# Canned air - what is it? Why does it kill ants?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178>\
**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:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/41 "2003-10-22T03:45:59Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \*  
> \*\*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. \*\*

Twenty years ago it would have probably been R-12, not a good thing to inhale.

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**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, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canned-air-what-is-it-why-does-it-kill-ants/208178/42 "2003-10-22T04:04:57Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rick \*  
> \*\*Twenty years ago it would have probably been R-12, not a good thing to inhale. \*\*

No, not at all. I don’t know what it was, but I don’t recommend trying to find out. i was young, stupid and lucky.

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