CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Greensboro, N.C. family said they discovered an ant infestation after returning to their car at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
It’s not the first time visitors to the airport have complained about ant infestations.
In the latest case, Caroline Hacker said they were parked in long-term lot 2. Hacker just returned from an out of state wedding with her husband and 11-month-old child.
Hacker said they immediately noticed ants in the car, and the discovery kept getting worse. The family sent video to NBC Charlotte.
“There were ants everywhere. And initially, it just looks like they were maybe just on the door jam,” said Hacker.
But then, Hacker said they found ants all over the child’s car seat and other places.
“We figured out they were actually coming from a big colony they had built in the engine by the windshield,” said Hacker.
In 2015, NBC Charlotte reported on another family who had parked at the airport and described finding more than 1,000 ants in their car in a parking deck.
“It just made me really irritated, because it’s happened to other people, just feels like it shouldn’t have happened, if it happened to other people,” said Hacker.
Hacker said her family had to spend $200 to get their car cleaned out. She said the airport refunded them for the parking costs and also agreed to pay for their cleaning bills.
NBC Charlotte emailed airport officials and asked several questions. Here are the answers.
- Alex Shabad: Are you aware of the incident involving an ant infestation last weekend? Was it a known problem before? To what extent, any numbers on past complaints for ant issues?
- Charlotte Douglas: We were made aware of the situation after a customer returned from their trip. We offered to pay to detail their car and waived the parking charges. We have also followed up with the customer and are making arrangements for reimbursement for the detailing of the vehicle. Ants are not a common problem, but the issue does appear sporadically. Ants tent to surface more than usual- due to the weather conditions and time of year. We are checking to see if others customer concerns have been raised, recently.
- Alex Shabad: What steps is the airport taking to address the issue?
- Charlotte Douglas: The airport regularly monitors grassy areas and sets ant traps as needed to help alleviate the problem. Parking spaces that contain ant trails also are closed off to the public until the ants are removed.
- Alex Shabad: What message does the airport have for other passengers who are concerned?
- Charlotte Douglas: We want to hear from our customers so we can assist them. Our parking lots are monitored routinely and treated. As we all know, ants are attracted to food and the best deterrence is to keep your vehicle clear of food and crumbs.
- Alex Shabad: The woman we talked to wonders why there were no warning signs since it appears this had been an issue. Is that something that was or will be considered?
- Charlotte Douglas: We understand the customer was misinformed by a contractor that this location had recently closed and reopened due to ants. That was not correct.
- Alex Shabad: What causes these ant related issues at the airport?
- Charlotte Douglas: As stated above, ants tend to surface, as in many outdoor spaces, due to the weather and time of year.
