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OMG... Love Bugs are Back!!!

Owen

By Owen
in Watering Hole

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Kregerdoodle

Kregerdoodle

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Now that sucks.....I havn`t seen any yet, but I`m sure They will find me...

 

 

 

It's not even April yet and the love bugs are here already. Ran through a 'cloud' of them this afternoon. Gotta get my silicon polymer dilithium crystal anti-love bug spray on my bike soon!

:bang head:

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MidlifeVenture

MidlifeVenture

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Ugly things http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cantkeepquiet.com/wp-content/uploads/lovebugs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cantkeepquiet.com/2006/09/24/damn-love-bugs/&h=225&w=250&sz=33&tbnid=2eB4ciOaZq3lpM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLove%2BBugs&usg=__IQmGT4jX273kqBemJQ1X-rwsSaM=&ei=OjOxS92PJ8H38AbIppHSAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=5&ct=image&ved=0CBQQ9QEwBA glad we don't get them but if I didn't have snow I could deal

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Owen

Owen

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Yep, that's them love bugs. Seem to be attracted to exhaust fumes. Hang out around the highways by the millions. They don't bite or anything like that, just leave a nasty splat on your car/bike that is really hard to remove after it dries. Easiest way is to soak a towel in warm water and let it soften them up. I use a polymer based quick detailer on the bike before hand that seems to make them easier to remove. :detective:

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Dave77459

Dave77459

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Someone told me that spraying Pam cooking spray on the fairing will prevent them from sticking. You think that's a cure worse than the illness, until you blast through a cloud of them.

 

My buddy ran through a flock/swarm/? of Monarch Butterflies down near Big Bend. The pictures he showed were plenty gross, but imagining the countless squishy thwaps is even worse.

 

Dave

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dunvilsteev

dunvilsteev

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I have since learned that these are shad flies, some people call them fish flies. Driving along hwy 26 just outside of Collingwood and I see everyones brake lights flashing, I'm wondering whats going on, then I hit a cloud .... roads covered in 'em, slippery as goose poop. Something I'll never forget, right out of a "B" movie.

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Flyinfool

Flyinfool

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The most fun is crossing through a MayFly hatch.

They are so thick in the air that it is like driving in a heavy snowstorm, and they pile up on the road to the point that they will bring out the snow plows to push them to the side, and they are really slick on the road.

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jfoster

jfoster

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What the heck is a love bug....I have only heard of one called Herbie.:think:

 

Brian

 

I don't know if they migrate that far north. Along the gulf and lower east coast they're hell. Wouldn't be so bad, but from what I understand nothing will eat them and they will ruin a paint job on plastic bumpers.

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friesman

friesman

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I guess we all got bugs in one form or another, Sometimes we have clouds of shads (we call them fishflies here) ya gotta ride through and every few years the hoppers get bad enough to drive you crazy. THis year is forecast to be a bad year for grasshopper infestations and I am not looking for ward to it, they cake on to pipes and stink, they dry hard as rock, and they hurt like crazy if you get one in the face.

Last summer I used the Colormatch Spray on Shield to protect my paint on my Escape from bug build up and while the bugs still hit the front of the suv, i just took it to the car wash and the shield just washed off taking the bugs with them.

 

I think it worked pretty good and was wondering if anyone has used it on their bike yet?

 

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/shield.html THese guys made it look tougher than it is, i just covered the headlights and did everything else in the clear..(BTW-the clear is a bit milky and cloudy, its not a bright clear)

 

Brian

Edited by friesman
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Venturous Randy

Venturous Randy

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Back in about 72 I took a trip from east NC to Fla with my uncle to deliver an airplane that was on a big boat trailer(the wings were off). He was driving a 1966 Olds Toronado and we ran into a bunch of love bugs in Fla. You could drive a couple of miles and would have to stop and clean the windshield, or you could not see. I remember that he finally figured out that if he turned his headlights on, which caused the lights to raise up, it caused enough air turbulance to make most of them go over the car.

That brought up a memory from a long time ago.

They are called Love bugs because they fly around two at a time mating.

