OMG, Little black ants all over my 12" PB.. will it void warrenty if I take it apart?

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WakeboardrB

[H]ard|Gawd
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Aug 17, 2001
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Holy crap, I was gone all night last night and left my 12" 1ghz Powerbook on the floor at my parents house and when I go to pick it up today I notice little tiny black ants crawling on the case. I crossed my fingers and opened the screen and they were all over the keyboard.

I've shaken the laptop and got about 30 or so tiny ants out of the keyboard, but I'm positive a few of them got in the case. My question is... If I disassemble parts of my laptop to blow them out with compressed air, will it void my warrenty?

I'm typing up a expense report right now that's due in two days so I have no time to actually get someone to look at the comp for me and I love a good project. I just want to make sure that it won't void applecare's warrenty and I need to get these little freakin ants out of here before one of them shorts something out!

Will I void my warrenty?
 
Opening the case will void the warranty.

Sucks about the ants tho, heh. I have an ant invasion in my kitchen... and I would never leave my laptop on the floor! :O

Are your keys sticky or something that would attract them?
 
Shit, are there stickers or something that will be visibly broken?

All I want to do is remove the screen bezel because I catch one or two of them crawling out every so often and then just the keyboard as well...
 
Ok, I conceeded and just popped off a few of the keys. I didn't see any more ants so I think that's it. At least I hope that's it :)
 
i would put it in the freezer for a while... the only thing i don't know is if it would damage the screen. i'd look into that... cause if it doesn't damage teh screen i think it would be a good way to get them out/kill them.
 
Thread is useless without pics but I guess the opportunity has passed. Oh well.
 
Ive been using it on and off for the past few hours and didn't see any more ants. I think they only got in between the lid and the keyboard.

I guess eating orange chicken while using it last night left a bit of residue, which apparently ants love. :)


Yeah, I should've taken some pics, but I was so panicked that I didn't even think to grab the camera.
 
If there is any inside of it they are dead now. Your 12'' PB gets mighty warm inside, much warmer than an ant is going to tolerate. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I would take it apart totally and clean it. I think its justified lol.

Their are probly ants who got zapped on a tracer or by the heat or sometingg and melted to your mobo or something lol, I would so take it apart and clean that shit.
 
The problem with bugs in electrical systems (pun very much intended ;) ) is that they can conduct electricity, causing short-circuits and such... But if you've used it for a few hours with no issues, I doubt there are issues.
 
Why open it and void the warranty? Use it, and if something goes wrong... you've got your warranty.
 
slowbiz said:
Why open it and void the warranty? Use it, and if something goes wrong... you've got your warranty.
Click to expand...

I agree!

And if so, when apple asks you why the heck there were ants in there, act TOTALLY surprised and laugh. "LOL ants!"
 
The ants aren't going to get anywhere, despite being on your keyboard. The PB is pretty well sealed under the keyboard.

If you really feel the need, you could pop the keyboard out and check underneath, I suppose. Just pop the F2, F3, F11, and F12 keys, remove the screws beneath them, and then pop the RAM cover, and remove the screw right next to the RAM slot.

Your keyboard should come right up.
 
Put out one of those ant traps. They have poision food in them. As soon as they smell it. they got the food and take it back to the queen. Thus leaving your rig.
 
There are loads of things to 'scare' away ants. They don't like really old coffee, they can't stand garlic, etc etc. At least those two work well for the swedish ants.
 
LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
Thread is useless without pics but I guess the opportunity has passed. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Lol. :) Exactly what i think we were all hoping for, but that's beside the point. Not that this may be too much help anymore, but i don't think that ants will pose too much of an electrical problem: their exoskeletons won't conduct electricity, i'm pretty sure, and their insides will only conduct electricity if they're moist (read: mushed and freshly dead, or mushed and it's really humid out). I don't even think that they would cause small voltage fluctuations that might lock up microchips. So i think you'll be fine there. What i would be worried about would be them getting crunched under your keys, or gumming up your optical drive, although i don't know how well that's sealed. You shouldn't have to worry about your HDD though: that's pretty sealed. Sorry to hear about the ants! Good luck.
 
why don't you just clean, then you won't have ants.

Who leaves their PB on the floor?
 
Once you are done with your report just put it in a large plastic *sealable* bag for a few days, I can assure you all of the ants will be dead. From there, their little dead ant bodies will really be like any other dirt and grime that lurks inside any piece of hardware.
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
There are loads of things to 'scare' away ants. They don't like really old coffee, they can't stand garlic, etc etc. At least those two work well for the swedish ants.
Click to expand...

Or german ants and vampire ants.
 
Actually guys, i asked an applecare support rep last time i called, it DOES NOT void the warranty to open the case on an apple notebook, they simply do not cover any damage caused by you opening the case. :cool:
 
put the laptop on a desk or table and let it sit open. Pour a little pool of vegetable oil next to it on the desk and if there are any still alive, that will draw them out. If nothing comes out over a few hours they are most likely gone or dead. A quick once over with some compressed air and you should be good to go. :)
 
Okay - I think we're all missing the most important part of this thread - he should have his PB taken away if he's

1) Spilling chicken on it (can't stand to put the PB down while you eat?)
2) Leaving the PB on the floor, to say nothing of the chicken residue he didn't feel like cleaning off

I keep my PB on my desk. Chicken-free.
 
Last time I checked, it was my $1500 I spent 2 years ago, which fully qualifies me to do whatever the hell it is I want to with it. I could take a shit all over it and you couldn't say anything because of the simple fact that it's mine and not yours.


The ant problem is gone. I popped a few keys off the keyboard and sprayed it down with compressed air. No more ants. I was just concerned with them getting inside the case itself and wreaking havoc with the internals.
 
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