I've been wondering the same. It's been years. I live in western Europe. Could be an example of evolution, insects that fly higher survive more often, or climate change, there's fewer insects about.
It used to be a big issue, now the biggest issue is bird poop and lice excretions.
Yeah, im always covered in lice shit too 😥
Few days ago. Went birding in a wetland conservation area. Tons of birds. Megatons of bugs.
Two days ago.
Daily
Maybe this question should also request the responder's general location, because I imagine the situations vary substantially.
I've lived in California for most of my life, and we go on frequent drives between LA and SF, usually a few times a year.
In the 80's and 90's bugs would cover the front of our vehicles and the windshield would be difficult to see through even with wipers and washer fluid. We'd actually have to stop to manually scrape them off.
In the 00's and 10's we noticed that we'd get basically zero bugs on a long drive, and that sparked many conversations about California environmental law.
I just got back from a drive up the coast and I can happily say that we're back to insane numbers of bug strikes on the highway. Just north of Ventura I drove through a cloud of large bugs that hit like rocks and instantly covered almost my entire windshield. This situation has been noticably turning around since COVID, which I think is a good thing
The front of my car is pretty splattered with bug remains.
They’re 70-80% gone here since around ‘20, anecdotally as someone who’s driven the same highway corridor day and night.
They still get hit by the vehicle, but there is a profoundly apparent absence.
Almost every day. Rural living.
I mean i live in a rural area (The whole state has less people than the city i grew up in, and my town has <2k people) and the bug splatter is way less than growing up in a top 10 US city as a kid in the 80s-90s.
Yeah, I was going to say - when was the last time this didn't happen?
Live on a farm, I mean, it's summer, the bug-murder season. This is like asking "when did you last breath oxygen?"
Nothing like it use to be though
I recently drove half a continent. Anyways, probably 10-20 years. Idk, I don't really remember it happening much except maybe when I was a young child
Insect populations are affected by human urbanization.
In other words, the area you live in has become more developed over the last few decades and has become a poorer ecosystem for insects.
Last week.
But cars tend to have more of a slant to the windows then they used to, so less bugs smack and splatter.
I drove through miles of a literal swarm of cicadas a few years ago and 99% of them didn't splat on the windshield. My roof rack was coated with bug guts, though.
UK here. It's just not a thing any more. I regularly drive - or am a passenger - on a ~200 mile round trip and insect strikes just don't happen.
That said, I recently drove from the North of England to the South of France. Almost as soon as we crossed the Channel we were instantly getting insects splattered on the windscreen to the point we had to refill buy some bright pink no-nonsense washer fluid at the next services. So I assume some counties are more responsible than others with their use of pesticides.
Last time I drove at highway speed: Thursday around 19:40
sadly, global warming is killing them. I remember years ago they'd splatter my windshield every commute
Light pollution is also a big one. Impacts migration, reproduction and predation.
"Sadly" is a massive understatement. There will be devastating knock-on effects.
Not really on my windshield often but my bumper and mirrors are covered within a few miles of driving. Maybe it's an aerodynamics thing?
Every day, over and over and over... I have to keep actual glass cleaner in my car and spray the windshield occasionally—like at stop lights by sticking my arm out the window—because not even the "bug remover" windshield washer fluid works well enough. You need something strong like ammonia to loosen all the protein.
Note: I don't live in a city.
I am positive that the bug removal windshield washer fluid has never actually worked on bug splatters. Not even if you spritz them immediately when they happen, and even if you did you'd go through two gallons of the stuff per day. It's all marketing; I'm pretty sure they just take the regular stuff and dye it green instead of blue and charge three times more for it.
I live near a metro so its not as noticable but yeah 50 years ago you would get some. More significantly you did not need to go far (you could reach it in a day trip. say within 2 hours away) and you would have your windshield plastered. Basically out were you could see some farmland. Even in the 90's though going to school downstate you did not see much and Every so often I have trips across states and even down south and stays crystal clear. I will note besides insect decline there is a thing were more airodynamic vehicles don't get as many. The air flows around and the insects are more likely to survive. That being said just going camping and such im amazed at how few insects there are. I used to get eaten alive.
I drove for 8 hours today, I'd estimate I hit at least 200
It’s been years.
A couple of years ago, but I don't drive all that far most days. It sure seems like there are fewer and fewer. For instance, last summer, I saw fireflies for the first time in over a decade. This can't be good.
Try biking after rain in rural area
Every time I take a trip out of the city.
Generally, I NEED to clean it every 300 miles due to not being able to see through the sheet of bug-goo covering my windshield.
I remember it being like that decades ago - a long car trip might have required more stops to clean the windshield than to get gas. Not in a very long time though. Now I do get at least one hit per week but I don’t have to clean it even as frequently as I get car washes.
Where are you that there are still bugs (other than mosquitoes)?
Yesterday. It's cicada season.
Was talking about this a few weeks ago. Then we spent a week on the Gulf coast of TX, and the rental car collected a pretty good number of bugs. Not as much as when I was younger, but more than I remember seeing in a long time.
Probably well over two decades ago or so.
That was the last time I owned a car.
It's been many years.
Months ago, I don't have a car anymore, at most I drive my dad's.
They’ve bounced back in our area. For years there was nothing. Now, daily.
Not my windshield, but I've hit multiple today with my face and one got in my eye.
They called him Killer-Eyes!
:)
When I roadtrip my windshield get so fucking nasty every time I stop I have to clean it cause the windshield fluid isn’t enough to degunk everything
A few months ago when I still lived in Brandenburg in Germany (I had to clean my windscreen regularly). Haven't had a single one in Baden-Württemberg. I wonder if the wine growers use more pesticides.
When I lived in England my windscreen was suspiciously empty too.
Yesterday was the first time I noticed any in a long time.
One or two weeks ago. And I drive only 1 - 2 times a week.
