No longer satisfied with dark basement dwellings, spiders have begun spinning their webs in cars! Both Mazda and Toyota were forced to recall thousands of their vehicles recently due to internal pipe blockages caused by spider webs. So what is it that attracts these creepy crawlers to the tubes of a 2013 Camry? Well, when you take a look at the science involved, it helps to explain a lot.
Spiders Love Hydrocarbons
In those little spider exoskeletons exist chemicals known as hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons help spiders differentiate between their relatives and non-relatives – which pretty much means it’s a chemical that helps them to communicate with one another. Hydrocarbons aren’t just found in the bodies of insects though, they also happen to be present in gasoline.
The Mazda recall occurred because they had found that their fuel tanks were vulnerable to yellow sac spider infestations, and the theory is that gasoline (and those damn hydrocarbons) is what may be attracting our eight-legged friends to a car’s fuel line. Of course, others suggest that it might just be the dark space of the pipes that’s got them interested in cars and that gasoline hydrocarbons don’t have anything to do with the problem.
Either way, spider webs blocking airflow inside a vehicle’s fuel line is super dangerous because those blocks can cause the fuel tank to crack, and a fire to start. Mazda models do have a spring in place that is supposed to keep spiders out, but recalled a number of vehicles in December of 2013 that didn’t offer their more updated software (that keeps your car from catching fire even if spiders happen to be inside).
Ceiling Spiders
Yellow sac spiders sound super scary, but most refer to them as “ceiling spiders” because you’ll often find these bad boys hanging out on the ceiling of your home. A super common insect, ceiling spiders are found everywhere (including factories), so it’s not that shocking that they’d be found in factories manufacturing motor vehicles. If they can be found in a factory and in the comfort of your own home, then yes, they can probably make their way into your car.
BUT, and this is a big BUT, you shouldn’t worry too much about spider webs invading your vehicle’s pipes. Mazda reported about 10 cars found to have had spider related issues out of the thousands of vehicles they sell each day.
