic · #5 07-24-2008, 10:12 PM

Yes, May/June and September/October are prime seasons for the love bugs.

MNNHFLTX · #6 07-25-2008, 11:47 AM

Love bugs are typically much worse in rural areas (near swamps and open fields). So if you are driving down there and they are bad, I would just stop once you get to the Disney World area and run the car through a car wash and do the same once you leave WDW and get back home. You may have to do some extra scrubbing to get some of them off. Some people recommend spraying Pam on the the front bumper area to help them wash off easier, but I have never tried this myself. I guess I'm thinking the Pam can't be too good for a car's finish either.

disneyfan328 · #7 07-25-2008, 04:40 PM

We went the last week of september last year and didn't see them at first but toward mid to end of week they were everywhere. The one day at DS they were all over and I mean ALL OVER the guest info stand where you get a locker key. They were literally covering the walls. It was icky looking. Now since they aren't harmful and don't sting or bite they are just really a nuisance. you just kind of have to swat them away but be carefull as if you squish them on your clothing (or fabric of shoes) they do stain. I have heard that they can do a number on a paint job too but since we dont drive there I don't have any other suggestions other than to wash the car right away. if they get baked on in the sun they are probably pretty hard to get off. They look sort of like lightning bugs and as I said are just kind of annoying.

Wells · #8 07-25-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkerkel

We will be driving

to the World on September 19. I've heard that love bugs can really do some damage to the paint on a car. Does anyone have more info on this or any suggestions?
Thanks

They are definitely out in September....If you are driving a motorcycle, keep your mouth closed.......

pianobabe · #9 07-26-2008, 10:52 PM

In September 2006, we were at WDW from the 21st-October 2nd. The Lovebugs were absolutely awful. Last year, we were there September 14th-24th and we didn't notice any until the last couple of days.

the other micki · #10 07-27-2008, 04:40 AM

I'm from Louisiana and yes, they are out in Sept. (worse than spring). Once they are on your car, it is near impossible to get them all off. However, I do know some people who spread a thin layer of vaseline across the front grill of their cars. It works well. You just wipe the vaseline off and the bugs come with it. Another option is to buy a car bra. It's only the front part of the car that is affected.

disneygirlie11 · #11 07-27-2008, 11:10 AM

We went in the end of Sept 2006 and they were HORRIBLE! My mom's van looked like it was black instead of red when we went to leave at the end of the week. You don't notice them in the parks so much, but more at the bus stops. Oh, and they definitely didn't do anything to the paint!

snerd475 · #12 07-27-2008, 11:15 AM

We went the last weekend of Sept 07 and they were the thickest I've ever seen!
When I went up in early May, I tried the Pam trick and ended up with the Pam baking on my front bumper, love bugs intact. Lots of scrubbing. Not good for car surface.
I'm going to try the Vaseline approach for my late Sept trip as a previous poster suggested.

I don't know that they do so much damage to the paint as the scrubbing to get them off does!

KEH113 · #13 07-30-2008, 09:32 AM

So, I just found out about Love Bugs. Funny, because as many times as we've been to WDW, I've never even heard of them.

We are going Sept. 21-28. How bad is it really? I'm worried because I have a 9 year old who is deathly afraid of bugs. Literally, she will freak out at the slightest little creature.

It this something that I should concerned about?

faline · #14 07-30-2008, 11:17 AM

It depends. Most of the time, we have barely been aware of them though we did see them from time to time. As others have noted, there have been a couple of particularly bad years for these insects and they were everywhere!

If you google love bugs, you'll get to a site that has a picture taken at a bus stop in Disney World.

Mackflava99 · #15 07-30-2008, 11:41 AM

For Love bugs-
Tips-
Pam is fine for Metal bumpers or grills but not on paint or rubber-
The Vasaline idea above also works well but is tought o get off the rubber bumpers so it will be greasy for a while-
For paint- i'd recommend a good waxing prior to going-
For glass, Rain-x works great
So if you don't have metal bumpers or grill
its basically wash as soon as possible- don't let them dry out- they stick like glue- but they shouldnt ruin your paint.

pixiesmimi · #16 07-31-2008, 02:05 PM

We live in AL so have to put up with Love Bugs all the time. As long as you keep them washed off, it isn't that hard to get them off. A car bra probably is your best bet to keep them off the front of your car. They will get on the windshield also while driving but just wash it every time you stop for gas. They may ruin your paint if you leave them on for a long time without washing them off but we have never had our paint ruined with them. They just get hard to get off. They are attracted to white so if you have a white car, they will flock to it and don't wear white at the parks if they are out. They won't hurt you, just hang in the air and are a nuisiance. They die pretty quickly so sweeping them out of our house is the worse part. I have only seen one year in the last 15 that they were so bad that it was like walking through a curtain of them. Not sure what made that year so different. We were down last Aug/Sept and didn't even notice any of them. Some people said later that Sept they got worse. We have kids around here that freak out over bugs but I have never seen any of them freak out over Love Bugs because it isn't like they try to attack you or anything but when you come to the South, you are going to have bugs, no matter what kind. It is the heat and humidity that brings them out, seems like.