The tiny bug that could land you with a £500 car repair bill

These pesky flying critters could land you with a £500 car repair bill, according to experts. Greenfly is a type of aphid that can appear in swarms in the UK in June and July.

Motoring specialists have warned drivers to beware parking their cars under trees – because greenfly poo can rot paint and leave you with a colossal respray bill. Ranjen Gohri, of 24|7 Home Rescue and Car Breakdown service, explains: “They may be small, but do not underestimate the damage the humble greenfly can cause to your car.

“These tiny aphids suck the sap from plants and trees, posing a real threat for farmers and gardeners. But they can also wreak havoc on motorists, too.

Read more: West Country road melts live as surface temperatures reach 50C

“The sticky substance they excrete from their backsides – bizarrely known as ‘honeydew’ – clings to roofs, bonnets and boots as a nasty residue. This goo then creates black, soot-like mould spores, which is acidic and can eat through paint,” he added.

“It’s incredibly hard to remove from paintwork, requiring good cleaning products and lots of elbow grease. And you ignore it at your peril. A roof or bonnet respray could set you back around £500, or more, it’s vital you keep on top of cleaning regime in these early summer months.”

A full-sized tree can host an estimated 2.5 million aphids. And they breed rapidly. Female aphids can reproduce “parthenogenetically” – which means they don’t need their eggs to be fertilised by males.

Meanwhile a single greenfly can produce 50 offspring. Within a month, that can result in some six million descendants. Mr Gohri advises using a wax and grease removing product to get the greenfly dung from your car.

He adds: “You can pick up these sorts of cleaners from your local auto parts shop, and they work really well to remove greenfly honeydew. In extreme circumstances you might even have to use a watered down mix of bleach and detergent.

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“And you should also think about keeping a packet of cleaning wipes in your vehicle, so you can remove the greenfly poo before it has chance to turn mouldy and cause paintwork erosion.”

Alex Greenslade is a researcher with the Rothamsted Insect Survey, which monitors insect populations flying over Britain. He says: “Aphids, or ‘greenfly’, will tend to start flying when the air temperatures are above 11-12°C and more readily as temperatures increase beyond that.

“They are all plant feeding insects; Probably the most abundant species that people will see flying in urban areas in late spring / early summer is the Common Sycamore Aphid. Its host, the Sycamore tree is very common and can support an enormous number of these aphids which will fly away from the tree when they become overcrowded.”