Ants are a common pest issue in Florida homes throughout the entire state, and they are one of the most common reasons for calling in pest professionals. While many of us have experienced the angst of finding a trail of ants across the kitchen counter, near patio doors, or even in the bathroom, these problems are usually treated quickly and easily with a few simple measures by your pest control team and a few preventative tasks (like sweeping and mopping regularly) by you as the homeowner. However, ants can infest more than just your home.
What if you find ants in your CAR!?
Believe it or not, ants invade vehicles more often than you'd expect, and it's no wonder why! Cars are often a rich source of crumbs, wrappers, and other delicious treats for ants, and that proves irresistible to the workers who are sent out in search of food. It might seem unlikely that ants could travel the distance to get into your car but these hearty little guys can climb pretty much any surface, survive in a wide variety of surroundings, and lift more than 50 times their own body weight, so it's no wonder they manage to make the trek up your tire and into your car's internal spaces.
Once you have ants in your car though, things do get tricky for you. It might seem as simple as killing the ants you see, and then moving your car, but it can often take more than that to get rid of an ant infestation in a vehicle, depending on the severity. A few initial steps to take include:
- Move your car if you are parked near trees, a grassy area, or any other potential ant habitat. This makes sure that ants are heading into your car simply because it's a convenient place to hunt.
- Vacuum your car thoroughly (or have it detailed professionally) to take care of any rogue food wrappers or crumbs from the kids. Don't forget to clean out seats, consoles, and child seats as well, since these are common places for food remnants to hang out and hide, and can be easy game for ants.
- Wipe inside surfaces of your car to make sure residue from spills is removed completely. Coffee, soda, juice, and more can leave sticky residue that you don't see, but the ants can track down easily.
- Clean the OUTSIDE of your vehicle, especially the tires. Chemically cleaning the tires removes any traces of the ants previous tracks leading into your vehicle, and removes the temptation for them to continue coming back to your car.
If none of the above measures take care of the ant issues in your car, it's time to call in the pros. Professionals like those at Country Boy are equipped to evaluate where the ants are coming from, and then place baits and treatments to take care of the ants already present, and keep any more from coming back. We know ants are stubborn and can use the most effective options for the species and the situation to help you take back your car faster, without the unwanted hitchhikers. Give us a call and we'll come to the rescue!