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Ants have invaded your car. The more you look around the more you start to see. They may seem harmless, but you aren’t up for any additional passengers. The good thing is that it usually isn’t too difficult to get rid of ants in a car. The ants have likely wandered in for a visit to find food or water. Once you eliminate food sources, clean and add a deterrent they will likely wander off to greener pastures.
Summary of How to Get Rid of Ants in a Car
- Remove Trash and Food Sources
- Vacuum
- Add Natural Deterrent to Interior
- Spray Tires with Deterrent
- Add Bait Station Outside of Car
*Bonus Tip: Park in the heat
5 Easy Steps to Get Rid of Ants in a Car
Remove Trash and Food Sources
The first and most important step for eliminating ants from your vehicle is to get rid of trash and sources of food and water. Ants are always on the lookout for their next meal. If they wandered into your vehicle and found food, they will tell their buddies and you’ll end up with quite a crew.
Vacuum
The next step is to get out the vacuum to suck up any remaining crumbs and food particles. It is important to get under the seats, car mats, and in all nooks and crevices. If there is spilled pop or other sticky sweet food or liquid, it may also be a good idea to use a rug cleaner. This will lift the food or drink out of the carpet or seats.
Add a Natural Deterrent to Interior
There are several natural solutions that can also be applied to the interior of your car to deter ants from re-entering your car. Cinnamon, lemon juice, tea tree oil and other essential oils are all effective at repelling ants.
Spray Tires with Deterrent
Spray around your car’s tires with an ant repellent to keep ants from continuing to enter your car. There are several products like TERRO Ant Killer that will kill ants on contact.
Add Bait Station Outside of Car
Bait stations like TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer are another option for killing off ants. Be careful because the sweet poison is a temporary attractant. The ants will recruit other ants to come eat and carry the poison back to the nest. It may be best to place the poison outside of your car in the area where you usually park. Be careful to not allow pets or children around the bait.
*A final bonus tip is to leave your car parked in the heat of the sun. As a last resort, if you are having trouble ridding your car of ants leave it parked in the heat. Ants tolerate temperatures best between 75 degrees and 95 degrees. Cars parked in the heat can get as hot as 120 degrees. This extreme heat can send them searching for a way out.
How to Prevent Ants from Invading your Car (Again)
The biggest tip to preventing ants from invading your car again is to keep it clean. Try not to eat in your vehicle. If you do eat in your car, make sure to quickly remove any trash, food or drink. It’s also a good idea to vacuum your car routinely to remove crumbs and other attractants.
If you are having ongoing issues with ants, take a hard look at where you are parking regularly. You might be parking near an ant mound and not even know it. It is best to park on paved surfaces to avoid this issue.
Good Luck!
