Ants living in my laptop....

[vaca232]

For the past few weeks at college I occationally saw an ant run across the screen and I figured that they were just living somewhere in the dorm. Now that I have my computer home I keep ants...and then I saw a few walk out of my PC card slot...

So I opened up the laptop (Acer Aspire 2012) and took as the hard drive and DVD drive out and managed to shake out probably 50 ants. They seem to mostly be next to the DVD drive, in the lip that sticks out when the laptop is closed.

Though I got a bunch of ants out...there are still a few that walk out... I don't know how to open the laptop fully, only get the keyboard off.

Anyone have a good idea for getting rid of the ants?? and also, could they actually damage the laptop?

[Pharoke]

For the past few weeks at college I occationally saw an ant run across the screen and I figured that they were just living somewhere in the dorm. Now that I have my computer home I keep ants...and then I saw a few walk out of my PC card slot...

So I opened up the laptop (Acer Aspire 2012) and took as the hard drive and DVD drive out and managed to shake out probably 50 ants. They seem to mostly be next to the DVD drive, in the lip that sticks out when the laptop is closed.

Though I got a bunch of ants out...there are still a few that walk out... I don't know how to open the laptop fully, only get the keyboard off.

Anyone have a good idea for getting rid of the ants?? and also, could they actually damage the laptop?

I have heard of insects grounding components causing smoke and burning. Kinda scary. Try getting a can of compressed air and blowing them out. For prevention at school I have no idea, short of a bug bomb, but I don't know how well received that would be in a dorm with circulated air.

[xAMDvsIntelx]

I'd take the laptop apart - just unscrew the bottom portion of the laptop first (keep the screws organized so you can put your laptop back together). I'd start with the RAM and HD covers first and be sure to remove the battery. After you're done taking apart the laptop, use compressed air and blow all those ants outta there! (BTW, do you eat near your laptop? I've never heard of ants actually nesting in one.) Just screw everything back in, and you should be good to go.

[Pharoke]

I'd take the laptop apart - just unscrew the bottom portion of the laptop first (keep the screws organized so you can put your laptop back together). I'd start with the RAM and HD covers first and be sure to remove the battery. After you're done taking apart the laptop, use compressed air and blow all those ants outta there! (BTW, do you eat near your laptop? I've never heard of ants actually nesting in one.) Just screw everything back in, and you should be good to go.

I actually saw a fairly large colony inside a desktop power supply once. They had brought stuff in and had actually insulated everything pretty good. To good, the PS was overheating and shutting down.

[xAMDvsIntelx]

I actually saw a fairly large colony inside a desktop power supply once. They had brought stuff in and had actually insulated everything pretty good. To good, the PS was overheating and shutting down.

Wow, that's really bizzare. I would think that a computer would be an uncomfortable place to nest

[SpacemanSpiff]

I actually saw a fairly large colony inside a desktop power supply once.

I suppose you mean with a queen and everything. Interesting.

[nickspohn]

That is very interesting that that many ants were in your computer and continue to be in there. I would go with AMD and take the laptop apart in the order to get the ants out. Getting compressed air wouldnt be a bad idea to use while cleaning it out to make sure you get everything. I would be mad if just one little soul (ant) walked out of my laptop.

[chinna_n]

Ant can potentially eat(make holes for their way) parts, cables even HDD. So you better get those our ASAP.

Air can is not a bad idea,not sure how effective it is. Isn't there any thing like fumes or smoke that can get ant out or dead?

[xAMDvsIntelx]

Anything other than compressed air will probably damage the internal parts of the laptop.

[yomister]

Maybe heat?? Run the DVD drive for long periods of time to make it really warm.

Or poison... arn't there some sort of insect poison where it attracts the insects into feeding the poison to the queen or something like that?