RandyA

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Vance

Vance

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I have since learned that these are shad flies, some people call them fish flies. Driving along hwy 26 just outside of Collingwood and I see everyones brake lights flashing, I'm wondering whats going on, then I hit a cloud .... roads covered in 'em, slippery as goose poop. Something I'll never forget, right out of a "B" movie.

 

No, those aren't the "love bugs" that plague us. These are smaller, about .5 inches or less, and mostly black. We call them love bugs because they are usually flying 'together', so you get twice the bug action when they make contact with your vehicle. And because they fly 'together', their flying skills are greatly diminished and they are unable to avoid contact with anything else that's moving. As stated, they will eat the paint off your car, and when dry turn into epoxy. I think their only known enemy are moving vehicles. I understand they are a gift from Florida. icon9.gif

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dynodon

dynodon

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I haven't tried this on my bike yet, but go to an office supply store, and buy a roll of clear plastic wrapping material. My roll is about 8" wide, with a handle. One roll has a BUNCH of feet of the stuff.

 

If you know you will be on a long ride with bugs, just stretch it across the front of the bike, and heck, if careful you can put it on the windshield. when you get done or where you want to go, pull it off and WOW, no bugs at all.

 

Too thin to protect from big rocks, but it will help some with sand and small stuff.

 

A cheap version of the plastic that people put on expensive cars.

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dunvilsteev

dunvilsteev

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A couple of funny bug stories:

 

#1 - Being a city boy there were many things I learned moving to a small town. Every June we get a similar bug (bum attachers) that infest for about a week or so. Being in a river town everyone calls it a fish fly but it is something related to those love bugs (bum attacher). They dont bite and since the girls were kids at the time we called them "manbugs" sort of like ladybugs, so the kids wouldnt freak out going outside.

The first year we saw them I thought it had to do with the cedars (12' high then, now all removed) that circled my backyard, so off to Home hardware I go to buy some chemical soup to spray. I'm spraying like all get out.... neighbours watching me and he comes over and asks what I'm doing. I explain I'm killing these bugs in my yard just look at them all. He then asks, "Have you looked up?" Saying what do you mean I crank the neck back and look skywards, the sky is full of these manbugs. I'm spraying a postage stamp when the cloud covers miles and miles. DAAAAAAAAAH stupid city boy!!

 

#2 - A tree had falled down in an ice storm so in the summer I had a guy come with one of those drill thingies and mash up the stump. There was still a few garbage bags full of chips and stuff so I'm trying to bag it but the dam wind is blowing so it is hard to hold and fill. Much to her chagrin, I ask my teenage daughter for help (I know say no more!) so she holds a couple of bags for me then goes inside. I'm finishing up when I hear this scream start in her bedroom and proceed down the stairs, through the kitchen, out the door, down the driveway and she comes flying towards me with her top held up showing the world her tatas .... she screams TICK!!!!!! There attached to her belly was the little varmint, so I switched to "Dad Mode" reached in and quickly nipped it off with my fingernails. (Dog gets em so I know how to do it CORRECTLY getting the head and not squeezing the body) She shoves down her top, stomps into the house shouting over her shoulder, "Don't EVER ask me to help you again....EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Gotta admit I did a little "eeeww" myself touching the little bugger. Had to laugh.:crackup:

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Guest tx2sturgis

Guest tx2sturgis

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There attached to her belly was the little varmint, so I switched to "Dad Mode" reached in and quickly nipped it off with my fingernails. (Dog gets em so I know how to do it CORRECTLY getting the head and not squeezing the body) She shoves down her top, stomps into the house shouting over her shoulder, "Don't EVER ask me to help you again....EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Gotta admit I did a little "eeeww" myself touching the little bugger. Had to laugh.:crackup:

 

Did you have her spayed, also? :D

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Zfrebird4

Zfrebird4

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... at what all I see posted here. LOL. Of course out of each post I DO learn a little something. Have a great gang. Stay ups and ride in the good weather; my scoot is in the shop, and I am hope to get her out before the weekend.

 

JackZ

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