Bed Bugs Northwest
Having bed bugs in your car feels like your nightmare is getting bigger, not smaller.
An infestation in your car has even bigger implications like re-infesting your home during treatment, infesting your workplace, friends, and family. I know, that was me. It’s a horrible situation to be in, and you can’t put off dealing with it. You probably would be surprised by how many people with infestations in their home, also have infested their cars. It’s a lot, but people aren’t exactly bragging about it. It can be frustrating and sometimes feels hopeless, but it’s not!
Below I have listed five ways people try to deal with bed bugs in their car that are either dangerous, ineffective, or both. Bad treatment in your car leaves you exactly where you are today, except possibly worst.
And then I have some solid advice on how to avoid infesting your car (or reinfesting it).
But first, how do you deal with a bed bug infestation in your car?
Nearly all modern pest control companies (and me) believe the best remedy for bed bugs in your car is the NUVAN Pro Strip. You don’t even have to see or find bed bugs to use it. You can just use it knowing it will kill all bugs and eggs when used properly. I was one of the first individuals to use it in a car at the time. I had nothing to lose by trying it and everything to gain. It did what it promised for me!
The NUVAN no-pest strip is for professional use, however the HOT-SHOT No Pest strip which IS NOT labeled for use against bed bugs has the same ingredients as the NUVAN strip. I am not giving you advice. I am just educating and sharing what I’ve learned, and that’s my disclaimer. Whatever you decide, always follow the directions, don’t take short-cuts, read and follow the directions. This is very easy to use.
And if you decide to have a pest-strip placed in your vehicle, why not load it up with possessions that are gonna be hard to treat, like toys, electronics, etc. If you think that might invite a car break in, then don’t load up your car, but get the bed bugs out so you can drive without fretting.
Learn how to leave your house without bed bugs.
Can you see bed bugs in my car
Yes, you “could” see them, but you probably won’t.
Your car offers so many places for bed bugs to hide and lay eggs, it’s possible you may never see one in your car until you use a no-pest strip. If you aren’t sure if you have bed bugs in your car, you could take a low-vapor steamer to the dash seams and see if anything crawls out. Or you can just put a strip in the car, and don’t use it for around 10 days. You need to be sure no new bed bug eggs are gonna hatch, although the pesticide in the strips also kills eggs.
- CAR STEAM CLEANER: Uses pressurized, 212°F high-temperature steam to loosen and dissolve dirt, cut grease, and grime, expel stains, and disinfect your vehicle. This steamer is versatile and can be used for a wide variety of car cleaning projects.
- VERSATILE STEAM MACHINE: Clean your vehicle’s leather, upholstery, carpets, dashboards and windows with steam. Use indoors for other household cleaning projects
- AUTOMOTIVE STEAM CLEANER: The built-in carrying handle allows you to safely and easily transport the steamer with you as you clean
Dealing with a bed bug problem in your car? Don't make these mistakes!
- Detailing your car will make it look nice but could easily miss bed bugs hiding in hard to reach places? The problem with car detailing is only what is touched is cleaned. It doesn’t penetrate your cars seams and inner spaces. Again, bed bugs will not be roaming around under your floor mats. They will hide and nest in your cars deeper interior under the plastic and upholstery. Detailing will make your car look nice but you may still have bed bugs in it.
- DO NOT apply liquid or powdered pesticides in your car. I see people post online, that they are putting powdered pesticides on their mattresses, furniture, and in their cars. The bad news is once applied it will never be completely gone, even if you vacuum the heck out of it. Some pesticide will always remain in upholstery and carpets, if in powdered form. When air circulates in your car, including opening the windows, the powder will be in the air you are breathing, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T SEE IT. Getting it in your lungs, eyes, nose, etc., can result in illness. Using the wrong products to treat bed bugs in your car can make you and your family sick. Always follow the directions for use on the label!
- Leaving your car in the sun is not a sure thing. The interior of your car can easily get hot enough in the summer to kill bed bugs. The problem is that heat may not penetrate your cars plastic seams and inner spaces where bed bugs would hide. Bed bugs will not be roaming around under your floor mats. They will hide and nest in your cars deeper interior under the plastic and upholstery. When underfed they can easily fit in the plastic seams on your dashboard. This might work if your car is in some part of the world right now where they are experiencing temperatures of over 120° and you can be sure that every interior area of the car will be heated to at least 120° for a period of 4-6 hours. It is “possible” this would work, but “possible” isn’t acceptable is it? You want to be absolutely certain you are not going to re-infest your home from your car, so we are not accepting this as a sure thing method for treating your car. I had also considered using a professional auto paint oven to achieve these results and am still curious if this is a viable technique to kill bed bugs in your car.
- Steam cleaning probably won’t reach deep enough into the recesses of your car. Using a low vapor steamer to kill bed bugs does work if it can reach where they are hiding. However, there are so many places in a car that bed bugs can hide. It’s possible no amount of steam can, with certainty, kill an infestation. Look at all the plastic seams in your dashboard, under your cup holder, steering column. (sorry, not trying to freak you out, just being realistic)
- Don’t use your car for 12-18 months. This would work, but it’s not very convenient or realistic. If you’ve been doing your bed bug research you already know bed bugs can live as long as 12 months or more, depending on their last meal and external temperatures. University research has determined that bed bugs live longer without a meal in cooler temperatures than in warm to hot temperatures. Virginia Tech has produced an excellent guide to the bed bug lifecycle here. However, leaving your vehicle unused for eighteen months would ensure no living eggs or bugs were in your car.Adult bed bugs have a life span of nearly one year depending on regular access to blood meals and favorable temperatures. * *Stress Tolerance of Bed Bugs: A Review of Factors That Cause Trauma to Cimex lectularius and C. Hemipterus
I solved my vehicle infestation with a Nuvan strip
I had a pest company put the NUVAN strip in my car, and left the strip in for three weeks to catch any hatching eggs or newly laid eggs, and any living bugs. I rented a car and used public transit during that time. It turned out to be not too expensive and not that inconvenient. Rideshare wasn’t a thing back then, but now that is a good option as well. Just be sure to not brirng bed bugs with you,
I bet you’re wondering if I ever saw bed bugs in my car during my infestation, and the answer is yes, but only once. I did see bed bugs escaping from the seams in the dashboard while steaming the car. Understanding the bed bug egg-laying cycle, helped me plan an effective strategy using the NUVAN ProStrip.
