CARcroaches!!

There are an estimated 600 million cars in the planet and I believe there are just as many number of cockroaches (if not more). So it is sadly inevitable that destiny will pair up cockroaches and cars with us human beings acting as the unwitting middle man.

I played that role to perfection several years ago when I was handed the keys to my first automobile by a 2nd hand dealer. The car was in an excellent condition. However, one thing always struck me as strange. The floor mats seemed to be missing from time to time. Sometimes it was there in the back; other times, it just disappeared.

This mystery was finally solved when I drove my mum home from grocery shopping one evening. Upon placing the bags on the mats, the mats literally dissolved. Further inspection resulted in screams of panic and mild hysteria when it was became evident that the “mats” was none other a mass congregation of living cockroaches.

With their small size and natural tendency to hide, cockroaches easily infiltrate our pockets and luggage before hopping onto our vehicle. Due to its size, two types of cockroaches are known to infest in cars; the brown banded cockroach and the German cockroach. Good housekeeping = good pest control too.

Tough as they may be, cockroaches would not survive long in the car without our assistance. We coax, encourage and even provide sustenance for cockroach infestations through the little crumbs of food that falls when we eat in the car or the empty soda can left overnight. This applies to property cockroach infestations too and advice for cockroach control is pretty similar.

A few tips for car owners with vehicles infested with cockroaches:

Thinking about spraying? Don’t! Spraying with aerosol cans is merely a temporary measure and is rarely fully effective. Some cockroaches might be killed but more often than not the aerosol will only irritate and disperse the cockroaches; thereby spreading the infestation. If the infestation in your car is really serious, drive to your nearest pest control operator. Tell them about your problem and let them take it from there. They will know what to do. I wish I had known then what I know now about cockroaches!

Written by Loke Boon Eng - Technical Manager