OT: GFCI ANTS

Geo-TH,In · Sep 9, 2011

Had to replace a GFCI because ants were all around the GFCI and the recept box. Going to feed the ants maple syrup mixed with boric acid power. Should take about a week to get rid of them. Who would have thunk that ant poop would destroy a GFCI? BYW, the new GFCI only takes 5 ma to trip and does it in 1/40 of a second.

BCnT · Sep 9, 2011

funny,i just use my air gun to blow dead fire ant carcasses out of my breakers and theyre good to go again.

Nancy Howell · Sep 9, 2011

Fire ants got into the contacts of our A/C unit twice in one summer. Cost about $300 to fix. I now keep bug granules around the A/C unit.

Ants can wreak havoc with electrical connections.

Geo-TH,In · Sep 9, 2011

Fire ants haven't made it to Indiana yet. These ants were small black ants, which like sugar and my boric acid combo will get rid of them.

Many years ago, I cleaned the ants out of my neighbors A/C contactor. It was a weekend and couldn't get parts, so I took the contactor apart and sanded the contacts. It worked for years after that.

What is it with ants and electricial devices? There is no food!

Howard H. · Sep 9, 2011

I've never been able to figure out why ants sometimes do that!

We have a small crack in the cement floor of the main computer room at the university and we fought ants sporadically for over a year a few years ago - and now have not had trouble in years with them.

But then I was working on an electrical device at the well house a while back - and they were swarming all over it...

Don't know if it is just the temperature that might draw them in - or if they can sense the electricity somehow or just what...

Howard

JMOR · Sep 9, 2011

(quoted from post at 15:32:10 09/09/11)
I've never been able to figure out why ants sometimes do that!

We have a small crack in the cement floor of the main computer room at the university and we fought ants sporadically for over a year a few years ago - and now have not had trouble in years with them.

But then I was working on an electrical device at the well house a while back - and they were swarming all over it...

Don't know if it is just the temperature that might draw them in - or if they can sense the electricity somehow or just what...

Howard

hey will climb up my re-bar electric fence posts, bridge the gap across the insulator from post to hot wire with many of their little bodies & fry!

Nancy Howell · Sep 9, 2011

Its the electrical field. For some reason, they are attracted to it.

NCWayne · Sep 9, 2011

They got into the contacts in the pressure switch on my well twice about a month or so back. First time I cleaned them out with brake clean and figured that would do the trick. Less than a week later they were back. That time I cleaned them out again and sprayed insecticide all around and inside the well house. No more ants.....

PeteTheRookie · Sep 9, 2011

I believe ants have a instinct to find/follow vibtrations. The can feel a animal moving miles away and seek it out to eat its left overs or its dung.
Electricity appears to trigger this instinct.

Once when we lived in SC the critters caused a blackout as there dead burnt up remains caused a underground transformer to short out.

Pete

JerryS · Sep 9, 2011

I had to resort to smearing grease on the pipes and wires going into my wellpump switch to keep the fire ants out.

greygoat · Sep 10, 2011

The electromagnetic field attracts them!
They can sense it, where we can't!

OT: GFCI ANTS

Geo-TH,In

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BCnT

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Nancy Howell

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Geo-TH,In

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Howard H.

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JMOR

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Nancy Howell

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NCWayne

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PeteTheRookie

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JerryS

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greygoat

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