Yes, bugs look awful dotted across your front bumper and hood, but they?re also very destructive. Maybe it?s revenge, but bugs can damage the paint long after they hit the car. As insect remains decompose, they produce enzymes intended to break down the carcass. These enzymes also break down automotive paint, resulting in etching. (Removing etching requires polishing, a topic you can read about in our Dual Action or Circular Polishing Guides.)
Here in Florida and across most of the Southeast, love bugs are the primary culprit. Love bugs in particular have very fatty bodies, which produce a lot of enzymes. Plus, their sheer number and affinity for busy roads make them unavoidable. And, since they are love bugs, they hit your vehicle two at a time.
Besides bugs, your vehicle regularly encounters tar, tree sap, and bird droppings. All of these things are detrimental to the paint and should be removed ASAP (no pun intended!).
You have many options for bug and tar removal. Visit Autogeek.net’s “How to Remove Bugs and Tar” tutorial for step by step instructions and product recommendations.
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