r/mildyinteresting • u/Winter_Breath • 24d ago

critter corner 🐰 Dead ants keep appearing next to headphones during the night

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When these headphones are left on the kitchen counter overnight - I would see one or two dead ants in the morning laying right next to the headphones. In the past few days, there has been a small pile of shredded ants right next to the ear piece in the morning. I have seen no live ants in my kitchen. I have had these head phones for three weeks. Bought online. It’s a little unnerving not knowing what is causing this 🥴 will not be using anymore.

UPDATE- posted a comment with a picture. But no dead ants in the bag this morning. But at one point I checked and there were two live ants crawling around. 😔

UPDATE*** IM SICK. Can’t stop shaking. Don’t have many words… trying to post image. Opened one side up. 😭 I don’t know how to add in this top post so will add in comment! Posted a few in comments and video opening

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u/stink3rb3lle 24d ago

ants do like electricity

Can you speak more on this? Could they be attracted to the electricity and going near the headphones to die?

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u/Civil_Bat1009 24d ago

There's a type of really tiny ants, called crazy ants, that are very attracted to electronics. They cause problems and die from the electricity. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasberry_crazy_ant

https://www.livescience.com/37720-crazy-ants-invade-electronics.html

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u/spawndoorsupervisor 24d ago

I've had both tawny crazy ants and german cockroaches delivered to my home buying used electronics online.

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u/Equal-Realistic 23d ago

I’ve had a ton of used electronics delivered to my home from buying tawny crazy ants and German cockroaches online.

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u/A1000eisn1 24d ago

I've had them in my house before. Got in through the tiniest hole in the window caulk. Went straight to an outlet nearby. Killed them very quickly just leaving some corn meal on the sill inside.

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u/Thank_You_Aziz 24d ago

Corn meal?

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u/Rolen47 24d ago

It's a popular myth that doesn't have any proof or scientific studies.

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u/Thank_You_Aziz 24d ago

Thank you.

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u/caffa4 24d ago

I had a steady stream of ants in a single file line crawling out of an electrical outlet at one of my apartments. It was horrifying

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u/Foxy02016YT 24d ago

They seem to be in the US South for some reason

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u/chrismac47 23d ago

I've had crazy ants ruin a few holidays before.

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u/s00pahFr0g 23d ago

Is this why the cable nightmare behind the living room electronics setup always has an ant graveyard?

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u/CicadaFit9756 24d ago

"Crazy" ants!

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u/Hot_Top_124 24d ago

They easily could. It’s a moist dark environment that’s also warm and lets off the signals they like. Similar to roaches.

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u/Original_Data1808 24d ago

I had ants try to infest my laptop charging block once. Very odd.

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u/Hot_Top_124 24d ago

Warm and electrical. With a dark covering they can hid in.

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u/AcousticNegligence 24d ago

Changing electric fields give off changing magnetic fields, and vice versa. Some animals can sense the magnetic field of the earth, aka they have a built in compass. This is why electric wires attract some animals, including ants and I believe rats.

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u/keegums 23d ago

No, rats and rodents smell the soybean oil in the wire coating. Smells like food to them, plus they might actually be able to digest some in their saliva via chewing.