My new speakers - Ruined!! :sis:

[gobble]

Grrrr! Arf! Arf! ( sorry m in no mood to greet hello )

I just found ants crawling over my right speaker. As I starting dusting them off I noticed 3 or 4 needle punctures in the tweeter and the ants were crawling in and out of it!!! Holy cow!! They are building a multi-story apartment complex right in my speaker!!

Pleeeeeez help!! :sos:

How do I get rid of them and prevent them from savaging my system? Looks like the tweeter will need replacement. :sad:

Running out to buy anti-ant spray or something ....

Regards

 

[vivekam]

Your speakers seems to be very sweet.
Which brand are they?

 

[iaudio]

Your speakers seems to be very sweet.
Which brand are they?

I seem to be having a similar problem, the ants seem to be quite infatuated with my eagle speaker wires, which does in turn lead them to my speakers, avr, player, pc etc!!!

Any solution?

 

[Sumit]

Grrrr! Arf! Arf! ( sorry m in no mood to greet hello )

I just found ants crawling over my right speaker. As I starting dusting them off I noticed 3 or 4 needle punctures in the tweeter and the ants were crawling in and out of it!!! Holy cow!! They are building a multi-story apartment complex right in my speaker!!

Pleeeeeez help!! :sos:

How do I get rid of them and prevent them from savaging my system? Looks like the tweeter will need replacement. :sad:

Running out to buy anti-ant spray or something ....

Regards

Hey Gobs!!

So sorry to hear about this. I can only imagine how painful it would be...

I once used 'HIT' mosquito repellant for ants and it seemed to work just fine. Although, I am not sure in what way it shall react with the speaker and cabinet.

Also, I suggest to spray 'HIT' once or twice a week all around the floor where the speakers are kept. This is preventive maintenance. Also, a call to the local pest exterminator shall be helpful.

Cheers!!

PS> What speakers are you using?

 

[Asit]

Hi Gobble,

Sorry to hear about the ant-problem!

We have ants too in our apartment, and especially during summers they create some problems. These days they are not just interested in sweets.

Can you find the source? Usually they make a line and hence you can back-track and may be possible to locate the source. Then buy a disposable injection syringe and inject into the source (usually a hole somewhere) some termite-killer solutions or some such thing. Unless you are able to locate the source, this problem will happen again.

The other solution is of course to call a professional pest-control company. Godrej has such services now in every city.

BTW, why did you think you had to replace your tweeters? Is there a visible damage, if so of what sort?

 

[Anil kumar]

Hi Rahul, try lakshman rekha chalk stick, that should work best. That's what i use to drive away Cockroaches & Ants from floorstanders.
Be careful with any chemical sprays, that may damge the drivers permanently.


Regards,
Anil



DIY floorstanders

Grrrr! Arf! Arf! ( sorry m in no mood to greet hello )

I just found ants crawling over my right speaker. As I starting dusting them off I noticed 3 or 4 needle punctures in the tweeter and the ants were crawling in and out of it!!! Holy cow!! They are building a multi-story apartment complex right in my speaker!!

Pleeeeeez help!! :sos:

How do I get rid of them and prevent them from savaging my system? Looks like the tweeter will need replacement. :sad:

Running out to buy anti-ant spray or something ....

Regards

 

[asliarun]

Very sorry to hear that :sad:

Apart from using ant killer spray, please try to eliminate the source. You can do the following:
1. Try to identify the ant trail and wipe it with soap/detergent and water. This will destroy the chemical trail.
2. Try to identify the ant source (hole in wall/floor etc), and use ant repellents there.
3. Try some organic ant repellents in and around the ant source and the speakers.. ants seem to hate aromatic stuff... try using talcum powder or chilli powder (they're supposed to be ant repellents). Boric powder is also supposed to kill ants.

Or, call pest control. I just got the herbal treatment done by pest control in the beginning of the year, and it is working fine so far (no pests at all). It does not smell at all unlike the chemical pest control, and they apply herbal pest control paste in various parts of the house/room. You can also ask them to apply the paste in and around the ant source and around your equipment. It will also not inconvenience your family in any way as nothing is sprayed and no chemicals are used.

Hope this helps.

-arun

 

[gobble]

BTW, why did you think you had to replace your tweeters? Is there a visible damage, if so of what sort?

Asitji

There are 4 needle puncture holes in my tweeter now. The ants ate thru the tweeter to get inside and build a nest!! When I started blowing into the tweeter they poured out in the dozens!!

I will post a macro close-up shot tomorrow once my camera cells are charged.

I've been tolerating these ants for 3 years now - they have excavated the sand/cement mix at the main doorway and live there. but I never had a problem with the bedroom.

I just went from shop to shop - everyone has mosquito/cockroach/housefly formulas nothing for ants. But since you folks have used mosquito spray successfully, guess I will go get that one instead. I'm just afraid of the oils/chemicals affecting the fabric of the cones, guess I have no choice now.

Regards

 

[gobble]

Hi Rahul, try lakshman rekha chalk stick, that should work best. That's what i use to drive away Cockroaches & Ants from floorstanders.
Be careful with any chemical sprays, that may damge the drivers permanently.


Regards,
Anil



DIY floorstanders

How do I get rid of the ants already in my speakers then?
Open the speaker, drive them out and ensure they never come close again - looks like the option to use going by your suggestion.

Regards

 

[gobble]

Very sorry to hear that :sad:

Apart from using ant killer spray, please try to eliminate the source. You can do the following:
1. Try to identify the ant trail and wipe it with soap/detergent and water. This will destroy the chemical trail.
2. Try to identify the ant source (hole in wall/floor etc), and use ant repellents there.
3. Try some organic ant repellents in and around the ant source and the speakers.. ants seem to hate aromatic stuff... try using talcum powder or chilli powder (they're supposed to be ant repellents). Boric powder is also supposed to kill ants.

