Here at the Boggy Thicket, we woke this morning to zero water pressure. The problem, as it has been many times in the past, was that ants had infested the pressure switch on our well in a suicidal frenzy. As you can see in the picture above, eventually enough dead ants build up between the electrical contacts to keep them from connecting. This particular photo is not my well switch – ours has two sets of double contacts – but it’s a pretty good illustration of what happens when the little buggers get into a switch or relay.
I’ve often wondered why ants are attracted to electrical contacts. My personal theory is that they are attracted by the siren song of a 60-cycle hum; others posit that the attraction comes from the magnetic field generated by alternating current. Studies do show that the first (and each successive) electrocuted ant releases pheromones that draw other ants to the scene,
Whatever the cause, it is a problem, and not just at my house. A 2001 study showed fire ant damage to electrical and communication equipment in Texas was 146.5 million dollars a year. For a look at the figures, and a good article on ants and electrical equipment, check out ANTS from the Agricultural Extension Service.
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