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Anyone else in the Cicada zone for this summer?

I am, and without an under-scoop metal-dealie (removed for Intercooler), I have a feeling I will be picking guts out of my intercooler and engine bay.

So, simple solution.

Home Depot. $7.00. Gutter Guard.

I recomend everyone take some action to prevent problems with these damn things. I know Matt doesn't have the metal thing any more, I don't know about the rest of you TMIC guys.

Helpful hint from your pal Phil.

P.S. I also recomend doing the grille to prevent a guts filled radiator. I'll probably do the grille too, and then removing the guard after the cicada invasion is over.

Not to mention every other bug that decides to commit IC/radiator suicide

Well, other bugs aren't going to be a 2 inches long and average about a hundred per square meter of ground area...

That's a good reminder, Phil. I believe I'll put some screen on my car before I head back down to DC.

Screen or gutter-guard?

I wouldn't use screen if I were you.

I dunno, I just meant "screen" as a generic term for something.

I guess gutter-guard is less dense than window screen and so won't be as susceptible to clogging?

I was thinking that window screen wouldn't flow enough air to stay on the car at 80mph. It would act like a plastic bag in the wind and just rip from the car.

Also, 2" long bugs hitting a peice of window screen wouldn't make it last to long.

Yeah, I see what you're saying. Gutter-guard it is.

Indeed. It'll take one panel and you'll have some left over to play with for those projects you like to do, lol.

OMG I do not want to even deal with these f**king things Thanks for the reminder though Phil. I was just stressing over this last week. I'm worried my entire engine bay and front end are going to end up being Cicada soup! I'll have to try and do this too.

I know this is getting close but when exactly is this supposed to start going down, anyways.

Some time in the middle of this month. The trigger is when the soil temperature reaches something like 65 degrees.

I don't remember at all what it was like last time, except for playing with them out in the playground and stuff... I can't even imagine what it would have been like driving through such a swarm and stuff. But I guess the density is lower in the middle of the road since there aren't any trees.

We did take milk cartons, cut windows out, put in window screens, and then stick a cicada or two inside with a leafy twig. For some reason we 1st-graders loved doing that. That, and wearing their molted skins as jewelry.

damn, you guys have white rain and huge bettles, what other crazy crap goes on in maryland?

"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games..."

Giant bugs. Disgusting. The only thing around here like that ah lobstah. Good luck, gentlemen. Hope nobody got a new paint job.

Steve

You all have no idea...

Josh, maybe you've seen a few of these, but us Floridians know these suckers all too well.

Love bugs: They fly around mating in mid-air (hence the name) and hang out around highways and get splattered on windshields.

This is a minor case of what happens when you drive through a swarm.

Supposedly, some moron at the University of Florida was playin around with bug DNA and managed to create some of these things, then let them loose and now they've grown into their own species.

These bugs have chemicals in their bodies that will eat right through your paint, almost down to the metal. Leave their carcasses to rot in the sun, and it will be even worse.

Matt - I am worried about the same thing. I am going to gutter guard the whole front end, to hopefully keep these bastards out of my engine bay.

I was 1 for the first Cicada attack, so this is a new experience for me.

How long are the Cicada's out for?

I guess it IS a good thing that I posted this. I bet bug guts really kill our intercooler (and when I say our, I mean Matt's and mine) efficiency.

I think they're only around for about a month. For the first half day or so they're flightless nymphs, creamy white colored, hanging on trees, so you'll know when the havoc is about to begin.

Looks like daily car washes and clearing out my third garage to park the car (or I'll be nice and let my sister park her new altima in there).

I don't think you have anything to worry about when your car's parked... unless there's a part of your car that cicadas might confuse for being part of a living tree.

Yea, but where I park, is right under a tree. Well, I've got AWD, I can park in the pit where I usually park the truck, lol. Actually, no I can't, I don't think I've got a high enough breakover enough to park there.

I'd love to see pictures of your guys' cars after a day of this hoopla.

What any of you also may want to consider, if you have nice paint would be stone-gaurding it. It's a bit expensive, and usually only done to new cars, but if your paint is in good condition, it may be worth it to you to keep it like that.

Maybe just put some tape on the leading edge of the hood and bumper where the paint would take the most abuse - it'll look bad for a few weeks until the bugs leave and then you could take it off.

Steve

that's actually a very good idea. electrical tape will leave goop as will duct tape and when the engine's hot the tape will become un-sticky. Perhaps masking tape...

Seran Wrap

Oooh, this is gettin' kinky!

cover the whole front end of the car in garbage bags except for the grille which will be covered in mesh. It'll look just like when they take out cars before they've been released.

Haha, make cardboard panels and stuff to mask the shape. People will think I am testing a new Suby or something, lol. Awesome!

I have a video of the new McLaren SLR when it was being tested. You could tell that the McLaren driver was PISSED that the guy was filming it.