Ants nesting in my 5D!

[StephenC]

For a while now I have had ants nesting inside my camera. Anybody else have this?

They seem to live in the space in front of the viewfinder - occasionally I'll see one crawl across my field of vision. They come and go via the little microphone slot above the "EOS 5D" label. I put a bait out, next to the camera, and most of them seem to have left but I still get the odd one. I'm not sure if there are still others inside or if something attracts them back to the camera. I can't imagine it is a good thing for the camera.

Any advice?

 

[ahab1372]

Sorry, no advice - but can you post a picture if you see one crawling around?
Good Luck!

 

[Don Haines]

For a while now I have had ants nesting inside my camera. Anybody else have this?

They seem to live in the space in front of the viewfinder - occasionally I'll see one crawl across my field of vision. They come and go via the little microphone slot above the "EOS 5D" label. I put a bait out, next to the camera, and most of them seem to have left but I still get the odd one. I'm not sure if there are still others inside or if something attracts them back to the camera. I can't imagine it is a good thing for the camera.

Any advice?

Wow! Is it worth getting it cleaned?.... you could try and convince Canon it's a design bug... (pun intended)

 

[Jim Saunders]

I'd take a photo of a can of Raid and see if they get the hint.

Jim

 

[StephenC]

Sorry, no advice - but can you post a picture if you see one crawling around?
Good Luck!

The ants are only in the viewfinder. They don't get between the lens and sensor, I could take a photo of an ant on my camera but a black ant on a black camera would have poor contrast and make a terrible photo!

 

[sagittariansrock]

Sorry, no advice - but can you post a picture if you see one crawling around?
Good Luck!

The ants are only in the viewfinder. They don't get between the lens and sensor, I could take a photo of an ant on my camera but a black ant on a black camera would have poor contrast and make a terrible photo!

I'll take a wild guess and say Ahab referred to taking a photo with a different camera. I suggest a video instead though. Doubtless it will go viral!

Anyway, maybe you can try putting it in a ziplock bag and filling the bag with something that replaces oxygen (they won't use it up until doomsday otherwise)? Like dry ice? You might have a few dead ants in the camera though.

 

[StephenC]

I put out one of those ant baits, that they take back and poison the colony. It seemed to be working, in that the ants marched out. I decided I didn't really want a dead colony of ants in the camera though so killed them as they emerged, so they never carried the poison back. What intrigues me is why they would want to be in there in the first place. I can;t believe that there are no better places to nest.

 

[Don Haines]

I put out one of those ant baits, that they take back and poison the colony. It seemed to be working, in that the ants marched out. I decided I didn't really want a dead colony of ants in the camera though so killed them as they emerged, so they never carried the poison back. What intrigues me is why they would want to be in there in the first place. I can;t believe that there are no better places to nest.

They are obviously not going to nest in a Nikon camera....

 

[StephenC]

They are obviously not going to nest in a Nikon camera....

Ha Ha!

 

[ahab1372]

Sorry that we are making jokes at your expense, but it is funny in a bizarre way.
I think the bait is the best option - maybe you can find one that is also a trap? Maybe let a few of them go back at first so that they establish a scent path, then make sure the bait is in a no-return trap. That way you don't have to sit next to the camera for hours.

 

[ahab1372]

And if you could take a picture or video of ants crawling in the viewfinder, that would be a huge success. Take the lens cap off and shine some light through the lens.

 

[StephenC]

I'll see what I can do, but since I evicted the twenty or so I first discovered I only see the occasionally and less often inside the camera, more on the outside. If I get them I will try and post a video. No promises though!

 

[sagittariansrock]

I'll see what I can do, but since I evicted the twenty or so I first discovered I only see the occasionally and less often inside the camera, more on the outside. If I get them I will try and post a video. No promises though!

Um... is this a 5D classic by any chance... :-X

 

[ahab1372]

Maybe they are supposed to be in there. They are the ones moving the mechanical parts when we push a button, like little workers with hard hats. Maybe they are even counting photons and pushing electrons. We probably all have ants in our cameras.

 

[StephenC]

Maybe they are supposed to be in there. They are the ones moving the mechanical parts when we push a button, like little workers with hard hats. Maybe they are even counting photons and pushing electrons. We probably all have ants in our cameras.

And mine are just sociable - at least until I kill them ;D

 

[Deleted member 91053]

I had a tiny spider in the viewfinder of my 1D4 - it was quite fun watching him wander about from time to time then he stopped coming back. I do wonder if the sensor cleaner got it or perhaps he migrated to a Nikon, I miss the little fella!

 

[StephenC]

There's an idea! Don't spiders eat ants? But then how would I get rid of the spider?

 

[Jim Saunders]

There's an idea! Don't spiders eat ants? But then how would I get rid of the spider?

Install an iguana. But then how do you get rid of the iguana?

Jim

 

[traingineer]

Imagine someone turning this into a movie. ;D

 

[Don Haines]

Imagine someone turning this into a movie. ;D

It's been done before....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a13-JbxC98#aid=P-iEEpL2oE0