'So gross': Aussie mum's warning after vile discovery in car

“I'd been feeling suspicious about the moth situation already but this is when I knew we had a serious problem”

Cassidy Pearce

3 min read

May 15, 2025 - 11:42AM

Maggots. In her car. And her reaction says it all

Lifestyle

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Finding creepy crawlies in your car is anyone’s worst nightmare.

But, for one Sydney mum, what first seemed like a minor issue (though a startling one) was only the beginning of a months long journey ending in a warning for other parents not to make her simple mistake.

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Image: Supplied.

“When we kept on seeing them I knew something was up”

For Aussie mum Emily, the story began when she noticed a moth in her car a few months ago.

“I didn't think anything of it - it wouldn't be the first time a child had left a window cracked open overnight - but then when we kept on seeing them I knew something was up,” she told Kidspot.

One moth quickly spiralled into more sightings, and then, things took an even grosser turn.

“We were driving when one of my daughters said 'there's a worm on the roof!',” she said.

“I didn't know what she was talking about but then I saw this little white caterpillar type thing (Larvae? Maggot? Disgusting) crawling on the ceiling of the car.

“I'd been feeling suspicious about the moth situation already but this is when I knew we had a serious problem. I've dealt with pantry moths before and my heart sank.”

“We’ll have to get more aggressive…”

Emily says she had no idea where it was all coming from (and is taking suggestions), but her immediate response was to gut the car completely in an attempt to get rid of it.

“My husband pulled everything out of the car and we did a deep clean on the whole vehicle. We pulled all the carseats apart, washed them etc... our car probably hadn't been that clean since we bought it,” she said.

“We did find some more larvae along the way but nothing that we could identify as the source of the whole thing. We just (naively) hoped we had done enough.”

Now, six weeks later, the moths have returned, meaning the deep clean was unsuccessful. She’s taking things to the next level - but even that might not cover it if she can’t figure out where it’s all coming from.

“I guess we'll probably have to get it professionally cleaned this time, wash everything again, and put some pantry moth traps out.

“I know we really need to find the source so this time we'll have to get more aggressive.”

“I’m really stumped”

Though Emily’s not sure where the source of the infestation is hiding, she does have a few pieces of advice for parents who don’t want to end up in her position - keep your car clean (or, at least, as clean as you can!).

“I know people will probably come for me and say my car must be filthy, but honestly, it's the normal level of dirty from having three children (with one of them being a 2yo.)” she added.

“It's not foul, we clean it regularly, but yes there are crumbs and stuff because we do let our kids snack in the car.

“So I guess that's the lesson - be MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU LET YOUR KIDS EAT IN THE CAR or maybe don't let them eat in it at all.

“I am so intrigued to find the source of this because then it will give me more of an idea of how the heck this happened... at the moment I'm really stumped!”