[Pappy]

Texas love bugs....anybody ever use window screen to block them from clogging up the radiators?????

I have used window screen on my trucks over the years to prevent this from happening.
It even stopped some small stones......

[darkphantom]

DUDE THEY ARE BOTHERING THE EFF OUTTA ME!!! ARRRRRRRG

.....ok......stress aside.......no I've not used that, but if you do, please tell me how that goes....I'm barely driving my car because of all these nasties outside...just driving the beater around...

[Pappy]

I just put a screen over the horizontal grill below the kidney grills. I thinking this is for the oil cooler? Don't know, but, I can watch the oil temp and see if there is a problem.
It'll be a few days before I take the car out again, so will have to wait..

It's been suggested to use bug remover on the radiator. Something else to try...

[kevinbahnz]

hey you guys have pictures of these critters. I want to see how bad it is for you texans

[Pappy]

Originally Posted by kevinbahnz

hey you guys have pictures of these critters. I want to see how bad it is for you texans

Here ya go...just imagine driving through clouds of these critters;

Love bugs

Quote "Its reputation as a public nuisance is due not to its bite or sting (as it is not capable of either), but to its slightly acidic body chemistry[1]. Because airborne lovebugs can exist in enormous numbers near highways, they die en masse on automobile windshields, hoods, and radiator grills when the vehicles travel at high speeds. If left for more than an hour or two, the remains become dried and extremely difficult to remove. In the past, the acidity of the dead adult body, especially the female's egg masses, often resulted in pits and etches in automotive paint and chrome if not quickly removed[3]. However, advances in automotive paints and protective coatings have reduced this threat significantly. Now the greatest concern is excessive clogging of vehicle radiator air passages with the bodies of the adults, with the reduction of the cooling effect on engines, and the obstruction of windshields when the remains of the adults and egg masses are smeared on the glass".

And;

"However, the use of a low cost screen fabric sold by local automotive part and supply stores, and especially designed to attach to the front of the car, will protect the radiator grill and paint on the front of the vehicle when large flights are encountered. This fabric is easily removed for washing with a hose".

[darkphantom]

damn....but what about the airflow? :-/

I'll just hose the car down after I encounter these critters!

[Mech_Man]

Originally Posted by darkphantom

damn....but what about the airflow? :-/

I'll just hose the car down after I encounter these critters!

These critters can be in such great numbers that if you are driving through the country for a few hours, you will have to stop several times to clean off your windshield so you can see!

A screen might load up with dead bugs, but at least it would be easy to clean.

The Wiki article said that they aren't such a huge problem now days, but I once drove 6 hours through Louisiana, used up all my washer fluid, and still have to stop several times to scrape and rinse off my windshield - just so I could see good enough to drive.

[mJ335]

Damn.. that sucks.. make sure you don't get yourself some scoops.. or it'll probably suck in all those bugs and clog the vacuum/snorkel.

[TiAg335i]

Apparently the lovebugs are the product of a USF genetics experiment gone wrong..

Glad we don't have those here.

[BlueLion]

we have them here in florida....when they are out its like the plague...

[simp0man]

I try to avoid the country side and when I have to, I drive real slow. Less genocide done. Hate it when I see millions killed on my bumper.

[oilcrankinject]

I have them here too in LA at Ft Polk. They warned me when I got here in early July and boy were they right.

It took me over an hour just to scrap off the bug guys from my hood, mirrors, and front end. I hate they *()& bugs. One day I walked out of the shop and they swarmed me. Luckily I can run faster than they can fly.

Yuck

[E90Graphite07]

Fortunately investing in a clear-bra was the perfect choice; the difficult part I have is shooting my pressure towards the kidney grills and the radiator/condenser; Ugh, they're everywhere indeed; hope this will only last for a short bit. I feel ya pain svtfast.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by kevinbahnz

hey you guys have pictures of these critters. I want to see how bad it is for you texans

They're far worse in the hill country. When I lived in Huntsville, my truck got bombarded far more than here in Houston.

[txusa03]

Hey Pappy, check this post out

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...10&postcount=1

[Pappy]

Originally Posted by txusa03

Hey Pappy, check this post out

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...10&postcount=1

That's them alright..

I've heard about putting WD-40 on the car before driving. Supposed to be easier to clean...

Not sure if I want WD-40 or bugs..really don't want either...

[BlueLion]

what worse is that I can smell the dead ones cooking on my radiator when I am washing the car.....its nasty

[Couch]

Originally Posted by BlueLion

what worse is that I can smell the dead ones cooking on my radiator when I am washing the car.....its nasty

why are you washing your car when it's hot?

[ZuerstBMW]

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

Apparently the lovebugs are the product of a USF genetics experiment gone wrong..

Glad we don't have those here.

Thats just a myth, nothing else.

They are getting less and less each year here in Florida. i remember when you had to pull off the road to clean the windshield, so you could drive again. They must be migrating north.

Clear-bra not only helps protect from stone chips, but also from these critters from eating up the paint.

[Mech_Man]

The wiki article says that there was a population explosion as they migrated across the southern states, entering new areas, but that it's stabilized and dropped down as their predators followed a few years behind.

[Webz]

This looks like the perfect environment for testing various polishes, protectants, and waxes.

A group of folks should get together and try the different brands to see which allows them to wash off the easiest and protects the paint best. Could be interesting.

Otherwise what a pain in the

[teej361]

I had to evacuate from the hurricane and those damn things were everywhere. Just used my brother's car show technique of using low adhesive painters tape to tape up my whole front end. Worked like a charm.