Ants coming through the vents and dash !

[Korrect414]

Hey guys,

I have a totally random issue with my car. Let me preface this with a little bio on how anal I am about my car. I do a full detail weekly with only the best products and detailing has become a passion of mine over the past few years. I never eat or drink in my car, nor do I ever allow anyone else to. So imagine my surprise when I'm driving and a find an ant crawling on my door trim. I figured it was no big deal, just one ant. I have an avant and always have surfboards and other gear in my car, so I didn't think much of it. Then I start to see a few crawling out from the vents.

So my plan of attack at first was:

1. Full interior detail including vacuum,using my swissvax brush to get in between each crack and crevice,used an Apc(all purpose cleaner) and scrubbed my all weather mats,cleaned and conditioned leather. Then I vacuumed again after all of this.

2. Went to home depot and bought a few of those little ant trap cartridge things. I put them in overnight and found a few dead ants and though it worked. When I got to work, about 3 ants decided to come out from the dash, and behind my instrument cluster.

3. I looked around the engine bay and under the car and in the fenders to search for some debris or nest or something.

It's not a large amount of ants but still so annoying and clearly a problem. All in all I've killed probably 20 with my hands and seen another 10 crawling around. I would like to avoid any harsh chemicals because of my newborn son. Any suggestions ? Anyone else had a similar problem ? Any help is appreciated.

[tecnica]

they would only be in there for food or water. look for both.

I'd find where they where getting in. It should be a line to your car in the garage. The idea is the poison the scouts and let them take it back to the others, killing all of them. But first, find the source of their desire.

[mr shickadance]

depends what kind of ants you are dealing with....are they big guys or the small ones?

[Korrect414]

they would only be in there for food or water. look for both.

I'd find where they where getting in. It should be a line to your car in the garage. The idea is the poison the scouts and let them take it back to the others, killing all of them. But first, find the source of their desire.

I spent hours yesterday detailing the inside of my car and I didn't find a speck of food or water in there. When I say I never eat in my car I really mean it. It's the strangest thing. I don't have a garage, and I checked my parking spot for anything suspicious and found nothing. I asked all of my neighbors if they have had any issues and they all said no.

[Korrect414]

depends what kind of ants you are dealing with....are they big guys or the small ones?

They are small black/brown ants.

[Tig]

bug bomb it :)

[schnell]

bug bomb it :)

He has a little kid!!! Also, check your air intake.

[Korrect414]

bug bomb it :)

I totally would but my son is 3 weeks old and I don't want to be using those harsh toxic chemicals in my car and having them soaked in the upholstery.

[Korrect414]

He has a little kid!!! Also, check your air intake.

I just pulled it out and cleaned it. Nothing out of the ordinary in there.

It's not like I have a full on infestation of ants in there. I just went and looked around the interior again and didn't see any around, and then all of a sudden I will see like 2 or like come from the vents or dash.

[D-Rich]

This is strange but at my old house I used to have a problem with ants attacking my recently cleaned clothes they would never go after food. the only thing I could think of it being it that they liked the scent of the dryer sheets or something. so maybe if the apc or any of the other products your using for your detailing are scented in some way it might be attracting them. Just a thought.

[DRAKLORE]

There is a dead animal in your blower motor box. Prob crawled in for shelter and died shortly thereafter. It's either this or some form of food accidentally left somewhere drawing them in.

[Korrect414]

I just pulled it out and cleaned it. Nothing out of the ordinary in there.

It's not like I have a full on infestation of ants in there. I just went and looked around the interior again and didn't see any around, and then all of a sudden I will see like 2 or like come from the vents or dash.

I've thought about that as well. But with the baby I haven't had a chance to do my usual details so haven't used that many products lately, and the products I do use I have been using for years with no issues. Still though, you could be right.

[DRAKLORE]

Pop the hood, take off the cover to the left of the battery, pull off trim then pull up and toasted you.
Then you will see the box where your cabin filter is housed. Open the box via the tabs and check to see if the filter is dislodged or has holes in it. Also check for mold and moisture this should be a decent indication on the status of your system.

[Korrect414]

There is a dead animal in your blower motor box. Prob crawled in for shelter and died shortly thereafter. It's either this or some form of food accidentally left somewhere drawing them in.

