Springtime Looovvveeee buuuugggggssss!!!!!!!!!!

[Flaferalcat]

It's Spring Love-bug season here in North Central Florida! My Vic is wearing the first splats from yesterdays ride to Ozela Trail and back. And they were following me around the house while landscaping. Get out the Bounce/Dryer Sheets! Remember, any longer than about 3 days and they start eating the paint. (I'll be cleaning mine tomorrow...I think.
Eric

 

[draco_1967]

I don't miss those at all. Their guts seem as tough as Gorilla Glue when dried.

 

[Matzergb]

I normaly get the little buggers (pun intended) off with a coarse microfiber towel and some warm water. I always have some water in a little 100ml spray bottle with me so I can wipe over the painted parts and windshield when I take a break of refuel. Same goes for the visor. Saves the pain of washing the whole bike after riding in buggy areas.

 

[Flaferalcat]

I carry a little bottle of water in a sprayer, and a micro fiber towel too. I also carry Bounce sheets torn into 1/4 sheets in a Ziploc. That way I can spray my helmet, wet the sheet,rub visor lightly, wipe with dry towel and voila! 20 seconds later I can see! Otherwise I'd have a bad time! Here's a pic of one of my helmets after a one way ride from Gainesville to home. (About 20 miles). The helmet looked the same from Home to Gainesville.
View attachment 23738

 

[670cc]

Wow. Amazing you guys have the guts to put up with that! I'd probably give a riding during Love Bug season if I lived there.

 

[Bug Dr.]

I will be in Florida next week on the bike. Yippee!
Mike

 

[Fuzzy]

When I lived in Florida we would spray the front of the car with PAM so they would come off easy.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I started using this silicone to protect PWC engines in the salt water. Once it drys, you can not even tell it is there. Worked so good, I was soon spraying it on aluminum motorcycle parts to stop Corrosion. Found that the bugs just wiped off when using this brand silicone on fork tubes. Soon was putting it on the motorcycle windshields. Did not yellow the windshields, as it contains no ammonia. Bugs wipe off the windshields. One of the best kept product secrets in motorcycling is this PWC and Boat product. Tried other brands of silicone, but none works as good as the Yamaha silicone.

 

[670cc]

Bet it works on tires and seats, too! NOT!

 

[Cigar Mike]

The windshield catches most of the bugs. The rest fly over my head. It does take a while to clean the shield. I have more bug hits on legs and arms than helmet.

 

[dduelin]

Mix a 50/50 dilution of common drug store hydrogen peroxide and water in a spray bottle and clean with no rubbing to speak of - that might cause scratches.

Love bugs and some other bugs are very acidic and the H2O2 sprayed on them will cause the dried remains to fizz up and practically rinse off with no rubbing, or use a wet cloth to wipe the surface of bike, helmet, or car clean after dissolving them. It's cool to watch the little bastages turn to spots of foam.

 

[Papafox]

Here's one of my best efforts after a ride home from work

 

[johnakay]

best way to get dried bugs off is to soak a paper towel and leave it on yout helmets for about 10 minutes ,bugs will wipe up easily.

 

[SergeantChuck]

When I lived in Florida we would spray the front of the car with PAM so they would come off easy.

I was going to make the same comment. I lived in Lousiana for three years (Ft. Polk) and the locals told me to do the same thing otherwise their blood will eat right through your paint if left there long enough.

We lived in Lesseville and Alexandria was a hour away. You could not make the whole trip without pulling over to clean the windshield during that time of year. Them bugs suck.

 

[Fuzzy]

I made the mistake of painting a house in Florida during love bug season. They have little control while flying united and thousands of them flew into the wet paint and stuck. Good thing I wasn't trying to achieve a smooth finish on the cedar siding. In the log yards you will see the ends of the logs turn black with love bugs stuck in the sap. And as if coming out in the spring isn't bad enough they come out again in the fall.

 

[dduelin]

The good thing about love bugs is that they are extremely seasonal and short-lived in April/May or August/September. They don't fly until the air is about 80 degrees so early morning rides are usually love bug free.

Depending on the year it may just be a week or three that they are a problem and this time is not the same for their entire habitat or range. For instance if love bugs are really bad in south FL one year in early May we may get them just a week or so a little later in north FL and you can plan for them coming soon. If the local season is in and we are getting good sea breezes during our particular time we may not even see them within 20 miles of the coast because the sea breeze keeps them inland so those days are days to plan rides along the coast.

Anyway, if you are planning a visit to FL in these times the bugs may not be bad where you are going to be.

 

[ronsaw]

So gross. I was just eating.

 

[Flaferalcat]

Or, as in the case of what just happened; run into clouds of the little buggers, than go through a good T-Storm, and VOILA; Instant clean! ....Along with my helmet, and clothing!

 

[L.B.S.]

Yech!

The worst I have had, were bazillions of giant dragonflies in Texas. Those hurt when you hit them!

I learned I'm not cut out to be a tough guy, when I was wincing when they hit me in my thick leather jacket, pants, gloves and full face helmet, then seeing Harley dudes (and dudettes) riding along with no helmets, no gloves, jeans and T-shirts.

My bike was filled with the things, and I still would find the occasional body part years later, when dismantling for repairs or painting, etc.


Having giant swarming clouds of these lovebug things (I had to Google to see what they were) around while riding may not hurt when they hit you, but ugh! I would be so grossed out, lol

 

[Old Can Ride]

If you ever run into a hive of swarming bees, you will then know real pain. Not only do they splatter, they get into your helmet and stick their little stingers into your temple. I pulled over after one of these encounters, and a short time later a lady police officer pulled over to see what I was doing. She asked what I was doing, and I told her - mostly crying!