I found that there was a steady stream of ants (I live in India, and it's summer) flowing into my fridge, water cooler, keyboard, scanner, ups, and god knows what else and I can't understand why ! I have a feeling it's to do with the electricity itself, certain events have convinced me of that fact, but I would really like to know what's going on.
Even though its summer, I still think they're attracted to the heat disappated by electrical equipment. I've noticed this too, as a cable TV technician, many underground locations who's equipment sheds heat are often the preferred home of ants. This occurs despite summer temps in excess of 100F. for weeks on end. I don't get ants.
I think it is bizarre for ants to like electricity. You mentioned fridge: a place with food; keyboard: a device with frequent contact; scanner and so on. I guess the dead skin cells accumulating on the keyboard could be attracting the ants, especially if you've used it for quite some time. The fridge is a nice place for all kinds of food so if there was a spill recently, some drop of juice might have got into the little nooks and crannies here and there which would leave behind the signals for ants to attack. The scanner is a good source of light at times to attract insects, some small ones might dive into certain gaps and become trapped - the carcass would call on ants. The water cooler depends on the type that you use, but it's a good source of water in general, though I haven't really heard of ants needing to drink: they get it from their food. Well, it's summer. But I thought that it could just be a nice cooling spot where they might have built a nice little nest. If it's just a dispenser, then check with others if they have poured juice or anything into the drain-hole especially when they re-use the bottles used for sweetened beverages - you know, the rinse and refill act Good luck in the investigations. :)
This Site Might Help You. RE: Why do ants love electrical equipment? I found that there was a steady stream of ants (I live in India, and it's summer) flowing into my fridge, water cooler, keyboard, scanner, ups, and god knows what else and I can't understand why ! I have a feeling it's to do with the electricity itself, certain events have convinced me
Ants have been a major factor in air conditioner failures. Service personnel in Texas have reported that fully one third of all summer repairs stem from ants shorting out terminal blocks. They also have been found to have set up housekeeping in televisions, well pump controls, telephone junction pedestals, airport runway lights, utility watthour meters, electrical plugs and lamp sockets, computers, and transformers-where they prefer to nest on the high-voltage side. Why are imported red fire ants attracted to electric fields? No one is yet ready to offer a theory. But biologist Dr. William P. MacKay of the University of Texas at El Paso and entomologist Professor S. Bradleigh Vinson of Texas AM have succeeded in eliminating a number of possible factors. They have found fire ant behavior does not correlate with a-c frequencies, or with the presence of ozone, electromagnetic or magnetic fields. Nor is the type of insulation used on wiring a factor. In tests up to 140V a-c and 350V d-c, both attracted almost the same number of ants at the same voltage and distance. However, they did find that when electricity was turned off, ants attracted to d-c power dispersed more rapidly than those who had been experiencing the nirvana of an a-c source. While the Texas researchers still don't understand the reasons why the ants have a fatal attraction to electric fields, they have been able to devise successful control techniques. Based on their studies, they recommend using terminal cap protectors to prevent bridging, and denying entrance to the insects by enclosing mechanical relays in metal or plastic cases and sealing them, as well as all entrances to padmounted equipment, with epoxy cement. In laboratory tests, silicone rubber sealants and roofing cement proved ineffective.
