Infested With Ants

[AndY1]

I've had ants crawl up the charging cable on my Ampera. Once, when the car was 2 days old at workplace, but thankfully, not many ants were on the car, mostly on the hood and they were large, so they were easily removed. Next time, it happened at our seaside house, smaller ants crawling up, but I caught them before they could spread all over the car.

My cure was to spray the charging cable with anti-ant spray thoroughly and glued a double-sided tape around the cord ad the J1772 handle.

I didn't get any ants on the car via the charging cable ever again.

 

[pgiralt]

So far no updated from the SC. Below is a short video of the ant issues on day 4 of owing the car. As soon as you get close to the ants or start the car they go into hiding.

https://youtu.be/fS7lm2thmBk

I had a problem that looked exactly like this. The ants had formed a line straight up the charging cable and were marching up and down the car on that same channel inside the pano roof all the way up to the frunk. Nearly all of them were outside the car, but I did manage to find a couple inside the car as well.

I used some Terro at the bottom of the charge cable and they were all gone the next day never to return. Terro is Borax-based so it's relatively safe.

 

[Half Dollar Bill]

As soon as you get close to the ants or start the car they go into hiding.

Wow, they are frisky! Might want to consider capturing them and starting an ant race traveling circus.

 

[grichard]

I'd heard that the Tesla software had problems with bugs. Maybe it was a hardware issue all along...

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Finally got an update. SC called late this afternoon (Saturday) and said they basically had to take the drivers side of the car apart and found the largest ant nest they have seen in a car. It was underneath the drivers seat (frame area). So here is the issue. I was told they removed the nest and fumigated the car. They said they will need to car until Tuesday to get it cleaned. I have only owned the car for 5 days and the SC has now had the car for 3 days, Tuesday will make it 6 days, 1 day longer than I have owned the car. I am researching the effects of fumigating a car (health effects) but I am not sure I want this car back. Any feedback from the group?

What does number of days in service versus days of ownership have to do with anything? It's not Tesla's fault that ants infested your car. It's not a warranty issue, yet they took care of the problem at no charge. You should be thankful instead of trying to find a reason to return the vehicle. Counting days sounds like you are trying to set up some kind of lemon law claim. I hope that's not the case here. Tesla is doing you a favor.

 

[HankLloydRight]

What does number of days in service versus days of ownership have to do with anything? It's not Tesla's fault that ants infested your car. It's not a warranty issue, yet they took care of the problem at no charge. You should be thankful instead of trying to find a reason to return the vehicle. Counting days sounds like you are trying to set up some kind of lemon law claim. I hope that's not the case here. Tesla is doing you a favor.

Agreed! The OP had my sympathy until this: "but I am not sure I want this car back. ". Really? I'd be ecstatic that Tesla took the car to fix a problem clearly they had no liability for. And like AR said, why does the number of days matter? Your car isn't any better or worse off, except now it has no ants. I can't imagine what you would want Tesla to do if your brake calipers were the wrong color.

 

[grichard]

I am really not clear whether the ants colonized the car before delivery, or after.

If the ants got into the car during shipping, then sure, Tesla should be liable for removing them. They may not have done anything negligent. (I mean, who could have anticipated this?) But buyers have a reasonable expectation that their cars not come pre-loaded with insects.

If the ants got in after delivery, then Tesla is being generous.

 

[Mark Z]

I had ants in the P85 a couple of times. Both situations occurred when parked near ant activity. When visiting parking lots, try to stay clear of planted areas or soft dirt mounds. Washing the vehicle helped, but the ants were around for another week. I parked outside on hot sunny days to see if that would help. No more ant attacks for about a year and I hope to avoid the situation if possible.

 

[jerry33]

But buyers have a reasonable expectation that their cars not come pre-loaded with insects.

I dunno about that. The last time I purchased from a dealer there were plenty of roaches.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I am really not clear whether the ants colonized the car before delivery, or after.

If the ants got into the car during shipping, then sure, Tesla should be liable for removing them. They may not have done anything negligent. (I mean, who could have anticipated this?) But buyers have a reasonable expectation that their cars not come pre-loaded with insects.

If the ants got in after delivery, then Tesla is being generous.

Going to be pretty difficult to determine, I'd imagine. If I had to guess, probably not at the factory, so that leaves transportation and his home. I would say the most likely place would be where it was parked stationary for several hours next to vegetation...i.e. his driveway.

 

[monbri]

I might have been clear in my second post but hopefully this will help. The SC called and said, the ant colony was 100% inside the vehicle upon delivery. They literally had to take the driver side apart and finally found the largest any colony they have seen. The ants were located in-between the metal framing sealed underneath the drivers seat area. Since there was not a 100% seal they were able to get out and crawl around. Am I grateful Tesla is taking care of this, sure, but I think anyone has an expectation that when the purchase a new vehicle that it will not be infested. Might not be a warranty issue but if I purchase a new vehicle and upon using the a/c it blew cold air but the worst possible oder emitted overtime. Is that my fault? No, but I bet that would not be written in the warranty but I would assume most dealers would tackle the issue. The reason I mentioned the days of ownership/service was that clearly it was a big problem since they have now had my vehicle for 6 days and I still do not have the vehicle. That in itself should be clear that it was an issue.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

The SC called and said, the ant colony was 100% inside the vehicle upon delivery.

How did they make this determination? If the ants can get in and out, they can get in and out at any time.

 

[davewill]

How did they make this determination? If the ants can get in and out, they can get in and out at any time.

A few days doesn't seem like enough time for the "largest colony they'd ever seen in a car" to have time to establish itself.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

A few days doesn't seem like enough time for the "largest colony they'd ever seen in a car" to have time to establish itself.

Each colony starts their change of address by making a circle of charcoal pebbles, called a nest ring, around the new nest’s main entrance. (Ants rub their scent on the charcoal to mark their territory.) This is usually about 12 feet from the old nest. The ants then establish a trail connecting the two nests. Early on, most of the trail’s traffic is older, darker workers, who do the excavating. As the new tunnels and chambers emerge, young, pale ants start transporting the colony’s seed stash, charcoal, and brood of babies. Working from morning until dusk, the entire process typically takes around 4-6 days.

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/harvester-ants-randomly-move-their-nests/

Speculation, of course, but I don't know what percentage of the original colony made it to his vehicle and I'd imagine it would take less time if you don't have to wait for workers to dig the tunnels in the new nest.

 

[Canuck]

They must have been in the vehicle when he took delivery since they couldn't have built it to that stage in the few days he had it.

I wouldn't be pleased about getting a new "fumigated" vehicle either. I would also question why they would need to fumigate it if they removed the colony? They probably did it to kill the ants but they should have removed it all, then killed them away from vehicle, and wiped down, vacuumed, etc. the remaining ants. Of course, some ants would be left over in the vehicle but I'd rather deal with the few lost ants than the chemical residue in the vehicle.

 

[grichard]

They should have removed it all, then killed them away from vehicle, and wiped down, vacuumed, etc. the remaining ants. Of course, some ants would be left over in the vehicle but I'd rather deal with the few lost ants than the chemical residue in the vehicle.

I say they should take off and nuke the entire car from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I say they should take off and nuke the entire car from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

No need to be so drastic, it's not "colony" of spiders or anything.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I would like to revise my previous response. I sometimes skim when I should actually read. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that this occurred shortly after a new car delivery. In that context, especially since ants were seen the first day, I think this should be a Tesla warranty issue.

 

[Moshne]

I took delivery of my car last week and like the OP saw an ant or two the next day and didn't think anything of it. I'm now about a week out and it's covered in ants. My other car parked next to it doesn't have the issue and never has.

Here's hoping they will remedy it. Not looking forward to having the car in the shop already though.

 

[bob_p]

I ran into this issue a couple of years ago - ants were coming into the garage and getting into the car by climbing on the charging cable. As I was driving, I'd be killing small ants climbing on the dashboard and center console.

I tried several things to get rid of the ants - and after a few weeks, they were gone and haven't returned.

I bug bombed the garage, with the car inside.

I think I put cinnamon and also bug spray on a portion of the charging cable near the plug going into the car (to discourage ants from climbing up the cable).

I treated the garage with several types of insecticide, ant traps and ant goop.

And outside the garage, I used a combination of insecticide and several types of ant traps.

And, after a few weeks, the ants were gone. I kept up the interior/exterior garage treatments for a few months, to discourage them from returning and have since shifted to using a professional insect treatment service to treat the exterior of the house every 3 months.

And that did the trick.

Unfortunately, it took a few weeks to get things under control, and during that time, I would still occasionally see an ant or two inside the car. Though after going through this experience, I've stopped leaving the windows down and sunroof open when parking in the garage...