How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your Car (Fast)

So, you have mosquitoes in your car. And you need to get rid of them.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• The reason why mosquitoes are in your car
• How to get rid of them from your ride
• Ways to naturally repel them and keep them out of your car

By the end of this tutorial, you should have a good understanding of why these annoying pests are getting into your car and how you can manage them.

Sound good? Let’s get your car free from mosquitoes.

Last updated: 12/30/19.

 

Why are mosquitoes attracted to my car?

There’s no reason why you may have mosquitoes in your car.

From doing searches online, I could find many different reasons:

• You park near a sewer drain
• There’s stagnant water with mosquito larvae near your car
• Your color has specific colors that attract mosquitoes
• Your car is dirty or unkempt
• Scents or chemicals from laundry detergents, makeup, deodorant, sprays, colognes, perfumes, and more
• Change in seasons
• Forests, swamps, or other areas with lots of mosquitoes already

Do any of these sound familiar? There’s no real specific reason why you have mosquitoes coming to your car. It can be nearly anything. You should be more concerned about getting rid of them first, then repelling them after.

This way, you can kill the few that have entered your car and you can repel any future ones from coming back. We’ll cover both in this guide.

There could be many different reasons why mosquitoes like your car, but we’re not here to play detective. We just want to get rid of them.

Don’t get them confused with midge bugs

Midge bugs can bite and are often confused with mosquitoes. You’ll want to make sure you’re actually dealing with the right pest before you do anything. If you don’t know what a midge or no-see-um is, you should do some research.

How do I kill mosquitoes in my car?

Here are some handy tips on how you can get rid of the mosquitoes in your vehicle. Try a few of them out and see which one works for you.

Remember to always take precautions as these pests can spread diseases. Wear protective clothing. Avoid driving the vehicle with the mosquito. Exercise caution and common sense to not get bitten.

By proceeding, you assume full responsibility for your actions. Mosquito bites are not fun.

Park in a different area

For those who live in a complex where parking spots aren’t always the same, try parking your car somewhere else than where you usually do. This may avoid the mosquito larvae or stagnant water sources that they’re coming from.

Try it for a few weeks and see if the mosquitoes disappear. This is probably the easiest solution to get rid of them but may not work for everyone. Still worth trying though.

Will mosquitoes die in a hot car?

Yes. They’re not invisible to heat. If you live in a hot or even warm area, you can roll up the windows and put your car outside in the sun.

The heat will build up and eventually kill the mosquito. It doesn’t take long either. Just a few hours should kill the bug.

Clean your car

If you have a dirty car full of debris, trash, and other rotting or smelly things, your car may attract mosquitoes and other pests.

Clean it up and remove all the garbage. Wash your car. Use a car freshener. Spray your fabric or leather with a cleaner. This may help reduce the number of pests attracted to your car.

Deep clean your fabrics

Your seat collects a ton of dead skin, hair, and chemicals from your clothes and various toiletries (shampoo, deodorant, etc.) that attract them. You can clean this stuff up using the various seats and fabric cleaners.

Vacuum up any debris. Wipe down any leather. Use polishers and fabric cleansers to really remove any scented residues in your driver’s seat or any other seats.

This may help get rid of mosquitoes coming to your vehicle. Mosquitoes can’t really live that long in a hot car. Just a few minutes if it’s hot enough will kill them.

What can I spray in my car to kill mosquitoes?

The most popular answer is DEET. This stuff will repel mosquitoes and also keep them out. You’ll want to roll down the windows if you decide to use DEET so they can actually leave your car.

This is probably the most effective solution you can use to get mosquitoes out of your car. The thing to note is that DEET does have some serious side effects, which you must read up on before you use any sprays. Always follow the label.

Never stay in your car with DEET present. Clean up any residue and let your car ventilate for a few days before using it again.

Citronella

You can also use citronella spray, which may help drive mosquitoes out.

They don’t like the scent of citronella, so you can use sprays that contain it to naturally repel them. Citronella is much safer than DEET, so always use this when possible.

Essential oils

You can also use a variety of essential oils to help repel and keep mosquitoes out. Some of the most popular choices are lemongrass, lemon, and peppermint.

You can get essential oils in the form of a spray and just spray it in your car. Keep the windows down and the pests will leave your vehicle.

Mosquito coils

You can also buy coils made just for mosquitos at most department stores. Just use them as directed.

Make sure you ventilate your car and don’t drive it for a few days after the pest has left.

Repellent bands

You can buy mosquito repellent bands that are supposed to be used for your wrist. Just place a few of them around your driver’s seat and rear set.

Then roll down your windows so the mosquito can escape. The citronella they use in the bands will help drive them out.

How to stop mosquitoes from getting into the car

 

After you get rid of them, you’ll probably want to do the following steps to help keep them out.

• Don’t leave your doors or windows open
• Don’t leave water bottles, liquids, or other sources of water in your car
• Don’t park near stagnant water, sewers, or gutters

Mosquitoes will need a source of water to lay eggs and constantly breed.

So if your vehicle constantly has mosquitoes over and over, you may have a puddle of water somewhere in the car, such as the trunk, under the seats, or maybe somewhere under the hood around the engine.

Condensation, rain, and wet roads can all contribute to water buildup.

Mosquitoes only need a very small portion of water to lay eggs. So if you live in an area where it’s humid, rainy, or you constantly expose your car to the water, this may be why you have mosquitoes.

Until you stop whatever it is that’s adding water to your car, you’ll have to deal with them. To find out where the water is and stop whatever is contributing. Sorry, I can’t be more precise. There are too many variables.

Also, be sure to check your parking spot also. Are you parking near a water source? Fountain? Drain? Forest? Lake? Pond? It could be anything.

Further reading

Here are some other reads for you that you may find handy:

• Mosquito – Wikipedia
• Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes? – BBC News
• Facts you may not know about mosquitoes – African Safari

Did you get your car mosquito free?

By now, you should have what you need to clean up your car from mosquitoes.

You have all the knowledge you need to get your car free from these pests. Always be careful and protect yourself from mosquitoes.

If you have any questions, leave a comment here. Or if you have any tips, feel free to share them.

Consider telling a friend or neighbor about this guide if you find it helpful!

Thanks for reading.