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Post by juntjoo on Dec 5, 2011 0:00:38 GMT
... but the section "ant knowledge" didn't have an option to make a new thread. Anyway, as you can see in my pics I have ants going in and out of this little power switch to my PC speakers and it appears they are bringing in egg-looking things as none of them leaving are carrying any. by the way, I'm guessing they are eggs because I know nothing about ants which is why I just joined and posted this thread. So if anyone could explain to me what's going on id appreciate it. And if in fact they are making babies inside this power switch, why there? And what's the best way to stop them for good. I'm not going to kill them if they're just going to return so until I find a permanent solution I'd rather watch them. But I'd rather them leave, so help, please(?).
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Post by batspiderfish on Dec 5, 2011 0:20:47 GMT
It's probably important that we figure out the identity of these ants to best create a solution for them. Can you get a measurement of the workers in millimeters? Also, what is your location?
If you can manage to get any closer (perhaps with a magnifying glass) could you try to take some better pictures? that would be helpful.
Some ants have a strange attraction to electricity. If they're big enough, they can short out electronics. I'm guessing these aren't very big.
As a tentative guess, I would say they are Tapinoma melanocephalum. There's really no way of knowing without a little more information, though.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Dec 5, 2011 8:57:57 GMT
Ah, you're wishing to stop them rather than keep them. Welcome to the forums. I imagine that the warmth is what is encouraging them to bring their brood inside, but as Batspiderfish said it can also be the electricity itself depending on the species. We need a better description of the ants, preferably a close up photo. Moved to a (I think) more appropriate section.
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Post by batspiderfish on Dec 5, 2011 9:04:00 GMT
Haha. Yeah, on second thought, they are probably in this for the warmth; particularly if they are the tropical T. melanocephalum that often invade homes in search of warmth and moisture.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Dec 5, 2011 9:09:09 GMT
Hi Juntjoo and welcome to the Ant Hill As you can see, your thread has been moved into the another board to try and give you some answers. Many kinds of ant are attracted to electrical energy, and as power boxes often get very warm inside, they provide a good incubator for ant brood to develop. Though we may not know what species the ants are, I think this may well be the case here that the ants are using the power box as a nest brood chamber. I have seen Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) actually chew through the plastic covering on electrical wiring, and I know of other invasive ants which like to nest near heat sources, but it sounds more like these ants are moving eggs nearer to a warm place to hatch out? Like Batspiderfish has said, it may help if you can provide more details on the ant species which is moving into your box, as it sounds like a whole colony (queen and all) is living there.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Dec 5, 2011 9:16:28 GMT
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