Tips for Mite Control In Cars

I don't think I've thought of any of these ideas on my own, but I've read them in a number of places, including the yahoo group birdmitesorg where people discuss methods of controlling biting mite infestations. Since I've heard so many of them, I thought it would be good to put in one place. Many thanks to those who have tried these things!

1) Spread Borax/Diatomacious Earth on the carpet where you sit, lay it on thick. One person said she uses the whole box on the seat back, seat, and carpet in front of the seat. Leave the powder there while you drive. One person uses towls to protect her clothing from the powder, changing a clean towel every time. I use a bag (see 4).

2) If it's winter, don't turn the heat on, leave your coat on and keep it closed tightly. The mites are less likely to make it on you if it's subzero temperatures.

3) Put a 50 gallon black garbage bag over the seat, if you treated the seat with Borax, leave the Borax there, this will also protect your clothing from the white powder. When you enter the car, you can spray down the bag with alcohol and wipe it to make sure there are no mites on the bag when you sit. A similar idea I read is to put a shower cap on the head rest. A combination may be needed if the seat is too big.

4) If you're being infested from the steering wheel, use latex gloves.

5) Have your car detail cleaned/steam cleaned

6) Use free car-wash car vacuums to vacuum the inside of your car.

7) If you're tracking mites in your car on your shoes, wipe the bottoms with Windex, Ammonia, or Alcohol.

8) Spray your shoes, socks, feet, legs and pant legs with an insect repellant such as Lemon Eucalyptus or Picardin repellants (available from Repel, Cutter, and Off).

9) Spray your car with a mixture of epsom salt and water, the epsom salt should be quite concentrated, you can wipe plastic areas clean with a wet rag to avoid residue.

10) Make sure there are no rodents living in your car. In Texas, Michigan, and the East Coast, there have been numerous reports of mice, rats, and squirrels making nests or living in cars that are not used on a daily basis. These rodents will often seek shelter in the car during winter months and may be the source of a continued mite infestation.

While rodent mites generally infest rodents, even bird mites can maintain an infestation on a rodent. If the rodents are in your cabin, you can use snap traps (or if your desperate, poison--although it might rot in your car).

You can also take rodent control measures around your car, putting poison or traps in the garage etc. Some people have used Fox urine or ground Irish Spring soap in little cups to keep rodents at bay. Don't put anything flamable or meltable in the engine compartment. If you have a nest in your car, take the necessary protective measures to remove the nesting material (gloves, breathing protection etc.)

11) Treat the car with an ozone generator. More than an hour of running a generator should expose the mites thoroughly enough. Beware that high concentrations of ozone can be lethal to breath.

12) Fog the car with Cedarcide for some 10 to 15 minutes. Move "through the car" when you fog and make sure each crevice, nook, and cranny is fogged thoroughly. The trijet fogger sold by Cedarcide has the habbit of not reaching areas "in the shadows"--that is, not directly exposed to the stream coming from the fogger. The mist also moves from up to down, so you will need to make special attention to fog under seats and hard to get places.