A Helpful Guide: How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Car

Like rats, cockroaches are another irksome pest that gives you an icky feeling. Once they invade, they crawl on any surface, including dishes and food items. Let’s not forget how fast they breed and how they’ve got the worst timing when making an appearance.

Now, if you’ve got a roach problem in your car, getting rid of them should be a top priority. Even so, it can be a challenge if you don’t know where to start.

Here’s how to get rid of cockroaches in your car.

Telltale Signs of Cockroaches in Your Car

How do you confirm that there are indeed cockroaches in your car?

Here are the most common signs:

• Coffee-colored or pepper-like fecal droppings
• Oval, brownish egg casings that can hold up to fifty cockroach eggs
• A powerful, oily, and offensive odor
• Live or dead cockroaches

Popular Hiding Spots for Cockroaches

Now that you know what to look for, you’ll want to check out particular spots to gauge how bad your roach infestation has become. Cockroaches prefer dark hiding spots, which include:

• The AC unit
• Under and between car seats
• Speakers
• Glove compartment
• Door panel
• Center console
• In shopping bags, clothing, and boxes in your car

Why Are There Roaches in Your Car?

Knowing how to get rid of cockroaches in your car requires identifying what attracted them there in the first place. Two things could explain why cockroaches have infested your vehicle.

• Food – If you’ve been eating in your car and never cleaned up afterward, you’ve likely dropped food crumbs all over.
• Suitable environment – The American cockroach loves humid and dark areas. Leaving piles of clothing and failure to keep your car dry is another reason for a cockroach-infested vehicle.

How Cockroaches Enter Your Car

There are different ways that roaches enter vehicles. These include:

• Open windows – Several species like wood and Asian cockroaches can fly. Therefore, leaving your car doors and windows open can let these critters inside.
• Infested items – It’s possible to bring in roaches in your car through infested items. These include potted plants, shopping bags, suitcases, and clothing.
• Gaps – Cockroaches take advantage of car entryways to get into the trunk and access other areas. Some cracks to look out for include door openings, windshield, and sunroof lining holes, and undercarriage pockets.

Should a Roach-Infested Car Worry You?

Cockroaches do jump from home to vehicles and drains and latrines. It gets worse. These pests discharge bodily fluids on every surface they visit, leaving a distinct musky odor. Roaches are carriers of thirty types of bacteria which can lead to:

• Poliomyelitis
• Diarrhea
• Cholera
• Typhoid fever
• Dysentery

Moreover, roaches spread parasitic worm eggs. Roaches can also be responsible for allergic reactions like eyelid swelling and dermatitis.

How to Get Rid of Roaches in Your Car

Here are several things you can do to get rid of cockroaches in your car.

• Inspect your vehicle – The first step is to identify where these roaches are hiding. Check all the spots as mentioned earlier, not forgetting the vents.
• The second step is to vacuum and clean your car’s interior. We recommend using a car cleaning product to eliminate the roach odor.
• Use natural roach killers – Several ways of getting rid of cockroaches exist. Boric acid is perhaps the most effective as it disrupts roaches’ nervous system before killing them. Silica aerogel is another fantastic option as it dehydrates bugs. Alternatively, you could use diatomaceous earth, a much safer option. All you need to do is sprinkle it all over and wait for the roaches to walk through.
• Insecticide – You could visit your local hardware store and buy cockroach bait. Some brands have adhesives that let you stick the roach bait along vertical surfaces. Alternatively, you could purchase Novacide, an insecticide that sterilizes and kills roaches. Ensure to leave all doors open to allow the fumes to disappear.

Why You Should Never Use Roach Bombs to Get Rid of an Infestation

You may have heard about roach bombs and are probably considering using them to get rid of roaches in your car. This is a terrible idea.

First of all, these products are flammable.

Secondly, because they are aerosols, they will settle everywhere. And since they are poisonous, inhaling them could get you and your loved ones ill.

Finally, they aren’t effective. Not much of these insecticides reach every nook and cranny in your car’s interior, where these roaches tend to hide.

How Professionals Help Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Car

DIY methods of getting rid of roaches aren’t always the best solution. For instance, boric acid can cause skin irritation. Also, if you have children and pets, failing to clean the vehicle properly after applying insecticides can cause serious harm. Another thing, evidence suggests that silica gel is a risk factor for specific cancer types.

It’s therefore sensible to seek pest control services to deal with your roach issue effectively. After rigorous inspection, professional exterminators can identify the ideal cockroach control techniques. Some of them include:

• Bait stations
• Fumigation
• Heat treatment- this eco-friendly solution gets rid of roaches and their eggs

Remember, the level of infestation will determine how fast professionals can get rid of roaches in your vehicle. It could take anywhere from a day to months. For instance, German cockroaches are difficult to eliminate due to their resistance.

Cockroach Prevention Tips

Considering how gross these critters are, it’s only wise to take prevention measures. We recommend doing the following.

• Avoid leaving your car windows and doors open
• Stop eating in your car. However, if you must, clean the interior immediately after
• Inspect your vehicle after coming from a hotel, a yard sale, or a campsite
• Avoid parking your car near drains and sewers
• Take your vehicle for regular professional cleanings
• Consider using natural roach repellents. For instance, you could spray essential oils like citrus and lavender on car seats and floors.

McDonald Pest Control Know How to Get Rid of Cockroaches in Your Car

Taking these precautions can help keep roaches away. McDonald Pest Control offers customized cockroach extermination services for homes and businesses. We also specialize in other programs like bed bugs and termite control. Call us today to learn how McDonald Pest Control can make your car or property bug-free.