Fight the ants!

[maxchao]

Well, just want to share what we did today.
My gf's '00 LX got tons of ants crawling outside of her car these past few days. The situation was really bad, you can see every panel is covered by around 50 ants, but luckily none of it get inside. I guess the car still has a good seal.
But it gets really disgusting, and after we killed more than a hundred of them with spray yesterday, there is even more this afternoon.
I did some search online, and found that there gotta be a nest in the car. I recalled that there was a post on the forum saying behind the front wheel inside of the liner muds and leaves can accumulate, so I decided to check it out.
I was so dxmn right, when we open up the driver side, there were hundreds of them in there running in random direction, we sprayed and sprayed, and cleaned out everything in there. the amount of eggs and ant bodies were amazing.
Then we opened up the passenger side, and that was three times worse. Even before I removed the last screw the ants all rushed out with their eggs. That were so gross that we can't finish our dinner tonight.
Anyway, this time of the year, if you get ants on the car, behind the wheel liner might be a place you want to look at.
Hopefully they will be gone tomorrow, if not we will try the rear wheels well as well...

Josh

 

[bazooka joe]

Well, just want to share what we did today.
My gf's '00 LX got tons of ants crawling outside of her car these past few days. The situation was really bad, you can see every panel is covered by around 50 ants, but luckily none of it get inside. I guess the car still has a good seal.
But it gets really disgusting, and after we killed more than a hundred of them with spray yesterday, there is even more this afternoon.
I did some search online, and found that there gotta be a nest in the car. I recalled that there was a post on the forum saying behind the front wheel inside of the liner muds and leaves can accumulate, so I decided to check it out.
I was so dxmn right, when we open up the driver side, there were hundreds of them in there running in random direction, we sprayed and sprayed, and cleaned out everything in there. the amount of eggs and ant bodies were amazing.
Then we opened up the passenger side, and that was three times worse. Even before I removed the last screw the ants all rushed out with their eggs. That were so gross that we can't finish our dinner tonight.
Anyway, this time of the year, if you get ants on the car, behind the wheel liner might be a place you want to look at.
Hopefully they will be gone tomorrow, if not we will try the rear wheels well as well...

Josh

(wow)

 

[SIBalla23]

(omg)

 

[jeg0024]

Ever wash the car? Or drive in rain? lol

 

[Cellerator]

DANG!!! Show some pics, lol.

 

[whitemp5seattle]

yeah pics!

 

[maxchao]

I didn't take any pic....I told my gf to get the camera after we were done but she asked the reason???????(We were totally exhausted)
Or maybe she thinks ants look no different from dirt when in a picture.
I will take one if they come back, but that doesn't mean I hope that way.
And...I actually washed her car last Monday, and cleaned out all the leaves stucking on the hinge of the trunk and the hood. But that probably doesn't help with all the dirt stuck in the wheel well anyway.
oh, and I found ants don't like to walk on the tire, they probably got onto the car from the tall grass that my landlord never care in our gravel parking lot. They climbed the grass, walked onto the bumper, and infested. I hate insects but sometimes do admire them.

Josh

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

Maybe using a pressure hose at one of those pay and spray carwashes would help as well...at least they weren't in the car!!!!

 

[Nomad]

It's amazing how much stuff accumulates in the wheel wells.
It can't be hit with the hose when you are washing the car. If you park outside with all the leaves falling all the time it is worse than if you garage it.
I cleaned mine out, luckily nothing was growing/living in there.

Here's pics of mine. Under the leaves was about 2" of dirt... yes, dirt.

All clean...

Good luck with the ants.
Spray your tires/wheelwells with ant barrier spray, that's the only way they can get on teh car. Had to defend my Miata in ant season last year, nasty.

 

[maxchao]

Yes that is the photo that came across my mind when I was looking for the nest. Her car has just about that much stuff in there, except there are stuff running everywhere. lol
I wonder if all the cars have this kinda design to trap dirts.
We also bought the peppermint oil but haven't tried it. Hopefully after my breakfast when I walk out to the parking lot I won't find her car covered by ants.

Josh

 

[bazooka joe]

that is unfreakin believable! how does all that crap get in there?

 

[Nomad]

my problem with the ants on the miata was that this time of year the ants go crazy. The sap from the trees mists on the car surface and the ants climb around the outside to get it. But if they can get in they will eventually. I used to hose my car off on my way to work to get the ants off, but one day they had trails inside the miata and that was nasty.

After spraying every couple days they didn't go on mine, just the cars next to it.

 

[Nomad]

that is unfreakin believable! how does all that crap get in there?

i think it sprays up but mostly it comes from the windshield area. The water drains everything down there. When the drip rails get clogged everything stacks up.

consider it weight reduction

 

[nativebackup1]

i think it sprays up but mostly it comes from the windshield area. The water drains everything down there. When the drip rails get clogged everything stacks up.

consider it weight reduction

^^^lol i removed about 8 pounds of dirt from the wheel well pocket on my 97 protege. now im sure to always spray into the windshield pocket things (for a lack of a better word)

 

[Action Jackson]

She's got ants, my teg has a few spiders.......

I just vacuumed them all out.

 

[Qcpro5]

Oh damn I hate ants, I had them in my appartment last winter!! And some were super big with wings... Disgusting.

 

[mazdaddy]

Oh damn I hate ants, I had them in my appartment last winter!! And some were super big with wings... Disgusting.

Ants w/ wings...sure you don't have Termites??

 

[Nomad]

certain times of year, certain types do get wings. crazy but true.

 

[maxchao]

Oh yeah! The ants on her car pretty much all died off. I think what I read is true, the ants without the nest just wonder around and die. And as I saw today there were only 2 moving ants on her car now. lol
I think I might move north if I have a chance...I can't stand insects!!

Josh