{"id":331586,"date":"2021-08-28T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/"},"modified":"2021-08-28T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T11:00:00","slug":"what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/","title":{"rendered":"#What to Do About Ants in Your Computer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29024e978dd\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29024e978dd\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/#Prevention_is_the_Best_Strategy\" >Prevention is the Best Strategy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/#Deal_With_Infestations_in_the_Home_First\" >Deal With Infestations in the Home First<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/#Getting_Ants_Out_Of_Your_Laptop\" >Getting Ants Out Of Your Laptop<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/#Dealing_With_Larger_Infestations\" >Dealing With Larger Infestations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/#Keeping_Your_Computer_Bug-Free\" >Keeping Your Computer Bug-Free<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What to Do About Ants in Your Computer&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-745587 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/closeup-macro-ant-face.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/closeup-macro-ant-face.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/closeup-macro-ant-face.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Closeup image of a big black ant with jaws open.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/big-black-ant-giant-opened-jaws-533153680\" data-credittext=\"Bastiaan Schuit\/Shutterstock.com\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/big-black-ant-giant-opened-jaws-533153680\">Bastiaan Schuit\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The problem of ants and electronics is a longstanding one. Ants tend to set up homes in warm, compact spaces, which is why they love laptop and desktop computers so much.<\/p>\n<p>With an estimated 10 <em>billion billion<\/em> ants on the planet, the problem is far more common than you might think.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prevention_is_the_Best_Strategy\"><\/span>Prevention is the Best Strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ants will scout your house looking for two things: food and water. Since your computer hopefully isn\u2019t a source of moisture, food is likely to be the main driver of an ant problem.<\/p>\n<p>Laptops and keyboards in particular can trap crumbs between the keys. Spilling a sugary or alcoholic drink near or on a keyboard can also be an issue since you\u2019re unlikely to remove all of the liquid without a full disassembly (you could try putting the keyboard in a dishwasher\u00a0too).<\/p>\n<p>One simple step you can take is to avoid eating food over or near your laptop or keyboard. For peace of mind, don\u2019t even keep food in the same room as your computer hardware. Ants that are roaming for food or water won\u2019t hang around long in an environment that has nothing of interest to them.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deal_With_Infestations_in_the_Home_First\"><\/span>Deal With Infestations in the Home First<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve noticed ants hanging around your laptop ports, computer tower, or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s console, this may be indicative of a much larger problem.\u00a0Dealing with any ant problems that already exist in your house or apartment is an important first step.<\/p>\n<p>You can buy ant repellents and other products for small incursions, but be aware that you may need to call in professionals for well-established colonies.<\/p>\n<p>Ants leave scent trails for other ants to follow, a phenomenon you can observe by watching them move across a surface like a wall or desk. Removing these scent trails with a 1:3 mixture of white vinegar to water (or a cleaning spray) can make it harder for them to find their way back to your desk or computer.<\/p>\n<p>Failing to deal with the main source of ants in your environment is setting yourself up to fail. Any effort you expend in dealing with problems in your electronics is likely in vain since the ants will continue to come back.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_Ants_Out_Of_Your_Laptop\"><\/span>Getting Ants Out Of Your Laptop<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your ant problem is relatively small, there are a few things you can try to move them along before things get out of hand. This is worth a shot if you\u2019ve noticed a few ants going in and out of ports, or hanging around your laptop.<\/p>\n<p>You can try picking up your laptop and giving it a good shake from all angles, which should disturb any ants inside. The idea here is that the ants will want to get out of the environment as fast as possible, and they\u2019ll be able to find their way out as a result of the scent trails they left when they arrived.\u00a0You might want to try this one a few times and observe the results.<\/p>\n<p>Another good option is to use the heat inside your laptop to make the ants uncomfortable enough that they will want to leave. This is a matter of putting your computer under heavy load, to generate heat.<\/p>\n<p>On a Windows laptop, you could launch a game and jack up the graphics settings, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/\">Blender<\/a> and try rendering some <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/download\/demo-files\/\">demo files<\/a>, or use a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.robvit.com\/windows_server\/generate-cpu-load-with-powershell\/\">PowerShell script<\/a> to consume 100% available CPU.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-744420\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/yes_cpu.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The yes Command Running in Terminal on macOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"380\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>On Mac and Linux, this can be done with the UNIX <code>yes<\/code> command. Simply launch a Terminal window, run <code>yes<\/code>, and wait. You can launch a few instances to really warm things up, which should get the fans spinning assuming your MacBook has fans (newer MacBook Airs do not). Kill the Terminal window to end the process.<\/p>\n<p>Some users recommend going even further and blocking vents and ports on well-ventilated laptops. We\u2019d urge you to think twice before intentionally overheating your machine in this manner. It could void your warranty and damage the internal hardware.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s true that ants like warm spaces, they cannot regulate their internal body heat which means they do not thrive under very hot conditions. This should help persuade them that a hot laptop is not a good place to set up home.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dealing_With_Larger_Infestations\"><\/span>Dealing With Larger Infestations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you have a much larger infestation, you\u2019ll likely notice many more ants coming and going via vents and ports. The ants that come and go are usually scouts, looking for food and water to bring back to the colony. If you see ants carrying things\u00a0<em>into<\/em> your laptop, there could be a queen or eggs inside.<\/p>\n<p>At this stage, you\u2019re going to need to clean the infestation out of your laptop manually. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get. The only option is to open up your computer and take a look at the damage for yourself. You should use guides like those found on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ifixit.com\">iFixit<\/a> if you have a laptop, and take precautions like using an anti-static wristband while cleaning.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s probably best to do this outside on a nice dry day so that any fleeing ants stay outside, rather than in your house. Some guides recommend vacuuming the computer to get rid of ants, but we\u2019d caution against this since dust particles entering the vacuum can cause a build-up (and discharge) of static electricity.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-745637 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ants-on-computer-hardware.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Ants making a nest on laptop internal hardware\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/ants-make-nest-laptop-notebook-1082861138\" data-credittext=\"opportunity_2015\/Shutterstock.com\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/ants-make-nest-laptop-notebook-1082861138\">opportunity_2015\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Instead, carefully disconnect or remove the battery (or remove the cable to your power supply on a desktop) and use a soft plastic tool to remove any eggs you find. The ants should im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely start to flee when you open the chassis, but you can also use a few blasts of computer duster (from a safe distance) to help them along.<\/p>\n<p>Compressed air can be dangerous when used close to sensitive objects (like fan blades and blowers) so be careful. Once you\u2019ve disturbed the colony the ants may decide to leave anyway. If they\u2019re protecting a queen, they may need a little more persuasion.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keeping_Your_Computer_Bug-Free\"><\/span>Keeping Your Computer Bug-Free<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A moth is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/thisday\/sep9\/worlds-first-computer-bug\/\">widely attributed<\/a> for helping coin the term \u201ccomputer bug\u201d after it was discovered in a computer at Harvard University in 1947. With modern computers being a lot smaller, ants pose more of a risk to your hardware around the house and office.<\/p>\n<p>But ants aren\u2019t the only reason you might want to open your computer up for a clean. Getting rid of dust in a laptop and cleaning your gross keyboard may even help you get more life out of your hardware.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/744750\/what-to-do-about-ants-in-your-computer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What to Do About Ants in Your Computer&#8221; Bastiaan Schuit\/Shutterstock.com The problem of ants and electronics is a longstanding one. Ants tend to set up homes in warm, compact spaces, which is why they love laptop and desktop computers so much. With an estimated 10 billion billion ants on the planet, the problem is far&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":331587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/closeup-macro-ant-face.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}