How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Car
Cockroaches in your car are indeed not only disgusting but also the reason for many health concerns. The nasty insects carry a lot of diseases, and their existence makes the environment unhygienic. You should move out promptly, regardless of whether it is one roach or an infestation.
In this article, we’ll explain how cockroaches get into your car, some alternative ways to eliminate the roaches, possible places that may host unwanted visitors, and some ways to keep them from returning. Never fear everything is pretty easy to do, so you can confidently reclaim your vehicle again.
How Cockroaches Enter Your Car
You may be asking yourself how these insects can ever come into your car at all. Cockroaches can enter very efficiently through tiny gaps and holes. Roaches usually enter your car via small gaps such as drainage openings, opened windows, or even cracks around air vents.
Additionally, roaches may sneak into your car by sticking to your things like grocery bags, backpacks, or dirty clothes. Once inside, your car provides them with the perfect conditions in which to live because a car has a warm indoor where moisture and food scraps will ensure they do welfare enough for them to live nicely.
Food particles are one of the major reasons roaches like your car. Any small crumb that has been left on your car seats, in floor mats, or between seats will attract the pests.
Chances are if you have been eating in your car or leaving drinks in your car for long time, then you may have unknowingly invited roaches into your vehicle.
Many times, roaches even penetrate vehicles parked beside infested areas such as trash cans, sewerage lines, or damp areas. Once they penetrate inside, the roach can lay eggs, and before one knows it, you’ve got a full-blown case of roach infestation in your hands.
Ways To Make Your Car Roach Free
Fortunately, there are several methods of eliminating roaches from your car. You may opt for chemical-free products, DIY solutions, or high-grade roach bombs. Let’s now look at the most effective methods of making roaches stay out of your car.
1. Deep Clean Your Car
The first and foremost step to eliminating roaches is by providing your car a thorough cleaning. Clear all trash, sweep the inside and surfaces. Be particular with places such as under the car seats, the space around the trunk, and in other spots cockroaches love to hide.
Make sure you remove all of those food particles that roaches could be staying on. Take out some unnecessary items such as plastic bags or old cartons that might shelter them.
Regular cleaning of floor mats, as they trap food crumbs and moisture, providing a best roach hiding place. A regular deep cleaning not only removes the existing pests but also makes your vehicle less attractive to future infestations.
2. Use Roach Traps and Baits
Another very potent method is by deploying traps and gel bait within your vehicle. Cockroaches get attracted to gel bait and then consume it. Then, they will go back to their hiding spots, and cause them to spread the poison to other roaches. It helps to kill an entire roach infestation in a few days.
You can also install sticky traps in hidden areas such as the underside of seats, inside the trunk, and under the grille of air vents. It will trap the insects and easily spot and eliminate them.
3. Try Boric Acid or Diatomaceous Earth
If you want to go natural with killing the roaches, we recommend boric acid and diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle those powders around areas that you suspect a roach might be in. Sprinkle that in the mat of the car underneath the floor, in the trunk, along the edges of your seats. Then the roach will walk into it and then get it all over their bodies and die eventually.
Both these methods are chemical-free, hence safe for humans and pets, but must be used with some caution. Avoid breathing in the powder after it has been applied. Make sure the powder is not applied to wetted areas. Gradually, your car will turn out to be a less inviting place for roaches.
4. Use Natural Repellents Like Bay Leaves or Catnip
To make your car free from roaches, you can have multiple options. If you want some natural ways, you can get your hands on chemical free natural repellents like bay leaves and catnip as well.
Cockroaches hate these repellents smell. All you have to do is make a tiny sachet filled with bay leaves and catnip and place them in your car’s hidden areas where roaches may exist.
This is a gentle but effective way to keep roaches from returning without using any harmful chemicals.
5. Set Up Roach Bombs (With Caution)
Heavy infestation may prompt you to use roach bombs or bug bombs. They are products specifically designed for cockroach killing, emitting inside your vehicle. Though very effective, use them with caution since they are pretty toxic and flammable.
Always take the instructions mentioned in the manual guide, and right after you have sprayed a roach bomb, give your car a lot of ventilation for several hours so that all the chemicals in it will be cleaned out.
Common Places in Your Car Where Roaches Live
Roaches are expert hide-and-seekers, and if you know what they prefer to nest in, you’ll find them faster and target more areas for cleaning up and extermination. Here are some common places in your car where they like to reside:
- Car seats: Roaches seek crumbs, warmth, and darkness under car seats.
- Floor mats: Places under the floor mats trap moisture and food debris and form an ideal hideout for roaches.
- Trunk: This is a prime area that easily becomes cluttered, creating more locations for roaches to hide and lay eggs.
Conclusion
Having roaches in your car is not just an annoying – it can also effect one’s health. However, with these simple steps, you can effectively get rid of them and prevent them from coming back to your car. Start with a cleaning session, using roach bombs and setting up traps for them.
If necessary, use natural repellents such as bay leaves or catnip. Maintenance of the vehicle, adequate ventilation, and avoidance of food particles will help kill these pests.
FAQs
How long does it take to get rid of roaches in my car?
The time it takes depends on the level of the roach infestation. In many cases, it could take a few days to a week with consistent cleaning and using products like gel bait and boric acid.
Can roaches really live inside air vents?
Yes, cockroaches can live in your car’s air vents because it’s warm and dark, which provides ideal living conditions for them.
Are natural repellents like bay leaves or catnip effective?
Yes, natural repellents like bay leaves and catnip can help deter roaches. However, for larger infestations, it’s recommended to combine them with other methods like roach traps or gel bait.
Say Bye to Roach Infestation!
Although roaches are tiny insects, but it is not easy to get rid of them. But since we are here, they have to go back and never come back. Connect with us and get out professional pest control services right at your doorstep!