So, I know it’s hard to talk about this topic since many of us are scared of that little bug with 6 legs, which is covered in thorns. Somehow, they enter your car and… try to destroy it. Therefore, how to get roaches out of a car has been the unstoppable question for the past many years. Don’t worry, we are here to show you how to kill roaches in a car.
But first, do you know how the roaches get in your car?
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How Do Roaches Get In Your Car?
To be honest, cockroaches are the worst type of passenger in every car and a nightmare bug. They have legs and wings at the same time. But it’s not the only thing that makes people scared. The roach’s legs are covered with many thorns, so it’s easy to stick to every kind of surface. They stink, go to the bathroom, the living room, and to your lovely car, and carry types of bacteria that could potentially make you and your passenger very sick. That’s why many people think about “can i bomb my car for roaches”.
Knowing how roaches get in your car is as important as knowing how to get roaches out of your car. And the reasons why roaches are in a car are:
Roaches are good at infesting our stuff
Firstly, naturally, roaches are good at infesting our stuff. As we mentioned above, its legs have a lot of thorns, so it tends to stick to things easily. Shopping bags, for example, can easily become an entry point, and if you’re unlucky enough to be handed an infested bag of groceries at the store, you could soon be in for a hideous, long-lasting surprise.
Roaches are experts at hitchhiking inside things
Secondly, they are expert hitchhikers inside the things we tote around. They can hide in almost anything we buy, borrow, carry, or wear, and can hide their eggs in those things, too. Roaches also ride in suitcases, yard sale boxes, purses and backpacks, clothes from the laundromat, and other places, all of which usually make a pit stop in your car before you bring them home.
Able to live in bad conditions
Moreover, the color of cockroaches is dark, which is why they get mixed up with the car’s interior color. When they enter the car, roaches will stick around for the cake you dropped under the seat or the cereal your kids left on the seat, as long as it is food.
Some will say, why do roaches not die in the car, since when no one is on, the car will lack air. The fact is, they need very little to survive, and delighting in all the delicious crumbs you’ve left them, roaches will happily settle in for the long term and quickly start to breed.
The Danger Of Having Roaches In Car
The reason why many people wonder how to get rid of roaches in cars is that it is really dangerous for your health and your safety when driving.
Cockroaches can carry and spread more than 30 types of bacteria. Also, as they crawl through your car, they will leave behind skin shedding, bodily fluids, and feces. Since your car is a tiny space, this can easily turn into a haven for cockroaches to breed. Especially when you turn on the air conditioner, the chance of encountering the bacteria in roaches is really high.
Cockroaches can even carry some diseases, including salmonella. This can cause typhoid. Polio has also been found on these bugs, which can cause severe diarrhea and bleeding in humans.
Last but not least, there are a lot and a lot of people who are scared of roaches. If they fly in the car space when driving, some will be freaking out and lose control, and cause accidents. As a result, someone tends to think about bug bomb for car.
How To Get Roaches Out Of A Car?
The roaches are annoying and dangerous. But do you know how to get roaches out of your car? Here is the step-by-step instruction to kill roaches.
Step 1: Clean your car with a vacuum
The very first step on how to get roaches out of your car is you have to make your car clean. By that, you may have a chance to vacuum it out of your car if you are lucky enough. It also helps to get rid of the potential food for them.
Without food and air, they will die by themselves. Take a hand vacuum or drive to a DIY car wash and use their vacuum to clean out the interior. While you’re at it, throw out any garbage that has accumulated inside your vehicle.
If you haven’t already removed the carpets, opened compartments, and slid the seats out of the way, do it now. Then get in there with the best vacuum you can find and vacuum your car—every nook, cranny, crack, and crevice.
Step 2: Apply the methods below
Here are some methods that will help you to remove roaches from the car.
1. Set the sticky trap
You can buy it at the grocery store and set the sticky trap on the car floor for a few days. It will capture what the vacuum did not get. It’s really helpful since the roaches will travel in the car if you are not there. It is possible to catch roaches that have not been removed by a vacuum.
