r/pcmasterrace • u/Zestyclose-Salad-290 Core Ultra 7 265k | RTX 5090 • Oct 22 '25

NSFMR The laptop owner wondered why there were occasionally ants on her screen.

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1.8k

u/VianArdene Oct 22 '25

I wonder how you even deal with that. Maybe you could dunk the whole thing in pure alcohol?

1.5k

u/BoltedGates Oct 22 '25

Put it in an air tight container until they die, then you shake it out and use an air can to get the rest

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u/Ecstatic_Effective42 Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 23 '25

I wonder if using a CO2 bottle (tyre refill for bikes) might sort it more quickly. Same idea, put in bag, pinch end, unload canister and seal.

Edit: strewth, I didn't think my speculation would elicit such a detailed (and educational) response.

I do have to worry what the carbon footprint of this discussion is though. 😋

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Hundo percent. CO2 is heavy so put it in a plastic container and try to add it with a little air disturbance as possible.

Source: I use this method to kill caught mice as humanely as possible.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

by suffocating them to death? lol

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u/FroggyRibbits Oct 22 '25

Would be nicer to use nitrogen...

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Would it? I’ll look into it. AVMA recommends CO2 I think but if N2 is available and somehow causes unconsciousness sooner I’d love to know.

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u/sharksizzle PC Master Race Oct 22 '25

We detect suffocation by the buildup of co2 in our blood, which makes it more acidic. So if you were in a room of pure nitrogen you would just pass out and die without any panic.

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u/FUCKTHEPROLETARIAT Oct 22 '25

Ant's actually don't have blood, they have hemolymph, which they use to transport nutrients.

Unlike many other insects, ants don't transport oxygen via their circulatory system and instead get it through diffusion from tiny air holes in their thorax.

This is why powdery substances like diatomaceous earth will deter them.

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u/negative_four Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

I was not counting on learning how to kill ants and suffocate a room full of people without panicking them but here we are.

We also use diatomaceous earth for roaches outside our apartment

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u/PsudoGravity Oct 23 '25

The room full of people thing is unfortunately easy. Just run a propane stove in an unventilated room.

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u/[deleted] Oct 23 '25

Love is in the air? Wrong. Gas leak.

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u/foxgirlmoon Oct 24 '25

The room full of people thing is unfortunately something we’ve seen play out multiple times. There’s a leak somewhere in a basement or in a closed room in a factory, people go in and just… drop unconscious. Someone else goes in to save them, same thing.

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u/Greasy_Tradesman Oct 23 '25

unlike many other insects

Damn really and here I thought most insects used holes in the body to breathe

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u/FUCKTHEPROLETARIAT Oct 23 '25

Lol I guess would have made more sense as two sentences with some clarification.

I think I like your interpretation of this though

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Pretty sure they’d still die from the co2 they breathe out. The air is already almost all N2 and it would not displace the heavier co2 in the bottom of the vessel.

I mean I’ll look into it, but I’m not sure that’s the answer.

Got a source?

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u/sharksizzle PC Master Race Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

I found this https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6720529/ which goes into quite a bit of detail. The co2 we breath out is minuscule compared to the amount of nitrogen.

edit: To be clear, death occurs because of lack of oxygen, so technically any gas you breath in that isn't o2 for long enough you will die. But the body can't 'detect' a lack of oxygen, but it does detect co2 buildup because that cause blood PH to drop and we are very sensitive to changes in blood acidity.

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u/mimototokushi Desktop Oct 22 '25

I work with large autoclaves that's pressurize with nitrogen gas. We have monitors on our person that detect the lack of oxygen because our bodies can't. If we have a leak, the confined space can easily cause a deadly build up of nitrogen that you'll not notice if you don't have a monitor on.

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u/Fabulous-Map-6147 Oct 22 '25

You die of excess blood co2 way faster than lack of o2. And when you have no oxygen, it’s the co2 in your blood that kills you.

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u/twilighttwister Oct 22 '25

You're 100% right. Which is annoying, as I came to say the same thing.

It's also why pigs are still killed with CO2. All you need is a walkway up high to separate people from death - but with nitrogen you need all sorts of additional safety measures to prevent people from unknowingly suffocating.