Or, call pest control. I just got the herbal treatment done by pest control in the beginning of the year, and it is working fine so far (no pests at all). It does not smell at all unlike the chemical pest control, and they apply herbal pest control paste in various parts of the house/room. You can also ask them to apply the paste in and around the ant source and around your equipment. It will also not inconvenience your family in any way as nothing is sprayed and no chemicals are used.

Hope this helps.

-arun

I have water based organic stuff that doesnt do much - they come back when it dries up. which is why I was skeptical about using cockroach/mosquito spray too ...

may be if I try cleaning with soap then use boric powder in the ant holes around doorways ?

Regards

 

[soundsgreat]

Hi,

Rahul the folks have already spoken ! I will just add that if its too close to the back wall or the side walls then try moving them bit away !

As with the getting the replacement or repairing the existing tweeter I can always help you don't worry !

Anyways you are due for a visit to my place ! so either while coming you can bring the tweeter (if you can remove it) or I can drop in and have a look at it and do the needful !

Let me know how you want to take it forward,This weekend is open so far !

Regards.

 

[Asit]

If you can find the source holes, can you not try the following (what I have already suggested) in my post above. In our old house, I solved the termite problem exactly in this way, and in many ways termites and ants are similar.

Can you find the source? Usually they make a line and hence you can back-track and may be possible to locate the source. Then buy a disposable injection syringe and inject into the source (usually a hole somewhere) some termite-killer solutions or some such thing. Unless you are able to locate the source, this problem will happen again.

 

[suri]

Grrrr! Arf! Arf! ( sorry m in no mood to greet hello )

I just found ants crawling over my right speaker. As I starting dusting them off I noticed 3 or 4 needle punctures in the tweeter and the ants were crawling in and out of it!!! Holy cow!! They are building a multi-story apartment complex right in my speaker!!

Pleeeeeez help!! :sos:

How do I get rid of them and prevent them from savaging my system? Looks like the tweeter will need replacement. :sad:

Running out to buy anti-ant spray or something ....

Regards

a surefire way of eliminating ant menace -

place the speakers on spikes - locate the spikes made of non corrosive material in small bowls of water - make sure the bowls of water do not dry up by replenishing the water every third day. any anti-ant chemicals can be mixed in the water. works 100%

you will have to replace the tweeter, though :sad:

do not ever use any chemical, powder or otherwise, on the drivers themselves.

regards

 

[soundsgreat]

Hi,

do not ever use any chemical, powder or otherwise, on the drivers themselves.

I 100% agree and second that !! Never use it as it will damage the tweeter for sure ! since its soft dome the damages will more !

Rahul hope you read my earlier (asking coz no reply to that) !

Regards.

 

[suprateep]

a surefire way of eliminating ant menace -

place the speakers on spikes - locate the spikes made of non corrosive material in small bowls of water - make sure the bowls of water do not dry up by replenishing the water every third day. any anti-ant chemicals can be mixed in the water. works 100%

you will have to replace the tweeter, though :sad:

do not ever use any chemical, powder or otherwise, on the drivers themselves.

regards

OMG i am worried now. Already we had a roach problem last year - they were crawling all over the place. The solution was I sprayed 2 cans of HIT all over my house and shut it down for a month when I went outside. Nirvana - no roach problems as of now.

But now with a 4 month baby and milk all over the place - ants are a problem in my house now. I really need to check back with my speakers now. Though I believe Boric acid powder at different places will help. Also ask the maid to do "pocha" with Phenyl and a lil bit of boric acid. This has kept the number fo pests in check for me for the time being.

 

[square_wave]

Apply some tiger balm on the spikes once a week. They never come that stuff Your headache will be gone too
And try and eliminate them using Asits technique.

 

[Asit]

Ya, I want to clarify one thing though. What I said above is for the source holes and not for the holes in your drivers. Do not use any chemical (not even anything to do with water) inside your speaker, as many others have also suggested very correctly. I just wanted to make it absolutely clear.

I do not know how you would get rid of the ants which are still inside your speakers. Perhaps you need to open the speakers up with some expert help (I would not do it myself) and very carefully remove them by mechanical methods (very soft brushing?).

 

[particleman]

Hi Rahul, try lakshman rekha chalk stick, that should work best. That's what i use to drive away Cockroaches & Ants from floorstanders.

I will second this. I use this exact technique myself. The base of my floorstanders has a couple of thick coats of Lakshmanrekha chalk applied to it. None of the other brands of chalk works as well. Also some is spread on the speaker cables. My house also has an ant problem but my speakers have never been affected. I learned this the hard way when they got inside my computer many years back. I dont think the spray is effective as you will most likely wipe it away while cleaning.

 

[realactivex]

Hi,

Rahul the folks have already spoken ! I will just add that if its too close to the back wall or the side walls then try moving them bit away !

As with the getting the replacement or repairing the existing tweeter I can always help you don't worry !

Anyways you are due for a visit to my place ! so either while coming you can bring the tweeter (if you can remove it) or I can drop in and have a look at it and do the needful !

Let me know how you want to take it forward,This weekend is open so far !

Regards.

Ever helpful Sreekanth! Three cheers to you! May your tribe increase.

 

[gobble]

If you can find the source holes, can you not try the following (what I have already suggested) in my post above. In our old house, I solved the termite problem exactly in this way, and in many ways termites and ants are similar.

Asitji

I traced the line down the speaker cables to a crack in the wall at the "L". Its too thin to insert the nozzle though. I will have to pour liquid into it.

Regards