What do YOU think could pose a danger to your PC, Television or even a cell phone? Viruses, fluctuations in power? How about an insect thats smaller than a penny? Yeah thats right.. a new breed of ants — ‘Crazy Rasberry Ants’ to be precise have surfaced in various Texas counties. Personally I had a soft spot for the tiny little buggers .. strong, fast and pretty organized creatures but this new turn of events means WAR!
The ants, which are tiny and reddish, aren’t native to Texas. Officials believe they came off a ship from the Caribbean and are quickly multiplying in numbers (billions and counting). One reason is, these ants have several queens compared to just one seen in other species. They are gaining a notorious reputation for destruction pretty quickly, so much so that organizations like the Johnson Space Center have called in extermination experts to keep the pests out of their sensitive and critical systems.
So far the ants shorted out three different computers at a chemical plant that were running a pipeline that brought chemicals in. They also managed to take down two computers last year and one in 2006, affecting flow in the pipeline each time. The ants have swarmed into trucks at a shipping company, shorting out the radios and even the vehicles themselves.
“I think they go into everything and they don’t follow any kind of structured line, If you open a computer, you would find a cluster of ants on the motherboard and all over. You’d get 3,000 or 4,000 ants inside and they create arcs. They’ll wipe out any computer.”
The ants attraction to electronics devices is brought about by its natural ability to detect electromagnetic fields. A PC serves as a good place to start building nests.. why? Well mostly cuz they are “dry and have small, easily defendable entrances.” Now these insects from hell cant really chew on the metal, but what they can get through is the insulation around them, exposing the live wires and causing electrical shorts.
Scenario : you open up an infested case.. out pours thousands of fried ants.. heres a recipe to turn your sorrows into a delicious meal. If your not into cooking that much you can try this for now:
- Pitch wood, Debris or bricks is a NO-NO
- Keep Mulch at least 2 inches thick and a foot from your house
- Using pesticides isn’t advisable
- And it might be time to trim those bushes!
As for moi, the scorching sun and the mounds of sand will keep me safe.. bring it on bitch! 
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Laptops seem to attract ants too. A real effective solution is to place a smallish block of camphor wrapped in tissue paper next to the areas of entry. Ants hate it.
Boy! I didn’t know cat’s had a test for circuits, wiring and chips
/me looks under the bed, peeps inside the open cabinet, shuts the windows, block the doors.. whew!!
I hate creepy ants! :p
sorry.. I meant to type “ants”.. it became “cats” … :p
@Vimal : Tx for the tip! I donno why but the cooking them idea is beginning to appeal to me
ermm exotic foods, eh?
@Carb0n : Yeah it seems mommy ant came up with a new menu! Oh Ants/cats common typo dear.. we all make it
Cmon admit it, you are missing your lost kitten.. ain’t ya?
@signil: cooking them is great, as long as they dont fry INSIDE my cabinet. Its supposedly a fascinating sight to watch(the minefield of electric arcs created by ant clans exploring bare circuits.) I wish I could afford to watch such a mind-blowing spectacle.
Back to Pooters and antfarms I guess. This little boy never grew up.
@signil: A friend of mine has a nicer idea to get rid off ants infecting his laptop. He says when his system boots up, instead of the Wind0ws progress bar, ants walk up and down his moniter.:D
He plays games day in and out. The intense heat from his Core Duo is believed to make ants migrate to some place else (oh, that’s why his neighbour in class is begining to be infected too).:p
Yeah, and I miss my kitten!