Lately, there have been ants in my microwave. Not army trails of them, just a few wanderers.
I have hot chocolate with my breakfast every morning. I heat the milk on high for two minutes. The ants do not die from this. I open the door and they’re still milling about as if nothing happened.
How many minutes of microwaving does it take to kill an ant? How many for a cockroach for that matter?
[quote=“aprimo”]
How many minutes of microwaving does it take to kill an ant? How many for a cockroach for that matter?[/quote]
I prefer mine raw, thank you.
Perhaps you’ve inadvertantly created a mutant super-ant that’s immune to radiation?
Can you hear the helicopters coming? 
I expect the ants do not have much water in their little bodies to excite.
Cockies would probably explode pretty quick judging by how squishy they are when you flatten them out.
[quote=“hsiadogah”]Perhaps you’ve inadvertantly created a mutant super-ant that’s immune to radiation?[/quote]You mean a cockroach ? 
[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]You mean a cockroach ? [/quote]Bingo. Them’s not ants, them’s just baby roaches!
Have you tried putting a lizard in there?
I did a little research on this subject - not in my own microwave but on the internet.
Strange Science Questions[quote] Q. If ants get into the microwave, will their goose be cooked?
A. Another way to ask this, At a concert hall, can you hear equally well from all the seats? Certainly not, says Case Western Reserve physicist John D. McGervey, because wave interference patterns create dead spots in the hall.
…
One thing working in the ants’ favor is that they don’t have much liquid in their bodies, so the microwaves–which cook meats by heating their water content–would act more slowly on ants than on people. That could buy the poor ants some time to save themselves. But how?
By seeking out the dead spots, naturally. Microwave ovens have them just like concert halls, creating those annoying cold pockets in cooked foods. “The ants probably are quite uncomfortable when they are bathed in microwave radiation, so they try to get away. If they find a dead spot they feel better, so they stay there and survive.”[/quote]
On a related note, they are building robot cockroaches. They will infiltrate the roach colonies and introduce new behavior - they will teach the cockroaches to sit out in the light. It’s a really sci-fi concept that may soon become a reality:
The robot infiltrator that will lure pests to their doom[quote]The robot, InsBot, developed by researchers in France, Belgium and Switzerland, is capable of infiltrating a group of cockroaches, influencing them and altering their behaviour.
Within a decade, its inventors believe, it will be leading the unwanted pests out of dark kitchen corners, to where they can be eliminated. [/quote]
This concept is really great!
Seems a lot of trouble… wouldn’t it be easier to just swat 'em or step on 'em?
Seems a lot of trouble… wouldn’t it be easier to just swat 'em or step on 'em?[/quote]
No fun.
The robot infiltrator that will lure pests to their doom[quote]The robot, InsBot, developed by researchers in France, Belgium and Switzerland, is capable of infiltrating a group of cockroaches, influencing them and altering their behaviour.
Within a decade, its inventors believe, it will be leading the unwanted pests out of dark kitchen corners, to where they can be eliminated. [/quote]
Am I the only one who feels that developing a robot capable of training and leading cockroaches is not a good idea? Picture a relentless army of the disgusting beasts, ready to fight and die as they march on civilization.
No thanks - trained and mobilized roaches are something we don’t need.
Note that the microwaves in an oven are not evenly distributed. I’d think that an ant would fry quickly if shot by a “beam” directly as microwave excites liquids and hence “heats” water, milk readily. Ants and other bugs should be “zappable” within 10 seconds if placed properly. Find out by taping gently an ant at various locations in the oven. :raspberry:
…although, of course, the tape would not be necessary if we had an ant-version of one of twocs’s drill-sergeant robot bugs to just train the little suckers to march to the appropriate part of the microwave and maintain their position.
Hmm…I was thinking of offering a PM-able award to someone who’d try this experiment in their own home. Although, without tape or pedestals for the insects.
[quote=“aprimo”]Lately, there have been ants in my microwave. Not army trails of them, just a few wanderers.
I have hot chocolate with my breakfast every morning. I heat the milk on high for two minutes. The ants do not die from this. I open the door and they’re still milling about as if nothing happened.
How many minutes of microwaving does it take to kill an ant? How many for a cockroach for that matter?[/quote]
Make sure that you have NO parties at your home for us…
The sad part is this is my most interesting thread to watch right now.
Its really a high tech version of what we did as little kids with the magnifying glass. I am guessing it was a mandatory part of childhood.
It worked better as well (from our side)
Seriously, aprimo, could you please try to remove them first before you microwave next time?
My buddhist monk says that if you save an ant’s life, a good thing will happen to you. I save 'em all the time.
I can think of a few other uses for the microwave, such as punishing errant politicians and civil servants who abuse our trust. :fume: