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(NC)-You've probably never paid that much attention to the bugs that splat on your windshield and front bumper every time you take a road trip. But, maybe you should.
Dr. Mark Hostetler, a professor of wildlife and conservation and author of "That Gunk on Your Car: A Unique Guide to Insects of North America," calls himself a "splatologist" who has made a mission out of detecting bug guts.
Here is a breakdown of what some splats are caused by (not for the squeamish).
. Red splats are typically mosquitoes. Only female mosquitoes inject blood, so a red stain on your windshield offers an important clue.
. Yellow or creamy spots that slide upward are typically butterflies or moths. They leave fluttering scales or powder.
. The smallest splats are usually biting midges, the dreaded black flies or "no-see-ums."
. Splats that glow are fireflies.
. Loud splats are usually cockroaches or beetles because they have the hardest shells.
As disgusting as it sounds, you probably have had every one of the nasty critters land on your windshield, even more during spring and summer travel.
Prestone Bugwash windshield cleaner is designed to remove those nasty, stubborn bug splats. "Carbohydrates found in insect parts cause the biological deposits to stick to windshields on impact," said Megan Currie, Honeywell Consumer Products Group product manager. "This patented formulation penetrates biological deposits and helps remove them."
The formula digests the deposits so they are easily removed from the windshield by the washer fluid and wipers. It can even remove tree sap and bird droppings by softening and emulsifying them.
Want to learn more about bug splats? Check out the online video game, www.buzzkill.com, created by Prestone. You'll be able to zap as many splats as possible.