How To Keep Pests Out Of Your Car

Household pests like cockroaches, rodents, spiders, and bed bugs can be awful in your home, but you'd never guess that they would infest your car. It is possible, though, and pest infestations in cars are becoming increasingly common.

Pests can find their way into your vehicle and will decide to stay if there are enough enticing items to explore and food to eat. If you notice that pests are invading your car and want to get rid of them, find out what you can do to combat the infestation and kick them out of your ride here.

Common Car-Invading Pests

Much like when they explore a home, there are all sorts of pests that may venture upon your car out of curiosity to explore and see if they can find something of benefit. The following pests are the most common ones that people complain about:

Cockroaches—Perhaps the most significant pest problem inside cars is cockroaches. No matter the species, cockroaches are scavengers for food and moisture. They will eat whatever they can find. If your car is not tidy because of dropped food, cockroaches can likely find a way into it to feast upon the scraps. If there is plenty to eat, they may build a nest and multiply their population, hiding in a car's numerous crevices.

Rodents—An infestation that more likely occurs in northern states, rodents like rats and mice have been known to infest cars in their efforts to seek warmth from cold weather. Suppose there is food left behind in the car. In that case, they will stick around and eat that. Rodents can be especially damaging to vehicles they invade by gnawing at wires, ripping out insulation to aid them in making their nest, and squirreling away debris and trash in car and truck engines.

Bed Bugs - Contrary to what their name claims, bed bugs do not just infest beds. They can infest plenty of other areas, including cars. With their tiny, flat bodies and knack for crawling onto things and hiding, bed bugs often invade vehicles by transferring off of an infested item brought into the car, like a piece of luggage, a box of clothing or fabrics, or a second-hand item or piece of furniture. You may not notice them in your vehicle, but you'll feel their bites as you drive when they crawl on you to feed. This could be a serious hazard on the road that could lead to an accident if you're not careful.

Ants—Much like cockroaches, ants readily infest vehicles during their foraging for food. If there is food that hasn't been picked up, a trail of worker ants will line up and move into your car to partake in the crumbs and leftovers. Taking a page from bed bugs, they may crawl onto you and bite you unsuspectingly during a drive.

Prevent Bugs From Infesting Your Car

So, if you recognize that you have bugs or rodents in your car, what should you do to remove them from the situation? Here are a few of our expert recommendations:

• Keep Your Car Clean! This is the best thing you can do for your vehicle. Dropped food and a generally messy and cluttered card are basically invitations for pests to come in and explore to see what goods they'll find. Regularly vacuum out your car, especially the backseat, if you have kids who enjoy a lot of snacks during drives.
• Keep your windows closed - You may like your car windows open a crack for air circulation. This could be a bad idea as pests will gladly use that cracked window to enter your vehicle, especially if they detect food inside.
• Use Novacide - Novacide is a powerful aerosol insecticide that can kill several pests that usually invade cars and is safe to apply to your car's upholstery (just make sure you spray only on non-leather seating and items).
• Address Outdoor/Indoor Pest Problems - Is your car parked by a nearby ant mound? Maybe you have bed bugs in your home and don't want them unknowingly transferred to your car. Tackle pests in your home and around your yard to make it less likely that they use your car as a target for exploration. Whether it be a broadcast application of Supreme IT to treat and control 70+ common pests, setting up rodent traps and bait around your home perimeter, or conducting a full-blown indoor bed bug or pest treatment, these actions can go a long way in keeping your car safe from infestation.