Finding a cockroach in your car is a frightening and rather disgusting experience. You don’t often hear about cockroaches living in vehicles, so it is more than surprising to find one when you are driving down the highway. Will you ever get rid of the cockroaches that have moved into your car? Will you need to set your car on fire and push it off a cliff? Find the answers and solutions to your bug problem.
Cockroaches go inside cars for the same reason that they go inside a home: to find food, shelter, and a place to lay eggs. While finding a cockroach in your car is gross, is it actually dangerous? The fact of the matter is that they aren’t just a harmless bug. Having cockroaches is nothing like having ants or spiders. Cockroaches can transmit more than 30 different types of bacteria, which can have serious health consequences. While these cockroaches are invading your space, they’re leaving behind feces, regurgitated bodily fluids, and cast skins. The small space in your car can become a breeding ground for these cockroaches.
You might see a cockroach and decide that you just need to clean your car. Cockroaches can burrow into small places that you might never notice while cleaning. They’ll reproduce under your seat, in the car frame, in the speakers, and in other small places. Even in a clean car, these bugs won’t vacate on their own, especially if it’s getting cold outside. They’re looking for shelter, and they can go a long time without eating anything.
Removing cockroaches from your car takes more than a quick vacuum. Roaches are resilient pests that can hide in tiny spaces and survive on even the smallest food crumbs. Let’s go over how to deal with them.
A deep, top-to-bottom cleaning is the first and most important step in eliminating cockroaches. Start by removing all trash, food wrappers, and personal belongings. Vacuum every surface, including under seats, in seat crevices, between cushions, and inside the trunk, to remove food debris and roach eggs. Use a narrow vacuum nozzle to reach tight spaces like air vents, cup holders, and along floor mats.
Once the vacuuming is complete, wipe all surfaces with an automotive-safe cleaning solution. Pay special attention to sticky spots and spills around cup holders and doors, as these can attract roaches. For stubborn messes, use a damp microfiber cloth to ensure no residue remains.
Cockroaches can hide in glove compartments, door panels, trunk linings, and even beneath the dashboard. Shine a flashlight into these areas to check for signs of them. These can look like droppings or egg cases left behind. Once you identify problem areas, focus your cleaning and treatment there. Small handheld vacuums, compressed air, or a narrow crevice tool can help you access tight spots.
After cleaning, place roach bait stations like Combat® baits in areas where roaches are most likely to travel. Gel baits can be applied in small cracks where stations won’t fit. Place roach baits under your seats and in the corners of the trunk. This will give cockroaches the food and water they need, but with poison that will kill them and the nest. The cockroaches will come out of hiding to eat and, eventually, die.
Once you’ve started baiting, there are a few steps you can take to make your car less appealing. Simple habits like removing trash after trips, keeping your windows and sunroofs closed when parked, cleaning your car's interior, and using roach baits can help to reduce the potential for a reinfestation.
Don’t let cockroaches move into and take over your car. At the first sign of a cockroach infestation, you need to clean your vehicle and set out bait stations as soon as possible. You don’t want to reach over for a fry while driving and find a cockroach instead.