# Canned air - what is it? Why does it kill ants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178 "2003-10-18T08:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/21 "2003-10-19T00:46:01Z")
Ah, good. Sorry for snapping at you. Just don’t say “your phrase is meaningless” to me often 🙂 Canned “air” is fun to play with, and I recommend it highly. It’s not so cold to be really dangerous, and it’s easier to get than liquid nitrogen. You can condense it on dry ice. I even spelled it without having to look it up. [Here’s the MSDS](http://www.technicalchemical.com/msds/6330.pdf) for anyone concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/22 "2003-10-19T20:00:37Z")
So it sounds like my first thought was correct. “They done frozed” 🙂 I wasn’t quite sure if it was the cold or something in the can that was doing it. Wikkit: I agree, canned air is great fun to play with. ---
**Author:** ![Deathstatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Deathstatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deathstatic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/23 "2003-10-20T01:56:38Z")
FYI – Inhaling it makes your voice really, really deep. Dont tri it tho, cose it kill bransel… what was I talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/24 "2003-10-20T02:41:50Z")
Remeber, kiddos, use the same precautions while inhaling tetrafluorethane as you would helium or nitrous oxide. There’s no oxygen, so you can’t live on it. Make sure you get plenty of real air between uses. And don’t inhale directly from the can, since frostbite in your mouth or lungs would suck. Fill a baloon, and let it come to room temperature first. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/25 "2003-10-20T02:47:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wikkit \* > \*\*Fill a baloon, and let it come to room temperature first. \*\* And don’t do this either. Tetrafluoroethane and its relatives act on the brain in a manner similar to many anaesthetics. It would be all too easy to kill youself this way. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/26 "2003-10-20T02:54:21Z")
Really? Why isn’t that mentioned in the MSDS? Most of them don’t show rat LD-50 untill where it has displaced too much oxygen, rather than biochemical causes. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/27 "2003-10-20T03:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wikkit \* > \*\*Really? Why isn’t that mentioned in the MSDS? Most of them don’t show rat LD-50 untill where it has displaced too much oxygen, rather than biochemical causes. \*\* > [@](#): > > May be harmful by inhalation. Chronic exposure may cause reproductive damage. **High levels may cause CNS damage**. Contact with liquid may cause skin burns. Asphyxiant at high concentration. From [here.](http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/TE/1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane.html) Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/28 "2003-10-20T04:37:11Z")
Fascinating…how well does this stuff work on Cockroaches? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/29 "2003-10-20T04:43:01Z")
Fascinating…how well does this stuff work on Cockroaches? ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/30 "2003-10-20T08:10:31Z")
Quite well, **Ranchoth**. I use it all the time to kill scary bugs, including cockroaches, when I can’t find anything else to kill them with. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/31 "2003-10-20T08:57:43Z")
I killed a big ass spider with it last night. A REALLY big one. Froze him solid. He didn’t even know what hit him. I would think it’d take out a \f\*ckin cock-a-roach\ ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/32 "2003-10-20T11:09:20Z")
Ah, it’s an insecticde sytle “Death-Spray” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/33 "2003-10-21T20:04:46Z")
Maybe some tiny rocks came out and hit the ants upside the head. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/34 "2003-10-21T21:04:22Z")
Oh sure, **lieu** , tiny _to you_. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/35 "2003-10-21T21:12:48Z")
So this stuff can kill insects? All I have to do is invert the can? Definantly going to try this tonight to kill a few fruit flys bugging the hell out of me. Time to die you bastards!!! Wouldn’t this be considered a very safe method of killing bugs? I mean, can injestion of this spray (on eating surfaces) stay present very long in room temp? Wouldn’t it all just evaporate? ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/36 "2003-10-21T21:47:56Z")
**badmana** , it does evaporate very quickly. The only way it kills insects is by freezing them when you spray it on them directly out of the can. Although under some conditions the gas and even the freezing liquid can be flammable. And when it burns, it seems to produce some pretty nasty fumes that burn the eyes and throat and whatnot. So maybe if they’re really toxic, the fumes might kill bugs too! I think I smell a science project in the making. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/37 "2003-10-21T23:49:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Bolding mine. \*\* Any gas other than oxygen will cause CNS damage at high levels, due to oxygen deprivation. Who needs a CNS anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/38 "2003-10-22T00:09:16Z")
Having um…experimented with this stuff once or twice in my younger days, I can attest that the effects manifest themselves much too fast to be merely a product of anoxia. Or perhpas a different chemical was used back then. We’re going back nearly 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/39 "2003-10-22T01:30:46Z")
Oh ah. You should have said that in the first place. I never noticed any problems, but then I wasn’t inhaling it in concentrated form. I usually just discharge a full can in a small room in the course of an evening’s experiments… The smell is quite accurately described as ‘ethereal’, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/40 "2003-10-22T02:01:28Z")
My can of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane says it’ll reduce the available oxygen in the air. I wouldn’t want to spray so much of it that I could smell it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178.md?page=3)