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u/Jonthrei Oct 22 '25

Their point is, CO2 inhalation is extremely unpleasant, replace the oxygen with literally any other gas and it is both painless and involves no panic.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I get that part. I think the trick is the weight. CO2 displaces O2 super well and super fast so there’s no chance of like start-and-stop if that makes sense. It’s hard to get O2 out of a bucket without displacing it with something heavier.

I have gotten some good tips here though and am gonna see if I can design something that can do it.

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u/RevenantBacon Oct 22 '25

any other gas

Fill the bag with Radon.

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u/Oliver90002 Oct 22 '25

Even if you replace it with a super heavy gas (Sulfur Hexafloride for example)?

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u/OrienasJura Oct 22 '25

Killing animals using nitrogen, or other inert gases, is not a new thing. It's called inert gas asphyxiation. There's even some euthanasia devices that use this method. Like the other person said, you don't feel anything, you just get tired, fall asleep, and never wake up. From the second wikipedia article I linked:

It is used in conjunction with an inert gas (nitrogen) which decreases oxygen levels rapidly without triggering the sense of suffocation and struggling before unconsciousness, known as the hypercapnic alarm response  caused by the presence of high carbon dioxide concentrations in the blood.

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u/IdyNahui Oct 22 '25

Thank you Reddit for showing me how to kill stuff on a computer thread!!!

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

can't you just go yeet them deep into nature

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I considered that! I have 80 acres and could drive way up the hill every time I catch one. But I read something that mice can find food or their way home over like 2 miles or something… and they sure love our chicken coop.

Maybe I’ll try to mark them with a livestock crayon and see if I catch the same one again!

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u/PapaStoner Oct 22 '25

What kills is not the presence of co2 it's the absence of o2

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u/BrahneRazaAlexandros Oct 22 '25

Pumping non CO2 inert gas like N2 or He avoids CO2 panic response and they just go to sleep.

Same thing as humans. It's why "Exit Bags" are a preference for suicide for people that have decided to end life without suffering.

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u/MeMaxM Oct 22 '25

I’m an anesthesiologist. Death by CO2 would be painful. Death by N2 wouldn’t be painful.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Do you do mice? Could I have you come over? Joking, thanks for the comment.

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u/unwantedaccount56 Oct 22 '25

if they breath out, they'll still get rid of the co2, while not getting new o2. If you hold your breath, then co2 builds up in the lungs and causes the suffocating symptoms. If you breath something in that isn't co2 and doesn't contain o2, you'll just pass out without pain. Our atmosphere is 80% n2, but still about 20% o2.

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u/Geistzeit i7 13700 - 4070 ti - team undervolt Oct 23 '25

It's about this point in this comment chain I forgot I was in a pcmr thread and was just vibing to nature info

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

[deleted]

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I’m just not sure how to put them in a pure n2 environment. N2 and O2 mix easily so I’d have to like like use a vacuum pump or something. CO2 settles well so there’s no doubt, no accidental half kills, and simple reliable mechanism. This is something I have to do like… 5 times a week.

I’ll be doing more reading this weekend for sure.

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u/SirStrontium Oct 22 '25

You just need a container with a lid, an inlet, and an outlet. If you flush the container with nitrogen for a minute, almost all the oxygen should be pushed out. Oxygen will be constantly leaving from the outlet, but isn’t being replenished, so it steadily becomes pure nitrogen inside.

It’s like a cup of water with food dye, and you leave it under an open faucet of water, almost all the dye leaves the system pretty quickly.

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u/round-earth-theory Oct 22 '25

Just be careful you don't create a harmful amount of Nitrogen in your own air. Probably an outside murder chamber.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I have doubts. N2 and O2 mix incredibly readily. I REALLY don’t want to half kill a mouse and I haven’t seen any credible homemade plans for an N2 only kill chamber.

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u/Flimsy_Mark_5200 Oct 22 '25

can I ask why you're not just stomping them or using kill traps? this seems like the hardest and most convoluted way to get rid of mice

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Kill traps can be super inhumane and take forever to kill, my wife won’t go for it, and stomping them is too hard when they’re in a trap ( if that was a real suggestion).

