Did you find a carpet beetle infestation in your car? Feels disgusting, right? Carpet beetles are tiny pests that have different types. However, one trait is common in all of them. They cause irreparable damage. This blog is all about the causes of carpet beetles infesting the precious interior of your four-wheeler.
You might have carpet beetles in your car for a couple of reasons: because you have trash inside your car, because you’re not cleaning it often because you haven’t used it in a while, or because you parked it close to a plantation. Cars are just a cozy habitat for carpet beetles! But whatever the reason you can get rid of them by cleaning your car and using boric acid and specific carpet beetle sprays.
What Reason of Carpet Beetles Infesting the Vehicle?
Owning a car is always a privilege. Sitting on an elegantly covered seat, you enjoy driving your shiny roadster.
It’s all good and comfortable until one day. You see a nightmare unfolding in front of you. Nah, I am not talking about a Dracula appearance. I mean to mention carpet beetles. Yes, the fabric-munching pests.
Now, you are troubled. You probably ask yourself instant questions like WHAT, HOW, and WHEN? It surely is a face-palm situation, but luckily it is solvable.
We have highlighted the potential causes of a carpet beetle infestation in your car. Let’s take a look at what those are.
Reason 1: Food Remnants in Your Car
Your car can probably be your second home. Going to work, traveling, long road trips, ALL of it involves food and drinks. If the trash isn’t picked up and thrown away, not only will your car be dirty, but carpet beetles will also be attracted to it.
These microsized pests can feed on dry food and oil as well. If empty packets of Doritos are laying around in your car, or any other snacks, carpet beetles won’t shy from taking their toll from all this junk.
It is very important to pick up the trash and dispose it of in effort to keep pests away.
Kudos to you if you are particular about not keeping any waste in your car. Sadly, that does not mean your car is free from beetle trouble.
Reason 2: Food and Drink Stains on the Synthetical Fabrics in Your Car
Carpet beetles feed on products that contain animal protein. These include leather, wool, silk, hair, etc.
However, their natural feed doesn’t include synthetic fibers. Wait. Did you take a breath of relief? Uh-huh. They still can nibble your car seat covers. Let me tell you how.
You can probably recall a lot of times you ate snacks in your car. Some crumbs MUST have fallen on the seat or the car mat. You might have unintentionally touched the seat with your oily hands. Synthetic fabrics absorb oil. Similarly, sometimes there is a drink spilled on the seat covers. All of this becomes food for carpet beetles.
It’s remarkable if you keep track of the cleaning schedule of your car. However, not vacuuming your car thoroughly is the same as welcoming carpet beetles.
Cleanliness is NOT confined to just picking up trash. It also requires detailed cleaning now and then.
There are a couple of factors that act as bonus points for carpet beetles. Those play a huge role in aiding an infestation.
Reason 3: Leaving the Vehicle inactive for a Long Time
Your car usage depends on your routine and requirements. If you drive your car every day, that’s good enough. If not, it will be parked and undisturbed. This can result in carpet beetles sneaking into the car. They love dark and placid spots.
A dirty car coupled with quietness and peace says HELLO CARPET BEETLES.
Make sure you take your car on a drive even when it’s not needed. Just to move it around and have some action. The purpose is to destroy the tranquility available to carpet beetles.
Reason 4: Plantation Car Parking
Adult carpet beetles feed on nectar and pollen. That’s the reason why they are likely to be found in flowers and areas of a plantation.
Cars are often parked under trees or near gardens. I think you should avoid that. Carpet beetles are more likely to invade your car if it’s near their feeding grounds.
They can enter your car and make it a breeding ground. After that, it will be A LOT of trouble. The females can hatch 35 to 100 eggs at once.
The larvae are so tiny. They won’t even be seen until you notice the carpets and fabrics on the seats chewed.
PRO TIP
If it’s not possible to use your car for a considerable period, just make sure you don’t park it very close to a plantation.
Also, try to put a car cover on to maximize the safety from pests.
3 helpful tips to get rid of carpet beetles in car
As frustrating as a carpet beetle infestation in your car might be, you should gear up and eliminate it.
The following are some carefully selected tips to help you through the process.
Tip 1: Clean your car
Thoroughly inspect your car’s interior. Carpet beetles love to stay in hidden spots. You have to be vigilant. Pay attention to the narrow sidelines, carpet edges, and folds.
Pick up a vacuum and clean all these areas including under the floor mats.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a high temperature. The steam produced is likely to kill the little invaders.
Also, you might be interested in checking out this post:
How To Keep Car Carpets Clean? 11 Things you must know!
Keeping your car’s interiors clean by following these suggested tips can go a long way! Avoid spending big bucks at the professional service centre by maintaining your car by yourself!
Tip 2: Apply Boric Acid on Unreachable Spots
Sprinkling boric acid is a very effective way to get rid of carpet beetles. You can especially dust it on unreachable spots and leave it overnight.
Just clean your car the next morning, and this powder will have done the entrusted job.
Tip 3: Spray specific products
There are certain products specially formulated to exterminate pests. These include sprays that are proven and tested.
Good quality sprays don’t even possess any odor. So you can freely and frequently use them, especially when an infestation has to be cleared.
Other than those, you can use essential oils like cedar and peppermint oil to make a spray yourself. You will find this method bearing immediate results as well.
STRONG ODOR WARNING
Essential oils used for killing carpet beetles have specific odors. When you make a spray by combining those, make sure you keep this in mind.
Don’t go overboard with the quantity. Otherwise, your car might be unusable for a day or so due to the unbearable and unpleasant smell.
However, for more information on how to get rid of carpet beetles, check out our blog post that discusses this subject in detail.
Conclusion
That’s it folks. You are now aware of the causes of carpet beetles in your car.
I am sure you will take the due measures and safeguard your dear car from an infestation.
Points to remember are trash removal, regular cleaning, taking your car for a drive if it hasn’t been used in some time, and trying to park it away from plantations.
It is very important that your car shouldn’t only be scratchless from the outside, but also pest-less from the inside. That’s how you will enjoy genuinely pleasant rides.