You can read more about how to get rid of bed bugs in your car here.
Did this article help you find a way to deal with bed bugs in your car? Do you have more questions? Use my contact form to ask a question, if I don’t know the answer I’ll try to point you in the right direction.
- Long lasting
- Works on wide range of insect pests
- Good for use in attics and garages
Bed Bugs Northwest
NUVAN Pest Strips Kill Bed Bugs in Your Car! No Residue!
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How to get rid of bed bugs from someone who actually did!
Thank you for this amazing article.
Hi I’m experiencing this problem right now my car is infested with bed bugs and they travel with me everywhere it’s like I can’t stop the crawling I’ve lost my job my apartment I had to get rid of my cat after 8 years, my family an friends no everybody’s turn there back, I feel so embarrassed, they in all my clothes no matter if I buy new clothes it’s still a crawling issue, I feel like they been living on me I don’t no what to do, I no for sure it’s my car but I work part time job an need my car I no the nuvan strip is really strong, if you no someone with this same problem that can help with good advice please, reach me at my email address, sorry for long paragraph I’ve been unhappy for last couple of years no one to talk to or help me,
Hi, I’m really sorry this is happening to you. You don’t mention your city but I have a couple thoughts.
You can put a nuvan strip in your car for a couple of weeks and put all your possessions in the car so it all gets treated. This means you need to find a place to stay and not bring bed bugs with you. You need to be absolutely certain your clothes, hair, backpack have no bed bed bugs. So you need to get the clothes on your back into a hot dryer and you into a shower so all of that is free of bed bugs.
You cannot stay in your car with the Nuvan strip in it.
I would really advise you to reach yout to social services where you live. I’m. not sure what’s available but you can ask for emergency help. And yes, bed bugs can cause psychological and emotional trauma. That is absolutely real and the feeling of things crawling on you even when they are not has a name: “Formication
Formication is the sensation resembling that of small insects crawling on (or under) the skin when nothing is actually there.”
You DON’T want to bring bed bugs to work. It’s a very difficult situation you are in and that’s why I strongly encourage you to find our if you can get any kind of social service support because you need it.
You can do uber or public bus while your car has a strip in it. It’s inconvenient but you can’t do nothing, right?
Ok, that’s the best I can do for you. Think it through. Ask for help. Be a warrior! Other people have won this battle and you can too. It’s not easy, simple or cheap to do but not doing anything isn’t an option because clearly you are suffering.
Please take care of yourself.
I have the same problem that “Tamokia” does: Bedbugs in house (treated by local pest company and not gone; now, they ignore blood stains on my bed linens and other signs and infer I’m crazy. I stayed with a friend for a month – now he has them. I killed a lot in clothes during the month of Aug-Sept, bc of the heat (NC), But didn’t think ahead about “eggs” and after a lil cooler,all of the sudden-I open my car door and they’re everywhere – Eggs splatted open (same in house – with the eggs)..,Friends and family are GONE. Help!!! (PS. The “here” button from article apparently no longer has a link – PLEASE direct me to site/sites about what to do; I cannot function with all this anymore.
Hi, Hope!I believe this site tells you what to do. It’s just not simple or easy especially when they are in your car and home. But I believe I have given you very detailed instructions about what you can do with both, your car and your home. Killing a lot in clothes clearly was not enough. It’s not enough. You need to really dig in to the process of Isolating Your Bed, dealing with your laundry – all of it and your car, and do it without poisoning yourself. But I was you, they were in my little studio condo, everywhere and in my car and they are gone and have been. That is because I did ALL THE THINGS, not just one thing. Read my website. I’m glad you are reaching out but only you are going to solve this. As far as the pest company, I don’t know? They vary from helpful to liars and cheats and I can’t know the details of your situation. What is obvious is that you haven’t done all the things at once and in the order you need to take care of things starting with isolating your bed and you being diligent about how you live (while you have bed bugs) which is not how you live when you don’t. What I do know is that if I could win that battle anyone who is VERY DETERMINED can too. I wish you all the best, luck has nothing to do with this, but perseverence does. PERSEVERE!
Hi. I’m experiencing the same issue. I know it’s my car also. I feel hopeless to. No help. It’s cold here in Michigan and not sure if it works in cold temperatures. I have the strips. But the temperature keep going up and down. I want to let my car sit for a week but rentals are too expensive and I back to square one. What do I do with no assistance? No help from family and friends. They are afraid they will get them. Do Nubian pro strip work in cool places?
The pest strips work in any weather (that I know of) cold weather might take longer to work, that’s really a pest control or manufacturer question. I know it can feel isolating but keep at it. You can win this!
Where can you buy these in Seattle area. There is a restriction in Wa and they can’t be shipped.
Try the Hot Shot No Pest Strips if you are able to order those. Same ingredients but approved for non-professionals. https://amzn.to/48vyH6Q