Aussie mum stunned by colony found living inside her TV: ‘How does this happen?’
The woman's young son was watching TV when he first spotted the colony.
Ants are a common household problem in Australia usually found in the kitchen. But, one woman has had the shock of her life, finding an entire colony of entertainment-loving ants living inside her TV.
The Queensland mum was alerted to little creatures filling up her TV by her young son so tried to immediately remove them before realising they were behind the glass. "There are ants in my TV. They have created a hive in my TV," she said online.
As surprising as the sight was, entomologist Dr Tom White told Yahoo News Australia it is not uncommon to find ants huddled near the warmth of something electronic — though it would usually be items like a laptop rather than a TV.
After her husband took the TV apart to remove the ants, they found a colony of ants living across the entire bottom of the device, behind the front glass which he then removed using a vacuum cleaner.
"How? How does this happen?" one person responded after seeing the video of the ants. "Where do y'all live!? I’ve never seen this happen!" another exclaimed.
TV offered protection for the ants
Not only are ants attracted to the warmth given off by some electronics, but White explains the TV itself offered them a home with protection and safety because of the minimal entrance points. "It's very easy for them to defend there," he said.
The ants, likely black house ants according to White, are a common house-infesting ant species that do not bite or sting. More commonly, this native species makes a home in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom and are attracted to sweet liquids and foods that they use to feed their larvae — the white-looking substance found with the ants.
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What to do if you find a colony of black house ants in your home
White said that ant colonies can be tricky to relocate, unlike bees or other insects. The most ethical thing to do is physically move them if possible — for example, moving the TV outside.
Unfortunately, moving the queen and some of the worker ants to a new spot may not work but it could be worth a try. Alternatively, for severe infestations, it is best to bring in pest experts to help.
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