News Gamer says ants infested his PC to eat thermal paste and pads — insects found proliferating in the GPU around thermal pad debris

[Admin]

A user found that ants had attacked his PC, proliferating in the GPU around shredded thermal pads.

Gamer says ants infested his PC to eat thermal paste and pads — insects found proliferating in the GPU around thermal pad debris : Read more

 

[M0rtis]

Insects do some weird things sometimes. Some time ago there were a few reports from some areas here in India that some borer type insects were puncturing fuel lines to get at the 20% ethanol that they started mixing in the petrol !!

 

[Udyr]

Slow day already?

This has little to nothing to do with climate change. Ants inside electronics is a somewhat common occurrence because they love the comfy warmth.

I've battled PCs with tiny roaches and spiders (eggs included) for the same reason, especially when the owner doesn't clean up properly.

 

[edzieba]

An entire article with not one single "bug " pun?!

 

[hasten]

Slow day already?

This has little to nothing to do with climate change. Ants inside electronics is a somewhat common occurrence because they love the comfy warmth.

I've battled PCs with tiny roaches and spiders (eggs included) for the same reason, especially when the owner doesn't clean up properly.

Guessing you got to climate change and stopped reading. There is no reference of this situation being caused by climate change, it is referencing the northern migration of these species. Ticks, ants, bees that typically have been found in the south are being found further and further north.

 

[punkncat]

Lol, any given day in Florida....

I don't recall ever finding ants, but not uncommon at all to find spider husks, old cobwebs, and occasional roach bug bodies inside a used case.

 

[Eximo]

Fun fact, mice can fit through empty PCIe expansion slots. Once worked on a computer that wouldn't boot because of mouse urine.

 

[punkncat]

Fun fact, mice can fit through empty PCIe expansion slots. Once worked on a computer that wouldn't boot because of mouse urine.

My son went through the "rodent pet" phase and mice are wonderful at being escape artists. They readily fit through super small holes. Unfortunately for a couple of his mice was that our dachshund liked to give them hugs (with his teeth).

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

An entire article with not one single "bug " pun?!

I know, it's been bug-ging me out too!!

 

[Udyr]

Guessing you got to climate change and stopped reading. There is no reference of this situation being caused by climate change, it is referencing the northern migration of these species. Ticks, ants, bees that typically have been found in the south are being found further and further north.

"Some blame climate change, but whatever the cause..."

My reply indicates climate change has little to nothing to do with it, but with what the article continues saying, which is also confirmed on my reply. Regardless of invasive or local species, ants and other insects/bugs/arthropods love electronics.

 

[Amdlova]

Some ants have formic acid. Can corrode your pc parts. Make short circuits and do bad things. Ants and electronics don't combine.

My father as a eletronic repair guy... I see lots of ants inside of devices. Ants do bridges inside of the electronics short and die. Cool little bridge of dead ants.

 

[Makaveli]

That reddit post is 3 years old?

slow news day?

 

[AgentBirdnest]

That reddit post is 3 years old?

slow news day?

LOL! Good catch.

 

[g-unit1111]

I for one, welcome our new insect overlords!

 

[atomicWAR]

Lol, any given day in Florida....

I don't recall ever finding ants, but not uncommon at all to find spider husks, old cobwebs, and occasional roach bug bodies inside a used case.

Yeah same when I lived in Hawaii. Now I am in the pacific northwest and kind don't know what to do with my spare time now that constant roach hunting is off the table. Didn't matter how clean your stuff was, roach piss and dead bodies/shells was on everything within 24hrs of cleaning house...

 

[stonecarver]

I've battled PCs with tiny roaches and spiders (eggs included) for the same reason, especially when the owner doesn't clean up properly.

Same here and the most infected PC's I have had to deal with is from Palm Springs. From those tiny translucent roaches to there bed bugs.
I have a guy that runs his own business out there at some of the country clubs but he know nothing about how to fix computers. So he brings one here and there for me to repair.

I will hit those things when they come in with a propane torch. If you move it fast enough no damage to PC parts but seeing those bug scatter is like playing whack a mole.

I have never seen bigger roaches except in the movies than the ones in Palm Springs you could put a leach on it and walk it as a pet.

 

[UnforcedERROR]

I've had friends with issues involving ants getting into their computers and also their light switches and bathtub jets. Ants are just like that. I had some infest my car engine and then later my backseat because of excessive rain.

Finding an entire nest, eggs and all, under your floormats in your back seat is not a fun experience. On the upside, Lysol can be used in a car...

 

[TJ Hooker]

That reddit post is 3 years old?

slow news day?

The first reddit post linked is 2 days old. The author then went searching for past cases and found, among other stories, that 3 year old reddit post.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

any given day in Florida....

our water softener here in central FL often had infestations of ants actually destroying the connection to it's power supply.
a few moth balls changed out a few times a year has totally solved the problem.

while this is a good deterrent, i definitely would not want to get a big whiff of it coming from my PC exhaust fans..

 

[deesider]

"Some blame climate change, but whatever the cause..."

My reply indicates climate change has little to nothing to do with it, but with what the article continues saying, which is also confirmed on my reply. Regardless of invasive or local species, ants and other insects/bugs/arthropods love electronics.

"Some blame climate change, but whatever the cause, destructive and stinging fire ants are moving north."
Yeah, quoting entire sentences is just too exhausting.

 

[sfjuocekr]

Coolant usually has a sweet smell to it, so they might have just been searching. I've had ants all over my desk, laptop and computer because we had a sugar jar on the desk. The funny thing is that they all came through a tiny hole in the wall, so once I plugged that they went somewhere else

 

[AgentBirdnest]

Remind me not to buy the scented thermal paste that's been in the news lately. : P

 

[Udyr]

"Some blame climate change, but whatever the cause, destructive and stinging fire ants are moving north."
Yeah, quoting entire sentences is just too exhausting.

It still has little to nothing to do with climate change or an invasive species moving north, therefore completely unnecessary, but I appreciate you taking the time to post the rest.

Ants and the rest of the insects/bugs will do that regardless of their origin.

 

[Darkoverlordofdata]

How is this news? The first bug reported in a mainframe was a moth in 1947. Since then people have found:

Spider mites
Bird mites
Dust mites
Aphids
Ants
Bed bugs
Booklice
Thunderbugs
Baby roaches

 

[lufusol]

Who built Winnie the Pooh a gaming PC?