Summer’s here! The infamous Arizona heat makes for the perfect time to escape on a road trip. However, the warmer months also bring out a much less pleasant visitor: wasps. With more than three dozen species found across Arizona, these stinging insects can be quite the pest – especially if they invade your car. To avoid a potentially dangerous situation, it’s important to know how to keep wasps out of your car all summer long. The experts at SOS Exterminating explain everything you need to know.

What Makes Your Car So Attractive to Wasps?

A car may seem like a strange place for bugs of any kind to invade, but it’s a much more common problem than you may realize. Pests need shelter, and our cars offer plenty. Wasps are more likely to invade your vehicle if:

It has sat empty. Empty vehicles, especially those that have been undisturbed for a time, are attractive new homes for wasps. The heat generated inside a car mimics their natural nesting choices. Being shy by nature means that an empty, undisturbed vehicle looks like a dream home.
It’s white. Wasps have been found to feed from mostly white flowers, and in turn, have been documented to be drawn to white vehicles. To them, your white car looks like one giant flower feast.
It’s full of open containers. Things like juice, soda, and sweet foods left in your car will draw wasps to your car like… well, like moths to a flame. Especially if left overnight, giving the scent time to spread.
You use air fresheners. Sweet-scented air fresheners like vanilla, or tropical breeze are a pied piper for wasps, leading them right to their next nesting spot: your car.
It’s covered in dead bugs. Wasps are attracted to the scent of decomposing insects. So that grill full of bugs? A glaring beacon for wasps.

What Preventative Measures Can You Take?

Wasps in your car can be a serious and hazardous problem, but thankfully there are a few steps you can take to deter these pests from invading. Use these tips to keep wasps from building a nest in your car:

Clean regularly. Even if your car is white, washing down the outside regularly will help tremendously. Make sure the grill, air vents, and anywhere else bugs find their final resting place, are thoroughly cleaned.
No food and drink. We know it can be tempting to eat and drink in your car, especially on long trips, but try to refrain. If abstinence is not an option (especially if you have car seat-age travelers), be sure to clean any spills or food messes right away. Keep any food in airtight containers, and definitely don’t leave food or drinks in your car overnight.
Use essential oils. Any one of the 47 flowering plants in the mint family will do. Their scent is noxious and disorienting to wasps. Soak a cotton ball in the oil of your choice and place it under seats or in the trunk for an effective deterrent. An air vent oil diffuser will work as well and makes for a great alternative to a sweet-scented air freshener.

Get Professional Wasp Removal

The last thing you want is to go out to your car only to find it surrounded by wasps. At SOS Exterminating we understand how disconcerting that can be. Since 1937, we have been working with our community to help many homes stay pest-free. When you give us a call, you can be sure an actual person will pick up to help. Furthermore, we ensure that a trained entomologist with extensive knowledge of pests is always on staff, to ensure your questions can be answered quickly and accurately. Don’t hesitate to call our team at SOS Exterminating today and let us help you with any pest issues you may be having.