What Kills Roaches in a Vehicle

Imagine driving along the freeway when you suddenly notice something crawling on your dashboard.

You take a closer look and suddenly get the shock of your life. It’s a cockroach, and there’s no way you can escape the nasty pest because you are in a car moving on the freeway. That sounds like a nightmare!

If you think cockroaches can only live in homes and apartments, think again because they love living in your car. And it can be dangerous.

Roaches carry diseases and can contaminate your car. So, you and your family could get sick if you ride a roach-infested car.

Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of these pests. You need to know what kills roaches in a vehicle.

If roaches are inside your car, you can use the methods below to kill them.

4 Ways To Kill Roaches in Your Vehicle

Whether you have German or American cockroaches in your car, you can find many methods to kill these pests. But four will do for now. However, there are two things you need to do first.

First, you’ll need to clean your car thoroughly. Something is attracting roaches. And it’s most likely food. So if you eliminate their food source, they will not come to your car for a buffet.

Eliminate every food bag and container you find. And don’t forget about the empty cups, too. Throw every garbage you find. Double-check to ensure you don’t miss anything.

People also recommend throwing away empty boxes because cockroaches like to eat the glue on the tape.

Clean your vehicle from top to bottom. So, you must run it through the wash, clean up the windows and upholstery, and vacuum it—lots and lots of vacuuming. Deep cleaning is necessary to remove every crumb of food in your vehicle.

The second thing you must do is stop eating in your car. You did everything you could to clean your car and make it spotless. But if you eat in your car, you will ask cockroaches to return.

As difficult as it sounds, you must avoid eating in your car. If there’s no other option, clean up immediately after you eat. Remove all food and drinks. And vacuum thoroughly, if you can.

Once you have started doing those two things, you can kill the cockroaches. And the four ways you can do this are by sprinkling Diatomaceous earth and boric acid, roach fumigation, using traps and baits, and calling pest control. All of these are explained below:

1. Diatomaceous Earth or Boric Acid

You can use most roach-removing techniques of your home in your vehicle. And good examples are Diatomaceous earth or boric acid.

But a word of caution here! Boric acid can be toxic to humans and animals if ingested. So, if you have kids or pets traveling when you drive your car, it’s best to avoid using it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

On the other hand, Diatomaceous earth is both safe for kids and pets. You can even sprinkle Diatomaceous earth on your pets to kill fleas. So, it’s quite a versatile product.

But the application process is the same, no matter your chosen product. It would be best to sprinkle the powder on your car’s floor. So, when roaches walk on them, they’ll die by getting destroyed inside out.

Clearing out all the roaches can take days or weeks, depending on the infestation. Just ensure to remove every dead cockroach you find. Roaches are cannibals and have no problem eating their dead to make it their food source.

2. Roach Fumigation

If you have a large infestation in your vehicle, boric acid and Diatomaceous earth will not be enough. So, it would be best to use a fogger. But be careful when you use this product.

Remember, you are spraying poison in your vehicle. So, you’ll need to air out your car after using the product.

Once the bug bomb has worked its deadly magic, open all the windows and doors of your cars for a few hours. It would be best to run the air conditioning for 10 minutes to clean out the vents, too.

Even though foggers are excellent at removing cockroaches, they should only be used as a last resort.

You can use bug spray to kill roaches if you dislike foggers. But remember, you are spraying in a confined area, so ensure windows and doors are open.

3. Traps and Baits

Bug bombs are effective but are dangerous if you don’t know how to use them in your vehicle.

Boric acid and Diatomaceous earth are safer but take too long to work.

The best way to get rid of roaches in your vehicle is to use traps and bait. A popular option for vehicle owners is glue or sticky traps because it does not make a mess.

You can place it anywhere there’s roach activity. And the great thing about it is safe around kids and pets. But, ensure nothing messes it up, like your dog eating the baits before they have a chance to work.

Fortunately, roaches are nocturnal. So, keeping pets and kids from ruining your traps and baits is not hard.

It can take a few days or weeks to clear out the cockroaches in your car with traps and baits, especially if there’s a large infestation. The more cockroaches you have, the longer the process will take.

4. Call Pest Control

If all the methods above fail, calling pest control is your best option.

These professionals can help you identify where the cockroaches are coming from and will effectively get rid of them.

But remember that they’ll most likely use strong insecticides to eliminate the infestation. So, ask when it is safe to ride and ask for tips to ensure the roaches will not return.

Conclusion

Roaches are nasty pests; nobody wants them in their homes or vehicles.

Fortunately, there are ways to kill them, like boric acid and Diatomaceous earth, bug bombs, traps and baits, and pest control.

So, if you know anyone who has a cockroach infestation in their vehicle and doesn’t know what kills them, sharing this article should help.