# I found an ant crawling around the bristles of my toothbrush **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012 "2010-08-12T03:02:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/1 "2010-08-12T03:02:37Z")
Of all the places in my home that an ant could decide to explore, he chooses the bristles of my toothbrush. Not the handle of the toothbrush or the cup it’s sitting in, but the very bristles themselves. Really, ant? Was that necessary? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/2 "2010-08-12T03:59:27Z")
I hate ants. Fucking assholes, with their stupid antennae and their weird compound eyes and their stings. How do you like my magnifying glass, bitches? ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/3 "2010-08-12T04:01:52Z")
Ants are pretty clean actually. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2246/are-ants-disease-carriers](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2246/are-ants-disease-carriers) ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/4 "2010-08-12T04:04:41Z")
Also, unless it was winged, it was a female ant. So you don’t have to feel weird about _that_ part. ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Harley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Race\_Harley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Harley)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/5 "2010-08-12T04:07:16Z")
Just imagine what you dont see crawling in your toothbrush! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/6 "2010-08-12T09:19:40Z")
Mmmm, food particles from your teeth left on the bristles. Nom, nom, nom. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/7 "2010-08-12T14:26:19Z")
And I found a tick in my bra drawer. I hate nature. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/8 "2010-08-12T14:29:50Z")
If you’re finding creepy-crawlies inside your house in such places, maybe you have an even bigger problem. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/9 "2010-08-12T14:42:59Z")
Take her visit as a reminder to change your brush 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/10 "2010-08-12T14:59:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Take her visit as a reminder to change your brush 🙂 Screw that! I just took that brush out of the package 2 weeks ago, and it’s one of those fancy brushes, with multiple tiers of bristles and rubbery parts that’s supposedly engineered to improve plaque removal but is probably pure marketing BS. I’m not going to let some lowly insect cheat me out of a new brush. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/11 "2010-08-12T15:12:13Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > > [@Nava](#): > > > > Take her visit as a reminder to change your brush 🙂 > > Screw that! I just took that brush out of the package 2 weeks ago, and it’s one of those fancy brushes, with multiple tiers of bristles and rubbery parts that’s supposedly engineered to improve plaque removal but is probably pure marketing BS. I’m not going to let some lowly insect cheat me out of a new brush. Then take it as mother nature supporting your laziness efforts by sending ants to clean your toothbrush so you don’t even have to rinse it off after using. I’m sure if you just wait, a badger will wander in and get you a beer (replace with beverage of your choosing if necessary). Or possibly a raccoon. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/12 "2010-08-12T15:26:16Z")
Well, if Mother Nature is going to actively involve herself in my life, why can’t she send the ants to clean out my mouth for me while I sleep? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/13 "2010-08-12T16:43:12Z")
Everyone knows an ant…can’t…clean your mouth while you sleep. But they have high hopes… ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/14 "2010-08-12T17:01:11Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Well, if Mother Nature is going to actively involve herself in my life, why can’t she send the ants to clean out my mouth for me while I sleep? I think they’d just get into a fight with the roaches she sends to clean your ears when you sleep. Ants are very territorial after all. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/15 "2010-08-12T17:05:25Z")
They like moisture. They just don’t make ant sized Perrier bottles so they have to get their water where ever they can. Heh, I just had an ant crawling on my arm while I was typing this. Um … I for one, welcome … aw, screw it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-ant-crawling-around-the-bristles-of-my-toothbrush/550012/16 "2010-08-13T19:15:03Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > I think they’d just get into a fight with the roaches she sends to clean your ears when you sleep. Ants are very territorial after all. The cockroaches don’t clean your ears. They whisper post-hypnotic suggestions in them while you sleep, like “Women swoon for portly, flightless waterfowl with huge noses”.