How Do You Check Your Car for Bed Bug?

How Do You Check Your Car for Bed Bug? I do tell people that bed bugs are the best hitchhikers I know. They are travelers who love to catch free rides to their destinations. It’s a free trip. All expenses paid for. But one that usually comes at a high cost to the driver, whether or not the bugs asked for his expressed permission before hopping in — asking the right questions matters a lot. So, the question here is not if bed bugs can get into your car. Rather, the question should be – how do you check your car for bed bugs?

Bed Bugs and Your Car

One thing is clear, your car is not the permanent home for these bugs. The makeup of our car environment would not allow these bugs to survive long if they take-up permanent residency in our cars. For one, these bugs hate the daytime and only come out to feed in the night. I don’t think there are many people who have made their cars their living abode. No humans in the car for these bugs to feed means that they will starve to death.

Again, the fluctuating temperatures of our cars would not suit the living condition of bed bugs. When left at the car park, our cars can get very hot, thereby killing these bugs. Also, most times while driving, the air-cooling system is usually on. Cool environments aren’t suitable for bed bugs either. It slows their growth and inhibits reproduction, preventing them from multiplying.

For these bed bugs, the car is only but a transit vehicle, necessary to reach their final location. It is through this avenue that they latch onto any personal belongings of ours such as clothes, furniture, luggage and yes, your pets. An inspection of your car at regular intervals is necessary for preventing these pests from gaining access to your home.

Inspecting Your Car for Bed Bugs

How do you check your car for bed bugs? You can adopt the following approach.

• Start by cleaning your car off every trash. This trash provides hideouts for bugs.
• The car seats are made of clothing materials, so they are good spots to start your search from. Check the seats thoroughly, especially the loose seams.
• Check the pigeonhole, glove compartment and also the console.
• There can be molten eggshells, shed exoskeletons and bloodstains on the floor of the car. This should be checked also.
• Inspect your mats and rugs. If your car has pillows, pay particular attention to those as well.

Getting Rid of Bed Bug from Your Car

Peradventure you find signs of an infestation, don’t freak out. Follow the steps below and you will be fine.

• Remove everything in the car that is not fixed. These include mats, rugs, pillows, seat covers, headrest etc. You can leave them in the sun to be thoroughly heated or you can apply direct moist heat to them through a hot air blower machine.
• Vacuum the whole car. Pay attention to hidden spots and dark places.
• Wash the car thoroughly with a formulated detergent.
• Steam-cleaning your car can help to a large extent. But this should be done by a professional only so that you don’t end up damaging vital parts of your car.

Cars provide a ready avenue for bed bugs to gain entrance to our homes. If your car is bedbug-free, the same thing would apply to your home. So, if you’re asking – how do you check your car for bed bugs? it is a good question. It means you won’t be asking the same question concerning your home any time soon.