In the colder months pests such as rats, raccoons and even insects may look to make a home in your car. To keep pests out the best thing is to use preventative measures such as not leaving food or drinks in the car, not parking under trees or on dirt and not transporting plants in your car. Pests are sometimes present because of environmental conditions such as storing pet food in your garage or with colder weather the warmth of your engine.
If you find your vehicle is occupied by something other than you or your intended passengers, here are some tips on what to do:
Give the vehicle a thorough once over inside and out to determine what type of bug you are dealing with. You should also check out the areas where your vehicle is regularly parked. This could be both at home or at work, there will most likely be a larger infestation of whatever you’re dealing within very close proximity.
Ants - Put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and place the cotton wherever you have an infestation. Essential oils can be dangerous when misused, be cautious if you are pregnant or have small children. You can also try Ant Traps such as Hot Shot Max Attraxs Ant Traps. These pre made ant traps are great because they are discreet and child proof. They would work perfectly for slipping under the seat of your vehicle or placing in the corner of your trunk. The poison starts working immediately and the traps can last for up to six months.
Roaches - Try Trapper Max Glue Traps. It is a natural and toxin free way of trapping pests. The trap is rectangular and measure 4.5” x 6.5” which makes it a great size for just about any spot in your vehicle. Traps should be placed beneath the floorboards of your car if accessible, beneath seats, in the corners of the trunk and in the boot
Wasps and Bees - If possible try to find a beekeeper to come and remove the bees from your car and safely relocate them to a proper home. It is inadvisable to kill bees as they are currently endangered and a lot of our food supply depends on them. With wasps, hire a professional exterminator if at all possible. Wasps are highly motivated to protect their nest and they do not die like bees do after a sting.
Rats, Mice, and Rodents - Use Western Red Cedar shavings around where the vehicle is parked. These wood shavings contain phenols which kill rodents, though most will hit the road before they come close to dying. You can also use ultrasonic rodent deterrents or rodent traps.
What To Do If There Is A Bug Or Rodent In Your Car While Driving - Bug related car accidents cause over 650,000 crashes every year! Stay calm. Pull over to the side of the road or a parking lot if it is safe to do so and get out of the car. Open your windows and doors and shoo the pest out of the car. If you have a spider use a paper document to remove.