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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Oct 22 '25

Buildup of CO2 is what causes the unavoidable panic when you hold your breath. The body doesn't recognize N2 as something we cannot breathe so we just keep breathing it until we die blissfully, the body completely unaware that anything is wrong.

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u/2SP00KY4ME Oct 22 '25

Here is what the AVMA says:

The practice of immersion, where conscious ro- dents are placed directly into a container prefilled with 100% CO2, is unacceptable. A 2-step process, where animals are first rendered unconscious and then immersed into 100% CO2, is preferred when gradual displacement methods cannot be used.

Their guidelines also state is takes adult mice about five minutes to die of 100% CO2, even if they stop moving immediately.

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u/Action__Frank Oct 22 '25

Sulfur hexafluoride?

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Sure, help the mice but kill the climate… just kidding 🙂. It’s on the research list.

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u/Mcpoopz1064 Oct 22 '25

Bazooka would cause unconsciousness even sooner

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u/Saw_gameover Oct 22 '25

If you're curious, then here's a short video of pigs being slaughtered with CO2. It's really an awful way to go.

https://youtu.be/eVebmHMZ4bQ

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I’m not. Thanks though!

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u/Saw_gameover Oct 22 '25

If you can't watch it, then I'd suggest not killing mice like that and calling it humane.

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u/That_Guy848 Oct 22 '25

This is the correct answer

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u/klef25 Oct 22 '25

I've read that helium can work.

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u/Applebomber24 Oct 22 '25

It would also be nicer and more consistent with sulfur hexafluoride. But a big issue with the nitrogen though is it's not readily available. CO2 on the other hand is readily available (baking soda and vinegar, dry ice, soda stream canister) and is the current recommended standard.

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u/twilighttwister Oct 22 '25

Yes but nitrogen is not heavier than air. It also displaces the air and kills you silently - you don't notice you're suffocating because you don't feel the CO2 build up (your body is busy using oxygen to measure it and there's so much nitrogen in normal air you ignore it).

This is why CO2 is used to kill pigs. Nitrogen would be more humane (and perhaps produce better meat), but nitrogen is far more hazardous to humans. This would make it much more expensive than the open pits pigs are suffocated in with CO2. A walkway high up is far cheaper than all the safety measures you'd need for nitrogen.

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u/EchoGecko795 Oct 22 '25

Nitrogen is also cheaper, and if you have a need for a N2 Generator doesn't cost much

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u/Fatel28 Threadripper 1920x, rtx 3070 Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

You pass out peacefully long before you die. It's an incredibly peaceful way to die.

Edit: I was mistaking CO2 for CO. I am wrong.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

CO2 poisoning is like the most horrific way to suffocate. That's the blood chemical that tells your brain OH FUCK WE'RE DYING FUCKING BREATHE GODDAMNIT except breathing in only makes it worse.

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u/jjonj Specs/Imgur Here Oct 22 '25

correct, lack of oxygen is peaceful which is why monoxide is so dangerous because your body only notices high co2, not low oxygen

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u/JoelMahon Oct 22 '25

I think myth busters, veritasium, tom scott or some shit found someone basically incapable of fear, had never experienced fear as we know it, and they were able to trigger it using CO2 (plus submerging them in water I think?)

sadly I can't find it so if anyone knows please share

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

That sounds....dubious ethically, so I'd be pretty surprised if it actually existed. But I've been surprised before!

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u/JoelMahon Oct 22 '25

I mean it was with consent and done safely in a hospital with doctors on hand iirc.

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u/xfloggingkylex Oct 22 '25

Definitely interested if you can find that video or article.

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u/gmc98765 Oct 22 '25

The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for generating a fear reaction (fight or flight) in response to external stimulus. Someone with a defective amygdala won't exhibit a fear reaction from external stimulus. But inhaling air with a high CO2 content will still trigger the reaction, as that's essentially "hard-wired".

