Whether you are driving down the road when you are suddenly ambushed by bugs or if you simply come out to your car in the morning to find that bugs are all over the windows of your car, insects can be a nuisance. In addition to looking unsightly, bugs can obstruct your vision. They can also get onto the grill of your car and that can hurt the performance of your vehicle.
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How to Prevent Bugs from Getting on your Car
There are a few things you can do to make sure that bugs never get on your windshield in the first place. Bug deflectors work by keeping bugs and other debris off of your car. A deflector, will sweep bugs over the top of your car and away from it.
An auto parts store should have a variety of deflectors to choose from. The deflector is attached to the front bumper of your car. Your owner’s manual should describe how to install a deflector.
Using Wax to Prevent Bug Splatters
If you wax the front of your car or use sealant it is a good method of preventing bugs from sticking to the paint. Wash your car in the manner that you normally would. Apply car wax to a sponge and rub the wax onto a portion of the vehicle with a gentle circular motion. You will want to do this until the car is saturated with wax. Use a cloth to buff off the wax and make your car shine.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to remove the bugs from your windshield and grill, and vents of your car without ever having to go to a detailer. If you follow them, your paint will look shiny and your windshield will be clear and free from obstruction.
Splattered bug bodies may come out at the car wash, but that doesn’t always work. Dead bugs can be very sticky and a car wash may not get rid of them completely. Sometimes bugs leave a sticky mess behind and you need to use other methods of removal.
Basic Bug Removal Techniques
The first thing you should do to try to remove bugs from your car is a simple soap recipe. It is very mild and it works when you are dealing with a small to a moderate number of bugs. Simply take a bucket of water and mix in several squirts of baby shampoo or dish soap.
Saturate a bug sponge with the mixture and scrub the bugs off the car using a circular motion. Use a microfiber cloth to dry the car off. This formula should work well and is very gentle on your car.
Baking soda also works well for cleaning bugs off of a car. Just mix four tablespoons of the baking soda into a bucket of warm water. Soak a microfiber cloth in the mixture and rub the car down with it.
If you don’t want to get your car all wet after you have already washed it, you can always use dryer sheets. Simply spray some warm water onto one of the dryer sheets. Rub the bug splattered areas in a gentle circular motion.
Although it might not be the best smelling option, nothing cleans anything quite as well as vinegar and water. Because it is mildly acidic it cleans the glass of all kinds of dirt and debris and does not leave streaks. You can also clean the aluminum rims with this solution.
Combine the vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle and spray the glass cleaning solution onto the windshield. Again you will want to wipe it in a circular motion with a cloth. You will want to repeat this process a second time.
Repeat the steps on other car windows that need cleaning. Vinegar can be used to clean your tires as well.
There are several different types of oil you may find in your house that can be used to clean bugs off of a windshield. You can use baby oil, lamp oil, or even WD-40.
Simply apply the oil to a cloth and rub it onto the affected area of the car. Once you have rid the car of its bugs, you will want to wash the car with soap and water. You will want to wax the car if you use oil to clean the bugs off.
You can also clean bugs off cars with a Magic Eraser. Wet a Magic Eraser and rub the bug stains gently.
There are products specifically designed to get bugs off your car and you can buy them at an auto supply store. Just keep in mind that some of them are concentrated and will need to be diluted before you use them.
The Most Damaging Kind of Bugs
As the name would indicate lovebugs are insects that pair together with a mate. This means that they actually attach their bodies together and fly everywhere together.
You can identify them by their black bodies and red heads. They are about 6-9 millimeters in length. They are a type of fly. They are closely related to biting midges. Although they may be irritating, they cannot do any real harm to humans or pets. They can, however, wreak havoc when you are driving.
They have an extremely short life cycle, in fact, they spend the majority of their lives as a larva. One female can lay up to 300 eggs. They thrive predominantly in warm, humid climates and if you live in Florida, you are certainly familiar with them.
You will see them most often in their mating season which occurs twice a year in early spring and late summer. The gas that is emitted from cars attracts the bugs. You will see them during the day and the faster you drive, the more likely you are to attract them.
Although lovebugs do not technically bite or sting, they can cause problems when you are driving. They often swarm very thickly and it actually looks like a cloud. You may not be able to see out of the window very well. If they swarm your car too thickly, you may want to slow down or even pull over.
Lovebugs may actually enter the radiator of your car and damage the engine. They may even coat the car's grille and interrupt the airflow of the engine. This may cause the engine to overheat.
Like all bugs, they can damage the paint. After they are dead their remains can become acidic in the sun.
Given how much trouble they can cause, it is good to know how you can get rid of lovebugs. The sooner you get rid of these pests the better. There are even a few things you can do to avoid getting them in the first place.
Clean your vehicle Often
Be sure to wash your vehicle on a regular basis and wax it as well. It is harder for lovebugs to stick to a freshly waxed vehicle.
Spray Your Car with a Peppermint Air Freshener
A peppermint spray will repel the flies from any space. It is very safe and your car will smell fantastic.
Lovebugs can infest your car or your home. Fortunately, female lovebugs only live about a week, so the infestation may die out on its own. You may be able to get rid of them with a vacuum.
Bug Infestations Inside of the Car
Not only can bugs get on your car they can get inside your car as well and so can mice and rats. You need to get rid of them as soon as possible lest a bug or rat crawls up your pant leg as you are driving. There are a few tips that can help you prevent getting pests in your car.
Look at your surroundings when you park. You should not park under trees or near stagnant bodies of water. These places are often breeding grounds for bugs. If you can, park in clean well-lit places. If you park in clean areas. You will lessen the chances of mosquitoes invading your car. ” You should also roll up your windows when you leave your car.
Although it may be tempting and time-saving to eat in the car, you should never do it. If you do grab the occasional drive-through treat, you should make sure to clean up after yourself.
Smelly socks can also attract bugs, so make sure to change your clothes if you are going on a long road trip. Odors of smelly sneakers and sweat are very attractive to bugs.
The materials inside your car can also attract bugs. They are especially fond of synthetic leather because it doesn’t breathe. Fabric is not especially appealing to bugs. You may want to use a fabric protector in the car.
If rats or mice get into your engine, you may want to get the engine bay detailed. It will get rid of the scent that rodents leave and that may prevent other rats and mice from showing up.
You can always use insecticide and traps. You will want to spray in the areas you suspect an infestation. You should also spray your dash as that is where they tend to lay eggs.
If you have a car that you do not use very often, it may be susceptible to insect infestation. You will want to move it a couple of times a week. Even if you are not driving it, a vehicle needs to be cleaned regularly.
Keeping your car free of insect infestation will give it a good resale value when you are ready to sell it and get another vehicle. When you are ready to get rid of the old clunker, you will have a few options for who to sell it to.
Sell Your Car Online
If you sell your car online, you will have many options for what site to sell it on. Car sales websites will let you list your car on their site for a monthly fee. You will get to list a picture of the car along with its specs.
If you sell your car this way, you will have a lot of competition. It may take several months to find someone to buy your car. When a person is interested in the vehicle, you will have to take the time to show it to them and they may decide they don’t want it.
Selling your car online can also be dangerous. Many criminals have found their victims on such sites as Craigslist.
Use Your Car for Trade-In
When you go to buy your new car, the salesman will offer you a trade-in for your old car. They are unlikely to offer you what the car is worth. A lot of people will take less money than they should because they want the convenience of getting rid of the car at the same place they are getting the new one.
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