I don’t want them in my home, and I don’t want them anywhere near my car.
The problem is that cockroaches will be there as long as there are attractants. While some things attract roaches to your home, they can also get into your car.
Don’t like the idea of a roach crawling over you as you drive? I didn’t think so!
This post will look at how to get rid of cockroaches in your car.
To get rid of roaches in your car, you first need to understand why they are there! You can then use this as part of the ‘protection plan’ to stop it from happening in the future.
Whether you have fully grown roaches or even baby roaches in your car, you will need to understand why they are there.
Although I have identified 5 reasons (see below), you also need several entry points for the cockroaches to get into your car.
You should spend some time checking around your car to see if you can identify any small spaces that a roach can use to gain entry. Where possible, seal them up.
Let’s look at the 5 most common reasons for getting roaches in your car.
Rarely Used
One of the main reasons why you are getting roaches in your car might be because the car is rarely used.
In my experience, most folks who suffer from cockroaches in their car do not use their car very often. I am talking about one or two drives per month!
If your car is used daily, the chances of getting roaches are reduced.
Needs A Clean
Roaches are attracted to trash! If your car has a collection of trash, the cockroaches will happily set up home in it.
By the way, you may also get cockroaches in a clean car! Just because you have some roaches in your car, it doesn’t mean that it is dirty.
If you regularly eat in your car, you will likely have small bits of food in your seat or around the area. It is this kind of thing that will attract roaches to your car.
Protection
When you are a cockroach, everything is after you! Humans will kill you, and predators will feast on you if exposed. A roach will see your car as protection from predators.
If your car is rarely used, then it will also offer cockroach protection from you as well.
How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches In Your Car In 5 Steps
Now that you know the most common reasons, it is time to understand how to get rid of cockroaches in your car!
I mentioned above that you should look around your car for possible entry points that a cockroach can use to gain entry. I know it is a challenge to block all entry points in a car, but if you can see any that can be closed up, you should close them up. If you have fewer entry points, then you will have fewer cockroaches!
1. Bait Your Car
The first thing you should do is place traps or poison in your car to kill roaches. You could use sticky roach traps or roach bait with boric acid.
By setting traps and poison, you will be getting rid of roaches in your car fast! There are unlikely many cockroaches in your car, especially if you have just noticed it. Get some traps down immediately to kill them off straight away!
2. Clean Your Car
Tidy up everything in your car that should not be there, grab everything and remove it.
By removing the trash from your car, you are reducing the attraction of cockroaches.
3. Fix Any Leaks
While looking around your car for possible cockroach entry points, you should check and fix any leaks.
Leaks may appear inside the car, under the hood, or in the trunk. Check these areas for water collections or gaps where you may get a leak. Fix these holes.
You should also check under the hood for leaks in the engine.
4. Remove Food
You should remove any food that you have in your car. Food is a massive attraction for cockroaches; if it is freely available, they will be all over it!
If you store food in your car (in case of a breakdown, for instance), ensure it is stored correctly. You should safely store the food in glass containers in the truck.
5. Use It Regularly
If you want to get rid of roaches in your car and keep them away, then you should be using your car regularly.
By using it regularly, you are taking away the security a cockroach will feel inside your car. This is especially true if you get roaches inside the car.
Also – by using the car regularly, any cockroach set up a home in your engine bay will get some heat regularly! It will not be comfortable under the hood, and they will look to leave for a more secure environment.
How To Avoid Getting Cockroaches In Your Car
The best way to avoid getting cockroaches in your car is to seal up any entry points that allow them to get in.
Sure, it is tough to catch all entry points! For instance, it is impossible to stop them from getting into your engine bay, but it is possible to seal up entry points to prevent them from getting inside your car.
The most significant risk (apart from any rust spots) is under the hood, where the cooling system and wires enter your car. Roaches will use any gaps in these areas to gain entry. You will need to get under your hood with a torch to see if you can see or feel any entry points.
If you are uncomfortable with this, you should take it to an auto repair shop and ask them to check for entry points and seal them up.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to get rid of cockroaches in your car, then the 5 tips on this page will help! Not only that, but we also gave you some reasons why they got into your car in the first place!
After spending the entire night lying awake in a cockroach-infested hotel, I have driven myself to build knowledge on all things pest control. Since then, I've tested pest control techniques to see what works and what doesn't. Now, here I am giving you all the info I have learned!