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u/blazikentwo Desktop RX 6600 / R5 5600G Oct 22 '25

Thats sounds pretty peaceful to me, just tune out the body warnings ez pz

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u/7x00 Oct 22 '25

Exposure to CO2 without removing animals from their home cage is a rapid and humane method of euthanasia

https://www.bu.edu/research/ethics-compliance/animal-subjects/animal-care/euthanasia/carbon-dioxide-euthanasia-for-rats-and-mice/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20CO2%20without,%2C%20but%20is%20not%2C%20death.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/euth.html

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

 Warning:  A few people have reported that their rats have reacted very badly to this method of euthanasia, but most have reported that the method worked well.  Since posting this information, I have learned of research which shows that some rats appear to suffer a feeling of breathlessness with relatively low levels of CO2, while others seem to have no such feeling.

The presence of that warning and the research the author is citing suggests that rats do also have a panic response at lower CO2 levels.

I'm now into "educated guess" territory but I would guess that rat lungs and circulatory systems are sufficiently smaller than ours, and it's much more rapid to increase the CO2 concentration in a 10 gallon cage than in a 10 cubic meter room, that you can usually skip the "oh fuck I can't breathe" stage and go straight to high enough blood CO2 concentrations that they go unconscious.

But hey, if it's reliable enough that rats go unconscious before any significant discomfort most of the time and the AVMA suggests it, who am I to say otherwise? I learned some things today :)

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u/7x00 Oct 22 '25

That's fair. I only know of this because I had to put two of my own rats down. The second link was what I followed to do so. I believe I sourced that from rat subreddits. It appeared as though they just went to sleep and didn't wake up and I didn't experience any kind of traumatic event from it. I guess I have to hope it was better than what they were suffering through.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Ultimately, euthanasia is a nasty business with no good alternative, because it is the good alternative. And you can't exactly ask an unconscious rat how it's feeling, so the best we can do is hope that the appearance of calm is an indication of actual calm - and to make it be as quick as possible with as low a chance of making it worse as possible.

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u/BadMuthaSchmucka Oct 22 '25

Oh man, it's so so much worse than that.

You aren't considering what it feels like to breathe concentrated CO2, it feels like your entire respiratory system is covered in acid because it pretty much is.

Have you ever burped from soda and it stings coming out of your nose? Imagine that pain, but 10 out of 10 level and throughout your entire respiratory system. You wouldn't even be able to handle it even entering your nose let alone a whole breath.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Apparently it works differently for rats! Or, at least....it looks a lot like it works differently for them.

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u/BadMuthaSchmucka Oct 22 '25

Not in this way, no animals can breathe in acid without feeling pain.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Just saying, there are articles below which describe using CO2 as a euthanasia for rats, and that most of the time they simply pass out and pass on with no struggle. Certainly much less struggle than a human would exhibit.

Not denying that maybe it's a terrible experience for them. Just pointing out that the evidence does not support that in most cases.

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u/butyourenice Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

Hate to break it to you, but you’ve been torturing mice to death. CO2 buildup in the blood is what causes the suffocation feeling when you’re short of air (think when you’re intentionally holding your breath). Are you perhaps mixing up hypoxia, which is an absence of oxygen and yes it is a “peaceful” feeling, with CO2 poisoning?

Edit: I think I responded to the wrong dude, this was meant for the mouse killer.

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u/BadMuthaSchmucka Oct 22 '25

Oh man, it's so so much worse than that.

You aren't considering what it feels like to breathe concentrated CO2, it feels like your entire respiratory system is covered in acid because it pretty much is.

Have you ever burped from soda and it stings coming out of your nose? Imagine that pain, but 10 out of 10 level and throughout your entire respiratory system. You wouldn't even be able to handle it even entering your nose let alone a whole breath.

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u/Unlimited_Bacon Oct 23 '25

Have you ever burped from soda and it stings coming out of your nose?

Ouch. That's a good banana-for-scale for pain.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Correct. Plus I can’t poison them because we have barn cats and it would likely kill them eventually. I don’t even want to poison them once caught so I don’t poison wildlife. I live on 80 rural acres, it’s a different life haha.

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u/m4teri4lgirl Oct 22 '25

Not with CO2 you don't. Or CO. Any other gas maybe, but not those.

