How to Cope with Lovebug Season

Summertime is here and that means sun, beaches, and lovebug season. These pesky critters rear their heads only for a token period of time each year and they know how to wreak havoc on your vehicle. Running into a cloud of them on the highway can not only obscure your view, but lovebug remains can permanently damage your paint if left unchecked. To get you through another annoying lovebug season, Toyota of Orlando is here with an easy guide on what to do!

The Basics to Lovebug Season

Before we dive into how to keep lovebugs from damaging your vehicle let's dive into what they are and why they're so harmful to your Orlando Toyota ride. Lovebugs are most commonly found in areas like Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana and are fairly widespread geographically. You may have heard the rumor that lovebugs originated from a failed genetic experiment conducted by the University of Florida to combat mosquitos. As cool as that sounds, it's absolutely false. Lovebugs are a natural species that actually feed on decomposing plants as larvae and are actually very useful pollinators. 

However, as helpful as they actually are, lovebug season spells bad news for your Orlando Toyota car by heavily damaging your paint if their remains are left to cook on your hood and windshield. To keep your ride protected, here are a few tips to consider: 

1) Invest in and Use a Good Wax

Using a good and high-quality wax is one of the best ways to keep your vehicle's paint protected from lovebug remains. Before you head into lovebug territory apply two coats of wax to ensure maximum protection. 

2) Wash Your Car Often

Having to wash your Orlando Toyota car frequently is never fun. But leaving dead lovebugs on your ride means a harder car wash in the future with the possibility of permanent paint damage. Try to wash your car as soon as you get to a lovebug free zone. 

3) Dryer Sheets!

Believe it or not those little pieces of freshness that go into your dryer to make your clothes smell nice are actually super useful for removing lovebugs from your car. Just add water and some light scrubbing and you're good to go. 

4) Drive After Sundown if Possible

Daytime is a lovebug's favorite time to take flight. If you have to drive long distances in your Orlando Toyota car during lovebug season, try to do it after sundown to avoid running into a swarm of lovebugs. 

While we don't sell dryer sheets, we do provide an excellent selection of auto service products like wax and carwash liquid that'll keep your vehicle protected all lovebug season long. Come visit Toyota of Orlando's auto parts store today at 3575 Vineland Road!