I never thought about that, where is the blower motor box ? I wouldn't be surprised if a mouse or something made a little nest and died somewhere. I haven't noticed any funky smells though.

I thought about someone in the back seat eating or tracking some food in since I have had a lot of people ride in my car lately, but I didn't find anything when I was vacuuming and I don't ever drink soda or anything like that.

Thanks for the suggestion about the dead animal. Sounds like my best option.

[Korrect414]

Pop the hood, take off the cover to the left of the battery, pull off trim then pull up and toasted you.
Then you will see the box where your cabin filter is housed. Open the box via the tabs and check to see if the filter is dislodged or has holes in it. Also check for mold and moisture this should be a decent indication on the status of your system.

Thanks man, I know where that is from when I changed my cabin filter last. I'm gonna go check right now.

[DRAKLORE]

Also the product your using on your seats is prob "milk" or "lactaid" based. When I was detailing cars at the dealership in HS we had an COTs spray for the leather and vinyl that was white. After a month of non use the stuff turns
Yellow because it has spoiled. I would check what products your using because if your frequently detailing, your prob not using harsh products to preserve your interior. This means more natural products which usually contain natural food sources that ants would be attracted to.

Shane Drake

[Korrect414]

Just checked it and it's actually really clean and dry. I changed it not that long ago.

[Korrect414]

Also the product your using on your seats is prob "milk" or "lactaid" based. When I was detailing cars at the dealership in HS we had an COTs spray for the leather and vinyl that was white. After a month of non use the stuff turns
Yellow because it has spoiled. I would check what products your using because if your frequently detailing, your prob not using harsh products to preserve your interior. This means more natural products which usually contain natural food sources that ants would be attracted to.

Shane Drake

I use an awesome leather protectant made by optimum that leaves almost no residue or deposits on the seats. It leaves an almost satin feel to the seats that basically works with the natural chemicals of the leather rather than leave a greasy film on it. Myself as well as some of my other detailing buddies have been using this product for years with no issues. I have seen some guys use that milky liquid leather stuff and could totally see that stuff being an issue.

Trust me, I wish it was my detail stuff that was causing this, but I only use very high end products.

[Tig]

I had a problem like this at work, when I arked my truck under a certain tree they would just "drop" out of the tree and climb in through the door jamb. Maybe caused from hwere your parking everyday?

I was kidding about the bug bomb thing...

[Korrect414]

I had a problem like this at work, when I arked my truck under a certain tree they would just "drop" out of the tree and climb in through the door jamb. Maybe caused from hwere your parking everyday?

I was kidding about the bug bomb thing...

No worries, I figured :)

After checking everything, that is kind of what I'm thinking. I must of just parked in the wrong spot one day. I'm gonna use one of these to clean out the vent system http://www.autogeek.net/1z-einszett-...freshener.html, and then keep the traps in and see if I could get them all out. I just went out to my car to check and didn't see any crawling around.

[Exanimas]

I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords

[DonnieDark0]

hahahah, this is so funny cause I have the EXACT same problem. What happened is I took my car off the road and parked it in my driveway under tree. I guess cause the car stayed there, they slowly but surely made their way in. I eat in my car too and drink all the time but this was when i wasnt in the car for like 2 months. So i literally dont even car lol. I see them all the time and just say F it. they are all over the place , not hundreds but a couple here n there.

Im just waiting for the cold winter to kill them or when they leave.

[Korrect414]

I'm glad someone else has this problem. I truthfully don't mind them, but my wife absolutely hates them and won't even ride in my car. She has a BMW so I don't really like taking her car around so I'm eager to get this taken care of.

I'm in sunny So Cal, so there won't be any cold winters.

[beantown]

I'm glad someone else has this problem. I truthfully don't mind them, but my wife absolutely hates them and won't even ride in my car. She has a BMW so I don't really like taking her car around so I'm eager to get this taken care of.

I'm in sunny So Cal, so there won't be any cold winters.

If the traps don't seem to be working, it might be the incorrect bait; since different types of ants are attracted to various elements.

If all else fails, I bet you could bring a dead ant to a local pest control place, have them identify it, and suggest which kind of trap works.

[Mc Suly]

I laughed when i read this haha

big clean.

