Worker Sits Down at Their Computer, Horror at What's Inside Monitor
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Reddit user sparked viral attention after posting a video of ants crawling inside their computer monitor—a surreal and unsettling scene that resonated with thousands online.
The clip, featured in a Reddit post titled "Ants inside my monitor," was shared by u/Seapanx in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit on July 16 and has since garnered over 17,000 upvotes.
The short clip shows multiple ants moving across the interior of the screen, invisible from the outside yet clearly crawling just beneath the monitor's surface. The visual not only is maddening for anyone trying to work, but also presents a unique problem with few cleaning solutions.
Beyond the frustration, the invasion has practical implications—and potential long-term damage. Nicole Carpenter, the president of Black Pest Prevention, told Newsweek that, while it may seem bizarre, the phenomenon is not uncommon.
"Tiny species like pharaoh ants or crazy ants are actually known to build nests inside electronics," Carpenter said. "Electronics release warmth and offer shelter—your monitor is just a warm safe home for them. Once a few scout ants find it, the rest follow, and they can easily start a colony right inside."
Stock image: A woman appears shocked while looking at a computer screen at a desk.
Stock image: A woman appears shocked while looking at a computer screen at a desk.
Getty
A December 2013 study, published in F1000Research, says: "Temperature influences every aspect of ant biology, especially metabolic rate, growth and development. Maintenance of high inner nest temperature increases the rate of sexual brood development and thereby increases the colony fitness."
A May 2021 study in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America also noted that "interest in traits like thermal tolerance that enable ants to survive and thrive in variable climates has increased exponentially over the past few decades
'A Hidden Nest'
Carpenter said that, if ants are visible in the screen, it nearly always means a nearby, hidden colony is already established. "In almost every case like this, there's a hidden nest close to the monitor—inside a wall, under furniture, or along a baseboard."
Addressing what to do in such a situation, Carpenter advised against using common consumer-grade solutions. "The best solution is to use a professional-grade ant gel bait, such as Advion or anything with a similar active ingredient like indoxacarb," she said.
Carpenter added: "In this situation, borax-based baits like Terro aren't the best choice—they work only if the ants are sugar-focused, and they're much slower and less reliable against large colonies."
Crucially, Carpenter said you should not try to kill the ants manually: "Never kill the ants you see because they actually help you deliver the poison to the colony. You'll usually see the entire infestation collapse within 10 to 24 hours."
A well-intentioned instinct to press on the screen can backfire disastrously, Carpenter added. "Do not press your screen to kill ants. If you crush the ant inside, its body will be stuck there forever and look like a dead pixel," Carpenter said.
That warning was echoed by Reddit user u/LoreChano, who wrote in the thread: "DO NOT press your screen with your hands. You will crush them inside and NEVER be able to get the corpse out. It will be like an eternal dead pixel."
Others were shocked and sympathetic toward the original poster's dilemma.
"This is not mildly but extremely infuriating," wrote Reddit user u/Vegetable_Emotion278.
Another commenter, u/shkittel, summed up the general sentiment: "Wow I'm shocked!"
User u/Omglizb added: "That's so damn weird! I've never had ants in my actual monitor. But I did wake up a few weeks ago to a bunch of ants on my desk …"
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.
Do you have a similar dilemma or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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