As if bed bugs weren’t already bad enough, there’s a possibility that they might infest your car too! Bed bugs are tiny, brown, and oval-shaped insects that feed on human blood. They are notorious for causing itchy, red bites, and for being incredibly hard to get rid of. So, if you suspect that you might have car bed bugs, it’s crucial to take swift action.
In this article, we’ll explore the possibility of bed bugs infesting your car, how to identify them, and what you can do to eliminate them. So, buckle up, and let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
What Are Bed Bugs?
Before we jump into the topic of car bed bugs, let’s understand what bed bugs are. As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are small, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are flat, wingless, and about the size of an apple seed. Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures and are known to be active during the night.
Bed bugs are often found in places where people sleep, such as hotels, homes, and even hospitals. They tend to hide in tiny cracks and crevices, making them challenging to spot.
WHAT DO BED BUGS LOOK LIKE?
There may occur a large variety of Bed bugs in your home or car. You must know what bed bugs look like to know if you have them or not.
Bed bugs are small bugs 1 to 5 mm sized and they are oval-shaped. They have 6 legs and 2 antennas. They do not have wings so, they can’t fly. They also cannot jump.
You can check this post for the main physical features of bed bugs: HOW TO CHECK FOR BED BUGS?
DO BED BUGS LIVE OUTSIDE?
Living in a car means living outside. As you justify, environmental conditions will become harder than inside the home for bed bugs.
But they can still survive outside. Especially those places which keep bed bugs from over-heat and over-cold will be good options for them:
A car or a tent outside will provide them with better conditions. Because no matter how hot or cold the air is, inside a car will help them keep their body temperature stabilized.
HOW LONG CAN A BED BUG LIVE IN A CAR?
The answer is exactly like that question:
The living period of a bed bug always depends on how much they are fed and how ideal the environmental conditions are.
A car will provide them with survival conditions by keeping them away from heat or cold.
The ideal temperature for bed bugs to keep living is between 113°F and 0°F. So, bed bugs will probably survive in your car for a long time.
The second factor is feeding. A well-fed bed bug can survive for more than a year without feeding. If you have bed bugs enough fed before, then you have a serious problem.
WHERE TO FIND BED BUGS IN YOUR CAR?
Bed bugs always hide. They never walk around until they’re hungry. Unless they need feeding immediately, you can’t see them in day time, because they prefer to move at night.
This means that you need to search your car to find them. When you think they love hiding, you must check the places below where they can hide:
- Under car mats
- Inside car seats
- Car trunk
- Deep and darker corners
- Tears in ceiling
- Glove compartment
While bed bugs are small insects, it’s going to be hard to find them. So, you must have a flashlight, credit card, and magnifying glass to find them:
HOW TO GET RID OF BED BUGS IN A CAR?
It won’t be easy because cars are narrow and it’s difficult to move in it. Even if you find bed bugs on somewhere inside your car, you can’t just get rid of your seats or mats.
What you must do is to get rid of bed bugs while you keep using your car. There are two main stages for getting rid of them in a car:
- Use a powerful vacuum cleaner and get all bed bugs in it. Make sure you get in all holes, cracks, and deep corners.
- Clean your car with a detergent cloth carefully.
The steps above are what you can do by yourself. But whatever you do, you will probably not be able to reach every single crack or hole where bed bugs keep hiding.
So, the best way, according to me is to use a heater. A bed bug steamer or heat machine will have better results.
It’s going to be easy to heat inside the car to kill bed bugs for a heat machine. You can buy or hire one.
A better way is to hire a professional pest controller to do this for you if you have a budget for this.
WHAT IF YOU CAN’T GET RID OF BED BUGS IN YOUR CAR
Having bed bugs in a car brings risk with it: You can carry them into your home by your clothes or body.
Believe me, it will be a bigger problem when you have bed bugs at home. It might affect your Health. So, if you haven’t got any bed bugs in your home and you realize that you have them in your car, after some try, getting rid of the car itself may be the best way.
You must always think of selling your car after a bed bug invasion. So do not forget to say the reason you sell your car to the buyer.
How to Identify Car Bed Bugs
The first step to eliminating car bed bugs is identifying them. Here are some tell-tale signs that you might have car bed bugs:
1. Bites and Reddish Stains
If you notice itchy, red bites on your skin after driving your car, it could be a sign of car bed bugs. Additionally, you may notice reddish-brown stains on your car’s seats, which are caused by bed bug fecal matter.
2. Live Bugs or Exoskeletons
If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it), you may spot a live bed bug in your car. Bed bugs are small and difficult to see, so you’ll need to be on the lookout for tiny, reddish-brown insects crawling around. You might also spot exoskeletons, which are the shed skins of bed bugs.
3. Musty Odor
If your car smells musty, it could be a sign of bed bugs. Bed bugs release pheromones, which have a distinct, musty odor.
How Do Bed Bugs Get into Your Car?
Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and can easily make their way into your car if you’ve been in contact with infested areas. For example, if you’ve stayed in a hotel or Airbnb that has bed bugs, you may inadvertently bring them home with you in your luggage. If you then put your luggage in your car, the bed bugs may crawl out and find a new hiding spot in your vehicle.
Similarly, if you’ve been in contact with someone who has a bed bug infestation, the bugs may cling to your clothing or bags and find their way into your car. Bed bugs are also known to hide in cracks and crevices, which means that they can easily hide in the seams of your car seats or carpeting.
BED BUGS VS CARS
Can bed bugs live in your car? Yes, they can. What you should worry about is how to get rid of them.
When you have bed bugs at home, using chemicals or homemade remedies is recommended for some cases.
But it’s going to be dangerous to use chemicals in a narrow area such as a car and homemade remedies like using diatomaceous earth or borax will limit your moves in the car.
Be sure that hiring a professional pest expert will be the best option. A powerful heater used by an exterminator will help you get rid of bed bugs.
You can check the posts below to see how borax and diatomaceous earth are used for bed bugs:
Conclusion
In conclusion, bed bugs are small, oval-shaped insects that feed on human blood and can be found in many places, including cars. If you suspect that you may have car bed bugs, it is crucial to take swift action to eliminate them. Bed bugs can survive for a long time in a car, and they can hide in tiny cracks and crevices, making them challenging to spot. The best way to get rid of bed bugs in your car is to use a powerful vacuum cleaner, clean your car carefully with a detergent cloth, and use a heat machine or a bed bug steamer.
FAQs
Can bed bugs live in your car?
Yes, bed bugs can live in your car, especially if you have been staying in hotels or other places where bed bugs are common.
How do you know if you have bed bugs in your car?
You may have bed bugs in your car if you notice bloodstains, shed skins, or fecal matter on your seats, carpets, or headrests. You may also notice bites on your skin after spending time in your car.