2. Roach repellent foods
Roaches are scared of garlic, bay leaves, cucumbers, or other repellent foods. You just need to leave the food where you see the roaches inside your car. Cucumber slices can be left out for a couple of days, while the garlic and bay leaves can be kept in your car for up to several weeks.
3. Boric acid
Boric acid is a natural roach killer that is nearly harmless to humans. Roaches cannot digest this acid, while humans routinely use it to reduce acne, soothe tired eyes, and fight off fungal infections. Just sprinkle some of the white powder throughout your car. After they walk through it, they will then clean themselves, ingest it, and die.
But make sure that you use the boric acid sparingly, though.
4. Catnip
If you think that catnip is only for cats to make them feel happy. You are wrong. The catnip actually can help you get rid of the roaches from your car. Catnip has an opposite effect and is completely off-putting to roach compared to the cat. Sprinkle the catnip throughout your car to drive the bugs out.
These 4 methods above are considered the organic methods on how to get roaches out of your car. Let’s turn to some other chemical methods that are stronger.
5. Novacide
Novacide is an insecticide that kills adult roaches. Additionally, it also contains an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents roaches from being able to lay eggs by sterilizing them. If you have a substantial roach infestation, spray the Novacide throughout your car’s floors and seats.
Remember to leave all of your car doors open. Spray in a downward sweeping motion and let your car ventilate until the fumes have disappeared and the novacide is completely dry.
6. Pyrid Aerosol Sprayer
A pyrid aerosol sprayer is also a good idea to kill roaches inside of your car. It is a flushing agent, and it can do a fantastic job of ridding your vehicle of unwanted pests. All you need to do is spray the solution into all cracks, corners, and crevices of your vehicle with the doors and windows open.
Do not forget the under the seats. After you’re finished spraying, leave your windows open and allow the car to completely dry and the harsh vapors to dissipate before attempting to drive your vehicle. This should take about 30 minutes to an hour.
Tip – How To Think Like A Roach
Thinking like a roach will help you a lot in getting roaches out of your car. It is really simple. Just pretend you are a roach, where will you go? It’s like “boy, I’m hungry, where are my foods?”.
So by thinking like a roach, you will probably go to the space beneath the seats where roach’s possible food is. They could be crumbs, straw wrappers, empty water bottles, and loose change that fall.
The next area could be the floor mats. Take the carpet out, you will be surprised. It’s completely another world compared to the surface of the carpet. Underneath, check for tiny, car-loving roaches or even tinier roach eggs. Flat and small, these bugs and the eggs they lay are perfectly designed to live and multiply, literally right underneath your feet.
The truck is also a possible place where the roaches love to live. The trunk holds plenty of areas where cockroaches like to hide, too. You might even have storage space or a spare tire compartment under the floor of the trunk that could be harboring them in large numbers.
Finally, you may find roaches that live in tire-changing tool compartments, door pockets, glove compartments, air conditioning vents, and that fast food bag that turned garbage receptacles, wedged between the seats.
So you will be able to find the roaches and be ready to kill all of them.
Can You Bug Bomb A Car?
Since you wonder sometimes that can you bug bomb a car, we are here to give the answer. The bug bomb is designed for a whole house, so you may find that it’s a little bit overkill. Moreover, those bombs can stain and discolor your upholstery and headliner, leaving your car not only full of roaches but looking worse than it did before.
So, do not bug bomb your car unless you want to destroy it. Some still do it, but have to face the fact that their car interior is discolored. These methods on how to get roaches out of your car, which are mentioned above, are good enough to apply.
Sum Up
So we have just given you all of the possible methods on how to get roaches out of your car. Get over your fear and follow our methods and tips to completely kill the roaches on your car. Do not forget to read other maintenance tips to better understand your car and know how to fix it when needed.
