Invasive ant species developing reputation for colonizing electronic devices. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 10:49:46 pm
content: I just read a news story about a non-native species of ant, that is slowly expanding its range in the Gulf Coast region of the US, especially in Texas and Florida, so called"Rasberry"or"crazy" ants.They are increasingly known for colonizing electrical appliances and electronics.story on how they like to live in electrical devicesI think that at some point when i lived in California I encountered ants nesting inside of a pump at one point, but I don't think it was this species.(fromNerdAlert)

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 05:57:53 am
content: That is rather interesting, from the picture they look a lot like regular red ants that I see here all the time, those smell funny.I can just imagine the stuff I'll find in my servers when I decide to do a full shut down and open them up. At some point I want to seal/enclose my server room but right now it's just open to the rest of the basement. I often find dead earwigs and dead spiders at the bottom of the rack. (I spray my house with insecticide).

author: Back2Volts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:09:39 am
content: I remember in the 80's at work, I saw a mouse running at the office. Facilities took care of it. Next time I had to open my PS2 tower, I learned where the little guy had the bachelor pad. The tower had one of the back plates missing. What an spacious apartment with central heating!

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:17:52 am
content: Critters can be annoying. We had the standard stuff - rodents chewing through cables, but we also had ants eat through the sealings on an IP67 junction box.Though it's hard to top this:

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 10:47:25 am
content: Some years ago we had a failing airco roof unit. After opening the control box I found hundreds of ladybugs inside, some even in the relays blocking the contacts.

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 12:33:32 pm
content: Quote from: daqq on December 08, 2016, 09:17:52 amCheck this (it's in German but the pictures speak for themselves)http://www.vtr1000.de/forum/showpost.php?s=b4ff6385d35867f93daa52fff617487c&p=451755&postcount=17

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 12:34:47 pm
content: Quote from: PA0PBZ on December 08, 2016, 10:47:25 amThe word "debug" originated from a moth in some relay contacts in the 1940's, but bugs went back to the 1800's - apparently. Maybe the etymology of debugging is a bit of an urban myth. I once heard it originated by a technique to clean out insects from selector contacts in phone exchanges using a brush.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:09:39 pm
content: Quote from: daqq on December 08, 2016, 09:17:52 amHahahaha I remember seeing that before. They just keep falling out, it's like never ending.Totally would have kept those, that's one hell of a stash.Slow roasted via microwave power too.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2016, 10:31:50 pm
content: QuoteNow there's a fine example of youtube title-lying to draw views. Even if the poster does then correct himself in the description: "Not actually a squirrel...Microwave antenna filled with acorns by suspected Woodpecker."In the video, one of the first captions says it was woodpeckers. Also they show the cover's rim, with holes pecked all the way round the rim. Even then, the majority of comment posters are upset about the poor squirrel and how it's going to die in winter (which was my first reaction too.)Anyway, the lie worked, and got him 1,753,332 views. What's the bet the poster had nothing to do with making the video.In this video I learned that woodpeckers cache nuts. We don't have woodpeckers here in Oz, thank God.Edit: Incidentally, about ants. Strangely this summer there are almost no ants at my place. I know because normally in summer I have to put the cat food bowls in a water tray otherwise ants zerg-rush the food. This year, not a one to be seen. It's worrying; what has killed them all?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2016, 06:03:25 am
content: Solved the ant problem with borax powder. Sprinkled it where they were most common, and after a month no more ants. However they will be back sometime, as the new queens will fly in from elsewhere.Now, if the borax would work on termites......

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2016, 07:40:50 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 10, 2016, 10:31:50 pmI thought that was odd too, video said squirrel, then said wood pecker. Kinda like the dramatic squirrel meme... it's actually a groundhog.