UK Could Be Swarmed With Greenflies That Can Damage Car Paintwork

The UK could be about to be hit by swarms of insects who will create excrement that can rot paintwork off cars and damage soft top roofs.

Yep, that's 2020 for you.

Anyway, there's nothing too massive to be scared or worried about here, as the insects in question are just greenflies.

However, the above statement remains true, their poo can cause serious damage to the paintwork of your car, and that - as anyone who has had to have a paint job done knows - can run to quite a lot of money to get sorted out.

You might think that there are always a lot of greenflies - or aphids, as they're otherwise known - around at this time of the year, and broadly you'd be correct, but this year seems set to see the population explode.

The Bristol Post reports that the tiny creatures thrive when a warm May gives way to a balmy June, which - along with July - is the season when the greenfly tends to be most noticeable.

That's this year, alright.

So, if you park your car under a tree, then you might want to have a think about moving it because the poo that they excrete - called honeydew - rots away at paintwork and can ruin soft top cars too.

Oh, and farmers should be a bit concerned too, because they're a right pain for crops, trees, and leaves.

Mark Tongue, from Select Car Leasing, told the Liverpool Echo: "They may be small and look harmless but you should not underestimate how much damage greenfly can cause.

"They excrete a sticky substance known as 'honeydew' that forms an unpleasant residue on car bonnets, boots and roofs.

"This then turns into soot-like black mould spores, which can eat through paintwork because of high acidity.

"And worse still is that this substance is really difficult to remove. The only solution is to buy some top quality cleaning products and get stuck in with plenty of elbow grease."

If everything goes as expected, a normal tree can host as many as 2.5 million greenflies. That's a lot, when you consider the amount of trees.

They breed quickly, too.

Tongue added: "If you are unfortunate enough to find this sticky substance on your car it is absolutely crucial that you clean it off as soon as possible, as a respray could set you back around £600.

"I would advise all motorists to keep a close eye on their vehicles at this time of the year and maintain a fairly strict cleaning regime to make sure they escape any damage.

"This could include keeping a packet of wipes in your car to get rid of any residue as quickly as possible before a more thorough clean with specialist car detergents and even diluted bleach."

There you have it. What else does this rotten year have in store for us?

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Weird, Animals

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim