# Truck ants



## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Yep, truck ants. Those that get into your pick-it-up truck and won't leave. I've had them for three weeks now. This is a crew-cab truck, and they seem to be coming from under the two front seats when you least expect them to and really don't want them all over you as you try to drive. I've sprayed all under the seats in the truck, I've vacuumed until I thought the floors, the inside of the consoles, and all in the seats. I even put my fogger in the truck for about 15 minutes. NOT a good idea, the smell was there for a week. When you start to go anywhere they just come out between the seats and the console area like you made them mad by moving the truck. Little ants, just running around, definitely NOT fire ants. There is/are no crumbs or food stuffs in this truck. I've even put a mixed insect killer all around the tires for five (5) straight evenings now thinking they are getting in at night via the tires. Any other solutions, other than a new truck, for now? David


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Leave the radio on really loud overnight? 

DM


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## Giles (Jan 25, 2010)

From my experience--ants will take their food supply to their nest. My advise would be to move the vehicle to a different parking spot, away from their known path and food supply. The further, the better:thumbsup:


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## DAdams982 (Jul 6, 2010)

Try tossing a couple of those ant baits, that supposedly they bring back to the nest as food. Think of it is your underseat air freshner! 

Otherwise I am with DM, get some hardcore gansta crap.


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## fabrk8r (Feb 12, 2010)

Ants need oxygen to survive. Get a small tank of CO2 (rent one from a welding supplier if you have to) and purge the interior of the truck with a small hose for as long as you can. If you could do it over a weekend that would be best.

CO2 is heavier than air and will migrate into any small cavities on the floor of the cab. By keeping a steady amount of CO2 going into the cab it will purge the air from the interior and prevent air from getting in while CO2 is being supplied. It will only take a small amount coming out of a 1/4" hose to keep the cab purged.

Just make sure you lock the truck when doing this to prevent anyone (children especially) from getting into the vehicle.


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## mcgrathpest (Jun 27, 2010)

*truck ants*

go get you some Terro liquid ant bait. I use it a lot with my customers and it works like a champ.


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## fabrk8r (Feb 12, 2010)

I agree, try Terro first. I've always had good luck with it.

I just assumed that you had already tried ant poison and it didn't work. 

If the Terro doesn't work, suffocate 'em.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Just got back from a four (4) day trip to N. Ga. to see family. On the way up we (Mom & I) killed maybe a dozen ants, mostly on her side. Truck sat for two (2) days, I went to run an errand and it was like one of those S.O.B.'s hollered "ATTACK". They came from what appeared to be between the console and passenger seat. I stopped immediately, went around to the passenger side and they WERE coming from between the console and passenger seat. Straight to a car wash and showed them so they could vacuum good. I have used a bug fogger, bug spray all in the truck, I added those little ant house thingy's before the trip, and still have ants 190 miles from home. The truck sat one full day after the car wash and extreme vacuum job. We headed home today and had not gone 1/2 mile and here they came. Mom almost climbed out of the seat and into the back seat. Funny, but NOT! Pull over and kill ants. We killed ants for almost the entire trip home, one here, one there. I still do not understand where they are living, what they are eating, etc. After arriving home this evening I poured mixed ant killer around and behind each tire hoping they will not climb in nor out. I cannot find "Terro" here at four (4) stores. Do you know the active ingredient? Thanks, David


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## fabrk8r (Feb 12, 2010)

Menard's carries Terro here. You can order it online direct from their website also.
It's a clear liquid and the bottle comes in a small orange and white box.

http://www.terro.com/

TERRO® Liquid Ant Bait is a sweet food based product similar to pancake 
syrup combined with Borax. Borax is a mineral that is mined in the desert 
in California and is a common active ingredient that is used in soap 
products such as 20 Mule Team Borax. The product kills ants but will not harm people or pets. If you spill some 
on your skin there will be no reaction at all. Simply wash with warm water.
Pets occasionally find the Terro and eat it. Our advice when this happens 
is to do nothing at all. The product is not toxic enough to cause a problem 
and the pet will be just fine. 


______________________________________________________________


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## fabrk8r (Feb 12, 2010)

Terro store finder:

http://www.terro.com/store-finder.php


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks "fabrk8r", now I will pursue a product with Borax. If I can't find it, then I know where to find a store. Maybe dyn-o-mite will be next. :thumbup: David


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

You can go to the laundry aisle and grab a box of 20 mule team borax, add it to corn syrup and you'll have close to the same thing.

Po)

DM


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks DM, that may save me from using dynamite. I did go to Lowe's and HD today here and they had no idea of what I was asking for--doesn't surprise me. I found the Terro at a local farm supply store. I was telling the sales guy the problem and he wanted to look in my truck. When he opened the passenger side door it was if they had know what I was buying and all of them were crawling on the console and passenger seat. He asked for permission to spray something in there and I told him to do anything he wanted to do. He sprayed something that is used in stables to kill ants, spiders, etc. and it was so darn strong I had to back off about ten yards or so. Ten minutes later no ants of course but how to drive home? Windows down, 94 degrees and humid as Haides, turn up the music and just drive the two or so miles. The truck will sit today, maybe even tomorrow, then the Terro installed. David


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## fabrk8r (Feb 12, 2010)

Hopefully that spray he used will do the trick...it sounds pretty potent.

I'd go ahead and put the Terro in now rather than wait 2 days. It takes about 2 days to get the whole colony to eat some of the poison.


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## bbo (Feb 28, 2010)

and if you decide to use terro, don't kill the ants that go to it. let them take it back to the queen. thats how you need to kill the colony for good.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

I've now got six (6) of the Terro pads in the truck. It sat all day yesterday, liquid pesticide was poured onto/around the tires on Tuesday afternoon to prevent them from using those as an escape/entrance route. Late yesterday I looked in to see if I could see any, the Terro looked untouched. There was a column of ants coming from under the console, in the front, on the passenger side, then went up to the dash and into two of the A/C vents. The one's on each side of the radio. They were carrying eggs also. I sprayed killer directly into each of the vents on the dash, and the one on the back of the console in the rear. Shut the doors and called it a day again. This morning there was another column of ants coming from just below the area of the A/C vent on the passenger side down to under the dash, and back out near the floor, and on to the console area. I'm going to pull the whole console now to see if I can get in and I.D. the source of these ants.


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## DAdams982 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thurman said:


> I've now got six (6) of the Terro pads in the truck. It sat all day yesterday, liquid pesticide was poured onto/around the tires on Tuesday afternoon to prevent them from using those as an escape/entrance route. Late yesterday I looked in to see if I could see any, the Terro looked untouched. There was a column of ants coming from under the console, in the front, on the passenger side, then went up to the dash and into two of the A/C vents. The one's on each side of the radio. They were carrying eggs also. I sprayed killer directly into each of the vents on the dash, and the one on the back of the console in the rear. Shut the doors and called it a day again. This morning there was another column of ants coming from just below the area of the A/C vent on the passenger side down to under the dash, and back out near the floor, and on to the console area. I'm going to pull the whole console now to see if I can get in and I.D. the source of these ants.


Haha.. that is just nuts. You have some ants with attitude.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

As much as I hated to do this, I did it: I mixed up some liquid stuff, put it in a spray bottle and sprayed into all of the A/C vents on the dash, and the one on the back of the console. Darn the smell, I had to get some relief! Let the truck sit for two days. I drove it yesterday afternoon and NO ants, so far. I'm thinking they had somehow gotten into the A/C ductwork and tried to settle down there. Doesn't make sense to me as I have been running the A/C practically all the time and on a low setting for the last three weeks here. Who knows, maybe ants decide they want central heat and cool also. David


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