Image Source: Daniel Dye

Based on research, we have found that ants invade cars the heaviest starting in July through September. In those months, people are searching online "how to rid of ants in the car". Why is this and how do you fix this problem? The biggest way to stop them is by understanding why they're even there. With cars being hot during this time, due to temperature, it's best not to rely on a chemical. The solutions are simple (and free) and we're glad we can help you.


Credit: David Short

So the biggest thing is to try to understand why these ants are even in your car to begin with. If you notice, you'll usually find them in many things. They're usually in a soda can, a cup, a box, or somewhere near these type of objects. You'd think spraying these ants would be the best solution, however, it's not. We've have learned that most bugs will leave the scene once you remove the source of the matter. The source in this situation is water, sugar, and food crumbs.

You see, during the summer, water below ground and within ponds are much lower than usual. With the water supply being much lower in quantity during these times, it's the very reason they're in your car. They're not trying to take over your car or hurt anyone. They're simply trying to survive the best way they know how, and they're searching for water/food.

How to get rid of ants in car

The biggest thing you can do is remove all liquids from your car including soda cans and energy drinks. That is the solution and it may seem too simple, but it's the best way to address this. Remove any trash, and clean any soda spills you can find to remove all sugar from car.

After much study though and experimenting, we have found this to be the best thing to do. We have much concern with spraying the car during the hot summer simply because of the fumes being trapped within the car. No reason to call an exterminator in a situation like this either unless the car is highly infested with hundreds (which is rare). 

Ways to prevent this from happening would be to carry all cups out of the car when done, and clean all messes. During the summer, they can find that source within hours. We've seen this personally and know this to be true. If you drive a bus for the public, you must check all seats (and clean any messes), or infestations could happen overnight. With that number of people and beverages at once, this could pose a problem quickly.