How You Can Keep Insects Out of Your Car in Hawaii

The bugs of Hawaii

As a tropical island, it should come as no surprise that there are a bunch of different bugs in Hawaii. Some are more bothersome than others, but you do not want any of them in your car. Hawaii has ants, centipedes, spiders, cockroaches and other types of insects.

Some of these bugs, like the Black Widow spider, can have very poisonous bites which require immediate medical attention. Others, like centipedes, inflict very painful bites. However, all of them are a nuisance when they are taking up residence in your home or car.
 

The problems insects can cause for your car

Insects can cause several problems for your car beyond the obvious general disgust of having them there. They can eat away at and ruin your interior. They can clog the fins of radiators which can lead to your car overheating. They can also eat through your cars paint if you do not clean off the ones that get smushed on the outside of your car while you are driving right away.

You also should not forget the potential for a car accident due to an insect sighting. Many people could potentially freak out if they see a bug like a spider crawling around near them in their car which could easily cause a momentary lapse in attention on driving.

These are all situations that you would be wise to try and avoid. Anyone of them could end up costing you hundreds of dollars in repairs to your vehicle. You will be responsible for paying the bill for any of these repairs as well because your car insurance almost certainly won’t handle a claim of this sort.
 

How you can keep bugs out of your car

There are a few simple ways in which you can make sure that bugs stay out of your car. The first and most obvious is by keeping your car clean and keeping food out of the vehicle entirely. This includes getting the exterior washed as frequently as you can.

Next, you can clean and spray your car with something lemon or vanilla scented. The vast majority of insects do not like these scents; hence they will be repelled by them.

Use a bit of vinegar mixed with a little bit of water to wipe down the hard surfaces in your car. Ideally, the mixture should be one-part vinegar and five-parts water. Insects do not like the smell of vinegar either.

If you really want to get thorough, you could leave a small mesh bag of Eucalyptus leaves somewhere in your car. This will help repel many insects naturally.

Make sure when you clean your car that you are vacuuming well, especially near any small openings where bugs may be able to enter. This includes the area on the front of your car where the hood of the car meets the windshield.

Finally, try not to park near trees and areas where insects might typically be. This isn’t the easiest task in the world, especially in Hawaii, but parking on a busy city street or in a garage will almost always result in less bugs in, on or near your car than if you park near an area of trees and grass.