Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying pests that can invade your car. Not only do they make driving uncomfortable, but they can also carry diseases like West Nile virus and Zika virus.
It’s no wonder why you would want to keep them out of your car.
Key Points:
- Mosquitoes can be a nuisance in cars and can even carry diseases like West Nile and the Zika virus.
- To remove and prevent mosquitoes in your car, you should vacuum, use repellent, use mosquito nets, keep your car clean, and park in shaded areas.
- Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, warm and humid conditions, and potential food sources like spilled drinks or strong body odors.
Unfortunately, these nasty buggers can use the area around your car as a breeding ground for mosquitoes due to stagnant water that often pools around vehicles and other attractants vehicles provides.
If you leave a window cracked or turn on your vents, you might inadvertently invite pesky mosquitoes into your car, this article will help you get them out.
How Can I Remove All the Mosquitoes from My Car?
To completely remove all mosquitoes from your vehicle, you will need to kill the ones in your car, including any mosquito larvae that may exist inside. Then you are going to have to take action against mosquitoes and work to prevent the development of mosquitoes near where you park your car.
To end mosquito breeding and the mosquito plague in your car, you will want to eliminate all passageways of mosquitoes in your vehicle. The tips below will keep your car mosquito free.
Vacuum Your Car
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any mosquitoes or larvae that may be hiding in your car’s carpet, seats, or crevices. Vacuuming also offers the added benefit of removing most potential food sources that could attract other bugs into your car.
Be sure to pay special attention to areas around the doors, windows, and the trunk, as these are common entry points for mosquitoes and can sometimes reveal lots of mosquitoes ready to descend on human skin.
Use Mosquito Repellent
Spray mosquito repellent on yourself and on the seats and carpets of your car to keep mosquitoes away. There are many types of mosquito repellent available, including natural options like citronella oil or essential oil sprays and chemical-based options like DEET-based sprays.
The main time to use an extreme method like this is if you are camping or spending time outdoors and don’t want to bring mosquitoes back home with you and introduce them to your garage and house.
Use Mosquito Nets
Place mosquito nets over your car windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering your car. This is particularly useful if you frequently park your car in an area with a lot of mosquitoes or if you leave your windows open.
Mosquito nets will still allow ventilation into the car without letting pests enter and can also offer a bit of protection from the sun. Vehicles with animals inside that have windows open can be fitted with mosquito nets to prevent pests while giving your pet plenty of fresh air.
Keep Your Car Clean
Regularly clean your car’s interior, particularly food and drink spills, which can attract mosquitoes. Wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth and avoid leaving any source of water in your car.
Stinky feet and other strong body odors can linger after you leave the vehicle and will attract mosquitoes just as surely as body heat and carbon dioxide.
Park in a Shaded Area
Mosquitoes prefer warm and humid conditions, so parking your car in a shaded area can help keep the temperature and humidity down, making it less attractive to mosquitoes. This can be effective unless it leads to parking near puddles or standing water that has not evaporated in the shade.
This will have the opposite effect and likely attract more mosquitoes to your car.
What Attracts Mosquitoes to My Car?
Breeding, feeding, and shelter are all reasons mosquitoes may hang out near cars and in parking lots. Mosquitoes need standing water to breed, so if there is any standing water in or around your car, it can attract mosquitoes and the emergence of insect pests.
Mosquitoes are more active in warm and humid conditions, so if your car is parked in a warm or humid area, it can make it more attractive to these bugs.
These persistent pests are attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide, which is produced when humans exhale. When you or your passengers are breathing in your car, it can attract mosquitoes who will fly out of hiding places in vents and seats to retrieve the blood needed to breed.
Mosquitoes are also attracted to human sweat and body odor, which can accumulate in your car, particularly in hot and humid conditions.
Covering these stenches with fragrances may seem like a solution, but mosquitoes can be attracted to scented products like air fresheners, perfumes, and colognes, which can emit fragrances that mosquitoes find appealing.
Keeping your vehicle clean and away from the water can help, but in some climates, you will need to take even more steps, or mosquitoes in your vehicle will be constant. Covering your vehicle or parking in a garage can help cut down on the number of mosquitoes that have access to your vehicle threw small cracks and vents.
Regularly using a natural repellent to keep mosquitoes uninterested will also result in these pests bugging out. If you will be storing your vehicle for an extended time, consider using a stronger chemical pest repellent inside to protect your vehicle for longer but remember to allow fresh air to enter before you try getting inside when you return to claim it.
Mosquito Repellent Options for Your Car
Mosquito repellent is designed to keep mosquitoes away, which can help prevent you and your passengers from being bitten while driving.
Mosquitoes can carry diseases like the West Nile virus and Zika virus, which can be transmitted to humans through bites. Using mosquito repellent in your car can help reduce the risk of these diseases.
Mosquitoes can be a major distraction and annoyance while driving, particularly if they are buzzing around your ears or biting you. Bug repellent can help make driving more comfortable and enjoyable, and luckily mosquito-repellent products for your car are generally easy to use and can come in various forms, including sprays, wipes, and hanging devices.
This makes applying and maintaining mosquito-repellent protection for your car simple, and the chart below can show you your best options.
| Repellent Type | Pros | Cons |
| Citronella Oil | Natural and effective | Requires frequent reapplication |
| Essential Oils | Natural and has a pleasant scent | Needs to be reapplied frequently |
| Deet-Based Spray | Offers long-lasting protection | Chemical-based and potentially harmful to use |
| Picaridin-Based | Stops bugs and is less likely to lead to skin irritation | Can damage plastic surfaces |
