Spiders can make driving a terrifying experience for those who aren’t very fond of the creepy creatures. Not only can they find their way into your vehicle but also make a home for themselves and lay eggs! That doesn’t sound like the most pleasant experience for anyone. Though it might be easier to get rid of spiders that enter your house, it is a bit more complicated when they get into the restricted spaces of cars where they could even cause accidents.
Thus, the question arises: how to get rid of spiders in your car?
Removing spiders from your car could be a one time job, or it could be a repeated occurrence if you don’t take measures to prevent them from entering your car in the first place. This article will tell you how.
How do Spiders Enter Your Car?
In colder months, spiders like being inside the edges of the doors and windows. However, once the car starts running, the vibrations in the car’s skeleton disturb the spiders, causing them to relocate to more stable places, such as the steering wheels, or in air vents and behind mirrors. During the day, they also like to hide under the hood, in places that are away from the engine but will still gather things like leaves. Once they get under the hood, they can crawl to the interior through cracks and cause problems for you while you drive.
How to Prevent Spiders from Entering Your Car
Now that you know where to look, you can start clearing it out. You probably can’t get into the vents of your car, but cleaning out under your hood and behind windows is easy enough.
Declutter
Remove any clutter any unnecessary items from your car, because spiders like to hide in dark and secluded spaces. By removing these, you can minimize the number of hiding spots. Make sure to get rid of any garbage and waste and even stray leaves that could have gotten blown into your car to avoid attracting other insects that spiders would like to feast on. Keep a recycling bag in your car for any trash that you can easily remove instead of having to clean up your car every few days.
Vacuum and clean your car every few days to avoid infestations.
Seal Entrances
Spiders can enter your car through small spaces like holes, so sealing them up with rubber could be essential for keeping spiders out. Check for any cracks or broken areas around doors and windows, and if you find dirt or debris clogging up the rubber seals, clean them with a wet washcloth.
Spider Repellents
There are several spider repellents, both synthetic and natural, that you can use to keep the spiders out of your car. Given the fact that cars are very restricted and enclosed spaces, it is recommended not to use too many chemical products that could be dangerous to you when inhaled.
Spiders hate the smell of essential oils. You can use these to your advantage to keep spiders out. You can make a mixture of essential oil with strong scents, such as peppermint, citrus, and rosemary, etc. that you can spray in places where you could expect the presence of spiders such as behind mirrors and air vents. The smell can be pleasant for you, but spiders hate how strong they are, so this spray can be a good low-effort way to get rid of spiders without side effects.
You can also use eucalyptus leaves, which you can spread around your vehicle as another non-toxic repellent. Eucalyptus also has a strong smell that spiders dislike. You can keep these leaves in storage compartments like the glove box or the trunk where spiders may like to live.
You could also opt for a non-toxic chemical repellent that you can buy from the store. You will have to make sure it is not toxic to make sure you don’t breathe it in. Spray this repellent where you are most likely to find spiders. This includes mirrors, air vents, tired, and the hood – as well as places you may have seen spiders yourself. Reapply this every week to keep spiders out, and use a cotton ball to rub it along the window seals to keep them from entering.
Catching Spiders
You could also use manual methods such as squashing the spiders with your shoe, but nobody wants to do that within their car. You could carry out a thorough search for spiders and capture them with a cup or your hands and physically remove them from your car. If you don’t want to touch them, you could set up sticky traps that are easily removable around your car. You won’t have to search for spiders. Just wait till they get caught before you get rid of them.
Lights
Keep the interior lights turned off because spiders are attracted to bright lights. If you’ve noticed an infestation, keep them turned off at all times, including the exterior lights except while driving, and turn those off as soon as you park.
Fumigation
Fumigation can be a quick way to get rid of all sorts of insects from your car and not just bugs. Vehicle fumigation services work just like fumigation for homes. Pest control companies seal up your car and put fumigation elements inside to kill off all the insects inside. However, this method may not be recommended by many people since the fumes of the toxic insecticides could be harmful to you as well, making your vehicle unusable for a while.
Fumigation also does not work on its own and is a one-time method that is not recommended as a repeated measure. It is best to get rid of spiders by using natural repellents to making sure to keep the car to remove optimal conditions to live in and avoid them coming back.
Related Questions
How long can spiders live in cars?
Like house spiders, spiders in cars can live without food or water for a fairly long time. If you see a spider in your car and you expect it to die on its own in a few days, you would want to reconsider that. Spiders can live in an enclosed space like a car without food, water, or air for up to ten months.
Can the car AC kill spiders?
Spiders can live in very cold temperatures because they have a natural antifreeze in their bodies. Spiders can survive in temperatures down to -5 degrees Celsius, and some can survive even more.
Is it dangerous for spiders to be in my car?
Although many smaller spiders are harmless to humans, if you are very scared of spiders, their presence may alarm you and cause accidents because of how close they would be. Other spiders can be poisonous and dangerous, and it is best to be aware of the different kinds of spiders so that if one somehow gets into your car, you know how fast you need to get away.
