The name of the game is lovebug mating season, and they’ve picked your car as their latest Tinder meetup.
News 6 viewer Omar Izquierdo snapped the above photo of a Disney Cruise Line bus covered in lovebugs. There is a driver in that photo, but the windshield is so caked in bug debris you can hardly see them.
Gross.
Here are a few tips to prevent your vehicle from looking like that bus.
Why does my car look like a bug graveyard? There is a reason every car in Florida looks like the hottest lovebug dating spot around during the spring and summer months.
Besides each other, lovebugs are also very attracted to highways and hot temperatures. With the combination of heat and car exhausts, highways become the new hot spot for singles ready to mingle.
How to prevent paint damage:
If possible, avoid driving during peak lovebug hours. They tend to “make their love known” between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when temperatures are above 84 degrees.
Lovebug guts are acidic and can cause damage to car paint, evening clogging radiators and creating other issues if left to fester.
The best way to protect your car during these seasons of love is by keeping a healthy coat of wax on your car. The wax will serve as a protective barrier between your paint and the acidic lovebug remains. A good soaking with soap and water for about five minutes every few days will also help.
Another tip: After a long bug-catching drive wipe off the bugs as soon as you can using a microfiber towel and some detail spray. This will prevent the acid from eating through your paint.