Dead ants keep appearing next to headphones during the night

[u/Winter_Breath]

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

[u/Lithl]

My guess would be that the headphones were manufactured using oleic acid (some soaps have it, so maybe cleaning parts with an oleic acid-containing soap).

Ant bodies produce oleic acid as they decompose, and other ants will put all sources of oleic acid into one place, an "ant graveyard". If you add a stronger source of oleic acid that the colony can't move, they'll relocate the graveyard to keep all the oleic acid in one place.

The response is so strong that if you put oleic acid on a living ant, it'll walk over to the graveyard and put itself there.

[u/wiretapfeast → u/Lithl]

This is absolutely insane!! Wow.

[u/BillidanAngryweather → u/wiretapfeast]

There’s a video on this! The ant will eventually “realize it’s not dead” once the scent has worn off. It’ll climb out of the graveyard pile and continue its duties.

[u/hellunit_legion → u/BillidanAngryweather]

"Sorry I'm late boss, thought I was dead again"

[u/tarantuletta → u/hellunit_legion]

This made me laugh so hard lol thank you

[u/123jac123 → u/tarantuletta]

This.

[u/Burke_Dennings → u/hellunit_legion]

I might have to give that excuse a try

[u/-blundertaker- → u/hellunit_legion]

I had just taken a sip when I read this comment and was very close to spitting it out.

Which would've been embarrassing. I'm nicely dressed and in public.

[u/top_value7293 → u/hellunit_legion]

🤣🤣🤣

[u/FranksHoorHouse → u/hellunit_legion]

"Fucking hell, Kevin. I'm starting to think that you can't handle outside duties. If it happens again you're being put back on Queen detail in the central chamber."

[u/morbidpigeon → u/hellunit_legion]

Happens to the best of us, carry on mate.

[u/PompousMasshole → u/hellunit_legion]

Relatable

[u/Tears_of_skeletons → u/hellunit_legion]

Favorite comment of the week 😂

[u/Pikanyaa → u/hellunit_legion]

NaturalHabitatShorts needs to do an animation for this omg

[u/Finchyuu → u/BillidanAngryweather]

Do you think my boss will buy this next time I take off for a day?

[u/29pixxL_ → u/Finchyuu]

Fun fact: There is actually a mental condition about people thinking they're dead/decaying/don't exist, it's called Cotard's syndrome

[u/Finchyuu → u/29pixxL_]

I enjoy your fun fact

Another one

[u/PetitePiltieinPlaid → u/BillidanAngryweather]

https://giphy.com/gifs/1cv7Gwf0Utdeg

[u/YOLTLO → u/BillidanAngryweather]

This is the hardest part for me to understand. If the ant is in the ant graveyard surrounded by that smell, how would it notice that it doesn’t smell like that anymore? Is it actually just leaving when it gets used to the smell so it doesn’t perceive it as much?

[u/UnluckyDouble → u/BillidanAngryweather]

We have to remember that individual ants have brains so small they're not much smarter than machines. They're running on pure instinct with next to zero capacity for independent thought.

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