"Bounce" those bugs away...

We get a ton of "love bugs" down here in my part of the world. I don't
know the scientific name for these things, but they sure do make a mess of
anything in their flight path.

A co-worker of mine said that Bounce dryer sheets will help you clean the
bugs. I figured, nothing to lose, if it's safe to be used on my clothes
that is next to my skin, then surely it should be safe on paint.

Soooo...., not that trusting, I tried it on my truck and sure enough, after
wetting the grill of my truck, took a bounce fabric sheet, and the bugs
just melted away. Very little elbow grease needed. Waited a week to see
if I could see anything harmful, and nothing short term anyway I could see
wrong.

With that out of the way, I figured to go to the airport today, wash and
wax my plane. Bought a box of bounce dryer sheets, figuring I would need a
lot of sheets to clean the leading edges, and it turned out, I only needed
one for each wing, and one for the elevator. The bugs really just melted
away. It worked much easier then pledge for me.

I ended up saturating the plane with water, used Dawn hand washing soap to
cut the grease and a soft mop head to initially clean the surfaces and then
use the dryer sheets to get any tough spots. It's amazing how much soapy
stuff comes out of those dryer sheets.

7 1/2 hours later, I got a sparkling clean Sundowner just in time for my
annual beginning Monday.

There sure is a lot of sheet metal on a plane!

Allen

In article ,
A Lieberman wrote:

We get a ton of "love bugs" down here in my part of the world. I don't
know the scientific name for these things, but they sure do make a mess of
anything in their flight path.

The very best thing I've found for removing bugs is water...just plain
water.

I take a dripping wet rag and wet down both leading edges to "pre soak"
the bugs. Then back to the start point with the same wet rag and rub
'em off, very little elbow grease needed.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 15:48:28 -0800, Dale wrote:

The very best thing I've found for removing bugs is water...just plain
water.

Hey Dale,

For "normal" bugs, I agree with you, moisturizing the leading edge and
letting the scud hydrate, plain water will take off the "blood and guts"
once it becomes loosened from hydration.

These love bugs leave a nasty white "powder" that no matter how much you
hydrate, it just ain't coming off.

Driving in the car during the summer time, the bugs are so thick, it sounds
like rain on the windshield. Don't even try to use the wipers or fluid,
just smears this white goop and makes it worse.

These love bugs are attracted to the color white, which naturally is the
main color of my plane.

Allen

"A Lieberman" wrote in message
...
We get a ton of "love bugs" down here in my part of the world. I don't
know the scientific name for these things, but they sure do make a mess of
anything in their flight path.

A co-worker of mine said that Bounce dryer sheets will help you clean the
bugs. I figured, nothing to lose, if it's safe to be used on my clothes
that is next to my skin, then surely it should be safe on paint.

add yet another use of bounce dryer sheets to the list..

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp

In article ,
A Lieberman wrote:



Hey Dale,

For "normal" bugs, I agree with you, moisturizing the leading edge and
letting the scud hydrate, plain water will take off the "blood and guts"
once it becomes loosened from hydration.

These love bugs leave a nasty white "powder" that no matter how much you
hydrate, it just ain't coming off.

Driving in the car during the summer time, the bugs are so thick, it sounds
like rain on the windshield. Don't even try to use the wipers or fluid,
just smears this white goop and makes it worse.

These love bugs are attracted to the color white, which naturally is the
main color of my plane.


Yuk!! We have a little green bug up here usually in June. Same type
thing, sounds like your flying through rain, windshield goes opaque
quickly.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

"A Lieberman" wrote:

We get a ton of "love bugs" down here in my part of the world. I
don't
know the scientific name for these things, but they sure do make a
mess of
anything in their flight path.

Plecia nearctica http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/mcinsec2.html

Sure seems like this has been the worst year ever for these things
around Mobile. I'm grounded, so my airplane hasn't suffered, but
everything else has been covered with them. I've vacuumed up hundreds
of them from *inside* the house.

Thanks for the tip.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Sure seems like this has been the worst year ever for these things
around Mobile. I'm grounded, so my airplane hasn't suffered, but
everything else has been covered with them. I've vacuumed up hundreds
of them from *inside* the house.

Here in Iowa, we've also had a bumper crop of bugs this fall. Just
last week we hit four of the biggest bugs we've ever seen. We were at
2000 feet, and they were about an inch in diameter. I don't know what
they were, but it was more like hitting a sparrow than a bug. What a
mess!

We're just now starting to see the asian beetles (those nasty little
lady-bug look-alikes, that congregate in the corners of your ceiling,
and stink like hell when you squish 'em) and box elder bugs. Our
house-keepers are just thrilled (not!) that the beetles are back, and
we naturally have to inspect the suites very carefully before each
guest -- those danged little things can get through ANY sized opening.

Box elder bugs, on the other hand, are slow, dumb, and harmless, but
the uninformed can mistake them for a roach, so we've got to be very
careful about shooing them out, too. What fun!

I don't know how you guys can stand it down south, where you must deal
with this year 'round. The first frost can't be too far off, can it?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I don't know how you guys can stand it down south, where you must deal
with this year 'round. The first frost can't be too far off, can it?

In Mobile the first frost may not happen until December, but the bug
count goes way down in October.

The love bugs are gone now. They're a 3-week, spring and fall
phenomenon; worse in the fall.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Jay Honeck wrote:
: Box elder bugs, on the other hand, are slow, dumb, and harmless, but
: the uninformed can mistake them for a roach, so we've got to be very
: careful about shooing them out, too. What fun!

I remember those from when I used to live in Iowa. Harmless, slow, and
stupid, yes... but also stinky (alive or dead) and tend to congregate in astronomical
numbers.

Don't forget that the asian beetle ladybug look-alikes also bite. Little
*******s....

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

: Box elder bugs, on the other hand, are slow, dumb, and harmless, but
: the uninformed can mistake them for a roach, so we've got to be very
: careful about shooing them out, too. What fun!

I remember those from when I used to live in Iowa. Harmless, slow, and
stupid, yes... but also stinky (alive or dead) and tend to congregate in astronomical
numbers.

Hmm. I never noticed that before. In fact, I'm looking at one now,
sunning himself on my window blinds, just a few feet away. Incredibly,
they apparently manage to squeeze through the little opening where the
coax leading to our Jim Weir-donated aviation band radio antenna comes
through the wall...

They are the SLOWEST bugs I've ever seen -- you can literally grab them
between two fingers, without much effort. And you rarely see them
move.

But you're right -- they sure know how to reproduce!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"