[Inked]

Do you park your car in the garage or outside? It prob has nothing to do with your car but it's just a dry place for the ants to live lol. Here in florida once the rainy season starts it's inevitable to get ants in your house. I'm guessing it's the same thing with your car?...

[Korrect414]

I actually just checked inside the car after work and there is no sign of any ants so far. The trap seems to be working since I found a few dead ones this morning. I'm hoping it was just a random deal and that my car was parked outside in a crappy spot.

[cheemn]

Wow most unusual post I have ever seen OP. Update us later like a about a month from now if you still havent seen any more ants so we know what ya did worked. :-)

[Korrect414]

Wow most unusual post I have ever seen OP. Update us later like a about a month from now if you still havent seen any more ants so we know what ya did worked. :-)

I know, I've been on AZ basically since day one and have never heard anything like this before.

I will definitely keep everyone updated.

I also went by my local detail shop and the guys there said they have never heard or seen anything like this before.

They offered to use this crazy Ozone machine that just clears out the entire interior, but once again the chemicals are a concern.

[crazytex21]

dead hooker(s) in the trunk? i always forget to take mine to the river....

on a serious note, i hope your pest problem clears up quickly. that type of thing would drive me crazy.

[Korrect414]

dead hooker(s) in the trunk? i always forget to take mine to the river....

on a serious note, i hope your pest problem clears up quickly. that type of thing would drive me crazy.

Thanks, yeah it's totally driving me nuts.

[A4A4A4]

I don't know a shit ton about ants here and I'm a little drunk but why not try and lure them out? Put a rotten banana or an ant trap or whatever the hell ants like just outside of your car on the road, might lead what's inside out and if not at least give you some idea if it's ants just in the area or if they've built a home in your car. Might be worth a shot.

[DRAKLORE]

I don't know a shit ton about ants here and I'm a little drunk but why not try and lure them out? Put a rotten banana or an ant trap or whatever the hell ants like just outside of your car on the road, might lead what's inside out and if not at least give you some idea if it's ants just in the area or if they've built a home in your car. Might be worth a shot.

Idk why but when I pictured the banana outside the car and all the ants pouring out of his car it made me lmfao

[Sprode]

I don't know a shit ton about ants here and I'm a little drunk but why not try and lure them out? Put a rotten banana or an ant trap or whatever the hell ants like just outside of your car on the road, might lead what's inside out and if not at least give you some idea if it's ants just in the area or if they've built a home in your car. Might be worth a shot.

Or..... it might attract more ants to the area, feed them pure sugar, then have them invade his car full force...

[Korrect414]

Update:

I left the trap in again overnight and this morning when I got in my car I didn't see a single ant. I drove it again this morning to run a few errands and it seems to be ant free (knock on wood).

[DRAKLORE]

the ants are waiting in leau for the opportune moment to attack....

Shane Drake

[Korrect414]

lol, you never know. I'm just glad that they are gone for now at least. I really think that I just parked my car under a tree or in some crappy spot and just got invaded over night one night and the ants finally left after there was no food for them to survive on.

the ants are waiting in leau for the opportune moment to attack....

Shane Drake

[BUSAfREAkA4]

I know, I've been on AZ basically since day one and have never heard anything like this before.

Your not kidding. Member # 71. Lol. Damn.

[clemsongt]

lol, you never know. I'm just glad that they are gone for now at least. I really think that I just parked my car under a tree or in some crappy spot and just got invaded over night one night and the ants finally left after there was no food for them to survive on.

Parking location is probably the culprit. I have had this issue two or three times since I've owned my car. I tend to drive infrequently, so if I happen to park near ants they just crawl right in. One time after my car sat for a couple days and a good rain had made them seek shelter, I actually had ants building an ant "hill" between my door and door sill.
The traps might be helping, but most likely doing nothing would work, too. If you have nothing to feed the ants, over time the ones that accidentally found their way in will die, and if you don't park near the problem area again, there won't be any new ants to replenish the dead ones.

[Korrect414]

Your not kidding. Member # 71. Lol. Damn.

It's funny, you will notice a lot of OG members have the same join date since there was a huge refresh/blackout on AZ at that time and we all joined back up on that same day when the forum came back. I love this place