Ants on/in car

[DnetMHZ]

My wifes car has been crawling with tiny black ants for the past week or so.

It doesn't seem to be happening to any other cars in the same parking lot( mine included).

Yesterday I had the car detailed to remove any trace of crumbs or anything that might be attracting them and that seems to have kept them from so far returning to the interior but they are still running all over the outside and it's freaking her out.

They must be living somewhere on or around the car. I'm thinking my next step would be some sort of spray under the hood, in the wheel wells, etc.

Has anyone had this happen to their car?

Any ideas I might try? I've read about spraying a vinegar solution to deter them. Maybe that is worth a try.

Bug bomb in the engine compartment?

 

[CurseTheSky]

Depending what kind of car it is, I'd avoid spraying any kind of harsh chemicals on it. From the fact that you had it detailed, it sounds like it could be something decently nice.

I'd take a regular garden hose and spray it up into the seems of the car (between the hood and the fender, trunk and the quarter panel, around the bottoms of the doors, etc.). They could have a nest in there somewhere, though it seems unlikely to me. You could buy some of those plastic ant traps and place them under the car or near wherever they go when you leave it parked for a while.

Do they crawl all over the car (all over the body, inside the passenger compartment, inside the engine bay or trunk, etc.), or only certain parts? Does this only happen at one location, or do they seem to follow her wherever she goes?

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
Depending what kind of car it is, I'd avoid spraying any kind of harsh chemicals on it. From the fact that you had it detailed, it sounds like it could be something decently nice.

I'd take a regular garden hose and spray it up into the seems of the car (between the hood and the fender, trunk and the quarter panel, around the bottoms of the doors, etc.). They could have a nest in there somewhere, though it seems unlikely to me. You could buy some of those plastic ant traps and place them under the car or near wherever they go when you leave it parked for a while.

Do they crawl all over the car (all over the body, inside the passenger compartment, inside the engine bay or trunk, etc.), or only certain parts? Does this only happen at one location, or do they seem to follow her wherever she goes?

It's a 2001 Hyundai Elantra with almost 100k miles.
The only reason I had it detailed was because I had a gift certificate that my boss gave me for xmas.

I drove the car today, and it has been sitting in my office lot all day. No sign of any ants when I went out for lunch. So they either only come out in the morning or they are coming up from the ground at home. It's weird though, I traded parking spots with the wife last night and they were back on her car this morning and nothing on mine.

To answer your other question, they seem to be all over the car.

 

[exar333]

Are you leaking any fluids that might be attracting the ants? Was anything spilled inside the car (on the floor, etc) that might be attracting them?

I know you got the car detailed, but if some sugary drink was spilled and dried below the carpet or something, that could be attracting them.

Funny Ant Story - a good friend of mine spilled kool-aid on their waterbed growing up. She lived on the 2nd floor of a house, and later that day, there was a huge trail of ants crawling up the side of the house to get to it.

I doubt the ants are living in the car, but something must be attracting them....

 

[Squisher]

Combat ant killer comes in a nice hypodermic-like syringe that squirts a gel where ever you want it. It gets pretty liquid after the ants get to it, so I might find little cupped areas to hold it. You could even cover the area with duct tape temporarily or you could set it out in bottle caps overnight.

It'll kill a colony.

 

[Gillbot]

probably something in the car attracting them in

 

[BATCH71]

Dead cat in the airbox

 

[Black88GTA]

Subscribing. Mine has them too. :|

Today I hosed the car down to knock as many of them off as I could, but I have a feeling that they'll come back. Don't really want to put ant poison on it.

 

[Gillbot]

Here's some things you may want to try before reaching for that can of insecticide, depending on the application:

- Pouring lemon juice around areas ants frequent.

- Sprinkle cinnamon or place in cheesecloth bags in affected areas. Cinnamon was a very popular choice with quite a few readers reporting it being highly effective.

- Baking soda can deter ants - pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won't cross it.

- A ring of coffee grounds around sensitive plants can discourage ants.

- A puree blend of orange peel and water can be applied to an area to discourage ants from crossing.

- Ants hate vinegar; so spray it around doorways and other areas they frequent to repel them. A small container of vinegar mixed with honey placed in affected areas appears to do the trick too.

- A reader reported baby powder stopped them dead in their tracks.

- Pouring boiling water over their tracks (destroys the scent trail)

- Sprinkling a circle of ground cloves around the pet food bowls

- Removing rocks and wood from around the garden

- Planting mint around vegetable patches, flower beds and around the house

- Quite a few readers found cinnamon sprinkled across ant scent trails to be very effective

- Citrus oil is a good deterrent; it can soaked into a piece of string and place around scent trails.

- Use a piece of chalk to draw a line over trails - again, the ants won't cross it. Chalk also has the advantage of being able to be used on vertical surfaces

One enterprising reader decided to work with the ants rather than against them. She made a sugar trail away from the house to her compost pile and put out the intent that they would find a greater feast there. It worked!

Ants invade for a reason - usually for food or water, so be sure to keep food items well secured and clean up after you prepare food. Also check plumbing for leaks, particularly under sinks. Dead insects can attract large numbers of ants, so check window sills and other areas where they may accumulate.

 

[MiataNC]

If all else fails have it run through the drying room at a body shop. The heat used to cure paint should take out nested ants.

 

[thescreensavers]

Black Cars ftw, if they crawl on the car in direct sunlight they will "BURN UP AND DIE"

 

[DOTC]

I had this happen with my 2000 Jetta I used to own. But they were called "crazy ants" and they are impossible to get rid of. I see you are in New Jersey, these ants I believe are local to the south, so that may not be your problem. I had to get a special tube of stuff from a exterminator. Its mainly poison in a sugar gel (they dont sell it at walmart). I put it around body panels and would find hundreds of dead ants all over my car the next day and all in the interior. After about a week they all finally left me alone.

 

[JJ650]

Try parking your car on top of a fire ant mound and not realizing it!

A couple of friends and I went to an outdoor concert one summer and parked in a field they had designated. Well all day and well into the evening the little buggers ruthlessly attacked the car and got inside. It was around 9pm when we left and didn't see the little bastards.
After about 2 minutes, all 3 of us bolted out flailing our arms like idiots. Not fun. And they all seemed to attack at once.
Since we parked on the mound, they didn't continue to bother us after we FINALLY made it to a carwash place that had a vac. I know we didn't get ALL of them, since we were getting constant reminders for the 3 hour trip home.

You may want to pop the hood and check in there as well. Pull the padding out of the trunk and have a look. I seriously doubt they would live right under the sheet metal. It would be too hot.
My first guess would be in the trunk. Relatively cooler than the rest of the car (sans cabin)and lots of places to hide in comfort ant wise.