Is Your Personal Vehicle a Traveling Pest Hotel ?

Vehicles, cars, camper-vans, buses and trucks, provide many pests with a warm dry environment that often contains food. Vehicles can also provide these pests with transport, spreading the pests to wherever the vehicle travels.
Pests such as ants, spiders, fleas, roaches and rodents (rats and mice) can infest vehicles in the same way they infest homes. It is important to keep invading pests out of vehicles.
Cavities in vehicles can provide warm dry places for ants to build nests and they will often find food dropped in the vehicle.
Spiders find the gaps around wing mirrors and door jams the perfect places to hide and build webs around mirrors and other parts on the vehicle.
Rodents will nest in cars left parked for long periods and may do significant damage to vehicle wiring and upholstery (not to mention the stink when they die in the vehicle).
Another pesky creature that can invade vehicles is the dreaded Bed Bug.
Bed bugs invade cars and other forms of transportation.  They are hitchhikers extraordinaire! These many legged creatures sneak into vehicles via clothing, purses, boxes and cartons, luggage and even books and stuffed animals. They love clutter and choose living near a convenient host,You!
Other insects and even small animals can infest vehicles and are usually attracted because of something stored in the vehicle.
Here are a few tips for keep invading pests out of your vehicles.

• Keep it Clean! –Be sure to keep your vehicle clean and remove clutter on a regular basis. This is the best way to deter pests from making themselves at home. Clean the outside too. Don’t forget to wash the undercarriage, wheel wells and under the hood. Your wheels are a critters bridge from the road into the vehicle.
• Use a power vacuum – Make sure to keep your carpets and mats super clean! If you don’t have a good strong vacuum, use the pay-per-use vacuums at a gas station or car wash.
• Shampoo –Shampoo or steam clean carpets and other fabrics.
• Natural repellents – Making a solution of vinegar and lemon or vanilla is a great way to keep bugs and spiders away.  Just wipe surfaces with a 50/50 solution. There are other herbs that also turn away unwanted visitors, such as eucalyptus. Always test the surface to be treated first to make sure the solution doesn’t do any harm.
• Insecticide – Always follow the label instructions and employ recommended safety measures. Once the vehicle is all clean, spray a little under each floor mat; just enough to keep insects away but not to overpower you with its smell or fumes. If you keep your car outside, spray around the perimeter of your vehicle.

If you know or suspect you have an infestation on your hands, be aware that a DIY approach will not always provide a successful solution. Professional pest exterminators should be consulted to provide accurate identification, and proper and successful control methods.