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  • Writer's pictureJonathan Stoddard

Can Bed Bugs Survive in Your Car?


Bed Bugs are small, wingless insects. They can be found worldwide, although they typically reside eight feet or less from a bed in sleeping locations. You may be asking yourself "how do I know if I have bed bugs?" great question because there are many bugs that have been mistaken as bed bugs. Read on to determine. Once confirming you have bed bugs, you are probably asking yourself, "How do I get rid of bed bugs?" Another great question we will answer for you.


Blood is what bed bugs eat. Yuck!, Right? your next questions is probably "Can bed bugs make you sick?" Great question, although bed bugs cannot transmit disease, they can give you red, itchy bites all over your body. While some people might not be affected by insect bites, others might experience severe reactions or even allergies.


Bed bugs conceal themselves during the day in sheets, mattress seams, heaps of clothing, wall cracks, bed frames, and other places, then emerge at night to feast. Bed bugs may conceal themselves among the clutter, but having them does not imply that your home is messy. Bed bug infestations in automobiles are uncommon.


Can bed bugs infect your car?


If bed bugs land on your clothing, furniture, bags, or other items you bring into your car, they may do so. They probably won't scurry that far away from a sleeping location on their own. Bed bugs are not typically found in great numbers in cars since they need to be transported inside a vehicle. Once inside an automobile, bed bugs can remain there for a very long period.


Bed bugs consume the blood of mammals, including humans. They can live for an extended period without food, even though they need it to exist. Adult bed bugs and older nymphs can go up to a year without eating.


Younger nymphs can go without food from a few days to a few months. However, they will eventually require blood to grow to their next developmental stage and shed their exoskeleton.


Can bed bugs survive the winter in a car?

Only environments above 46 degrees Fahrenheit are suitable for bed bugs to survive. So if you live somewhere cold, the chances of them surviving in a car throughout the winter are slim.


Some bed bugs may tolerate higher temperatures, but most bed bug species cannot survive anywhere above 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Bed bugs can endure in your car for a long time with the correct temperature.


How to determine whether your automobile is infested with bed bugs

Checking for physical indications of an infestation, particularly in or around fabrics or tiny crevices where the bugs can hide, is the most straightforward approach to determine whether you have bed bugs in your car. Here are ten signs indicating you have a bed bug infestation. These indicators include:


Bed bugs that have been crushed leave behind reddish brown streaks.


Period-sized black patches that could leak into the cloth (bed bug excrement)


Bed bugs shed skin as they develop.


shells or little opaque colored eggs


the actual bed bugs


Check your home and automobile for bed bugs if you start to experience their little, itchy, red bites.


How to eradicate bed bugs in automobiles


Due to the rarity of car bed bug infestations, you might be able to eliminate the bed bugs yourself. Before contacting a professional, you might attempt several choices; However, a pest control company is the best option.


Earth made of diatoms.


Diatoms are a kind of small, aquatic creatures whose fossilized remains are used to make diatomaceous earth. Silica serves as the structural component of diatom skeletons. It can be used as a pesticide in powder form and is present in many products.


The diatomaceous earth absorbs oils and lipids from the exoskeletons of bed bugs. This will cause the bed bugs to dry out and die. It must sit undisturbed for long enough to allow the bed bugs to dry out, or else it won't work. After applying diatomaceous earth, wash the inside of your car thoroughly.


Although diatomaceous earth is safe to use, breathing it in can irritate your throat and nose. When putting it in your car, exercise caution.


Bed bugs can be killed by heat at temperatures above 113 degrees Fahrenheit. It might get that hot if you park your car in the sun on a hot day, but you probably won't be able to boost the temperature on your own. Before leaving the vehicle in the sun for a while, try covering the windows with dark fabric or plastic trash bags. Another option to attempt is to use a portable heater.


utilizing steam

Steam cleaners, both wet and dry, can aid in bed bug elimination. Additionally, they can enter your car's upholstery and all of the crevices where bed bugs might be hiding. Take care while using a steam cleaner to avoid creating an airflow that scatters bed bugs rather than eliminating them.


Fumigating a car to kill bedbugs

It can be risky to fumigate a small area like a car. Never try to fumigate your vehicle or use chemical insecticides on your own. Speak to a specialist if you suspect your vehicle might need to be fumigated.


The most accessible approach to avoiding a bed bug infestation is to look out for bed bug indications routinely. Here are some tips on preventing bed bugs while traveling. Other measures you can take to keep an infestation out of your car are:


Before putting any used furniture in your vehicle or house, inspect it.

Your car should be less cluttered so that bed bugs have fewer hiding places.


Regularly vacuum and wash the inside of your car.


Transport your clothing too and from the laundry in plastic bags if you use a communal laundry facility.


Avoid bringing bed bugs on vacation. Before departing for home:

  • Check your sleeping spaces.

  • Utilize a luggage rack in hotels rather than placing your suitcase on the floor or a bed.

  • Check your bags and clothing.

Takeaway

Bed bugs may enter your car on your clothing, baggage, furniture, or other items home to them. However, it's doubtful that bed bugs will wind up in your automobile independently; therefore, automotive infestations are a little less ordinary. If bed bugs are discovered in your vehicle, a thorough cleaning and a professional pest control company treatment should eliminate them Bed bug treatment prices in Florida vary.



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