In the April feature, “Make profits stick with bug removal services,” Group Assistant Editor Maria Woodie discusses how carwashes can ensure optimal profits when performing bug removal services.

“Spring is in the air, and with this season brings buds blooming in vibrant colors, songful birds chirping charming melodies and an end to heavy winter coats as the cold nights give way to warm, sun-filled days ahead,” writes Woodie in the article.

As the weather heats up, she continues in the article, this season also brings droves of pesky insects, wreaking havoc on your customers’ cars. Although bugs may frustrate many people during the spring and summer seasons, they can create lucrative opportunities for car care businesses offering bug removal services.

“In the spring and summer months when bugs are left on a vehicle in warm temperatures, the [hot] surface will evaporate most of the liquid bug contents and concentrate the acidic remnants,” explain Dyche Martin, district sales manager, and Andrew Landa, director of research and development, for Zep Vehicle Care, in the article. “If the bugs are not removed quickly, they will become much more difficult to remove; and, the acid will start to dissolve the clear coating — and can eventually eat into the vehicle’s paint. Over time, the bugs’ proteins will form stronger bonds with the underlying surfaces as

Ron Fausnight, technical manager of chemicals and appearance products for Rain-X, asserts in the article that regularly removing bug splatter before it bakes on a vehicle’s surface can help reduce the chances of damage.

Moreover, Martin and Landa note in the article that carwashes must make sure their customers know the importance of bug removal and the damaging effects these troublesome critters can have on their vehicles.

When it comes to performing a high-quality bug removal service, Jeff Nevils, eastern zone manager for Auto Magic Professional Car Care Products, explains in the article that a vital first step is to make sure the vehicle’s surface(s) are cool, adding that one of the biggest pitfalls of bug removal is applying chemicals to a hot surface.

And choosing the right chemical will depend on several factors, including the type of surface being treated and how long the bug remains have been baking on the car.

However having the right chemical isn’t the only component of performing an effective bug removal service.

In the article, Martin and Landa suggest six additional considerations carwash owners and operators should keep in mind in order to deliver the best results:

• How to best apply the product
• The dilution of the product
• Dwell time
• Ambient temperature
• The temperature of the car
• The speed of the wash process.

You can read more insightful bug removal tips and tricks here.