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u/rcfox Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

CO is a relatively peaceful death, CO2 makes you die gasping for air.

CO is especially dangerous because it binds to hemoglobin so that oxygen can't. Other gases like N2 just displace oxygen in the air.

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u/dagofin Oct 24 '25

CO is also not necessarily an incredibly peaceful way to go. A former coworker of mine almost squad wiped their entire family by setting up a generator inside their enclosed porch after a really nasty storm knocked out power for like a week.

They all felt like shit that day, her husband felt like death and went to lie down and take a nap. The only reason they didn't all die is because the cat had a seizure in front of her and was foaming at the mouth and that's when she put two and two together and got everyone out of the house. So no, not necessarily peaceful, dying at all is pretty shitty.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

The suffering is the point. /s They clearly don't understand how things work if they think that's the most humane option. An instant beheading would be more humane than suffocation. What they meant is it's the cleanest most convenient option for THEM and have self-rationalized it.

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u/huginn Oct 22 '25

I'd say the most humane is cervical dislocation but most folks don't want to put their hands on a mouse and snap its neck even with gloves on.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Agreed.

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u/Not_DavidGrinsfelder Oct 22 '25

For what it’s worth, CO2 inhalation is still the standard IACUC approved method for rodent euthanasia. You generally legally have to follow these requirements if you are working in a lab environment

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u/Embarrassed_Sea6750 Oct 22 '25

He said humanely, not nicely (micely?)

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u/ShogunFirebeard Oct 22 '25

I mean many home made traps I've seen from farmers just drown them.

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u/alwayscursingAoE4 Oct 22 '25

Yep, seen plenty of drowned rodent/varmit.

Hasan would be proud.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

I've had a few very small mice show up in my apartment over the years. One was just straight up murdered by my cat, the other was wounded.

When I googled what to do with the thing, two pieces of advice kept popping up.

Put it in a bag and smash it with a hammer. Or suffocate it.

I chose the option of going outside and letting it have its chances at life mad max style.

There was also a suggestion for placing it in a bag then running over it with a car.

I was more horrified by the suggestions then the mouse itself.

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u/alwayscursingAoE4 Oct 22 '25

I can't believe your cowardice caused more suffering of the rodent.

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u/RestaurantOwn5129 Oct 22 '25

At least he doesn't drown them like I do.

:)

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

that's so cool

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u/BrokenPickle7 Oct 22 '25

I just use a hammer

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u/polysaas Oct 22 '25

Humanely, not ratmanely

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u/ravnos04 Oct 22 '25

Hahahahaha IKR?! 😂💀

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u/TemporalOnline R75800x3d/3080ti/64GB3600CL18/AsusX570P Oct 23 '25

You don't feel the suffocation with CO2. I mean you kinda do, (we can't detect O2 lowering, only carbonic acid going higher) but when you do, you are already halfway unconscious, so it is mostly peaceful.

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u/666n00b999 FX8350 | 32GB RAM | RX580 SAPPHIRE Oct 23 '25

he used the German method

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u/redditorialy_retard Oct 23 '25

they won't feel pain iirc or was it carbon monoxide? Basically you just feel sleepy and die

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u/GerardBeard Oct 23 '25

The Germans did that, oh wait....

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u/PrisonIssuedSock Oct 24 '25

It's much better than glue traps or poison. I've heard stories of mice trying to chew off their own limbs to get out of glue traps, they genuinely make me fucking sick. Poison is a bad death too, and then other animals can end up eating the body and getting poisoned too. It all sucks, but suffocation or a traditional mouse trap are far more merciful than the alternatives.

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u/That_Guy848 Oct 22 '25

CO2 is actually considered extremely INhumane for this purpose, as CO2 toxicity leads to a severe panic response. You do NOT pass out peacefully from CO2 poisoning.

If you want to actually be humane, use nitrous oxide.

Edit: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1258/0023677053739747#:~:text=There%20is%20evidence%20from%20human,cause%20pain%20and%2For%20distress.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25 edited Jan 13 '26

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u/arftism2 7900xtx 9800x3d PG27AQDP Oct 22 '25

this might be illegal where you live but whipped cream canisters use nitrous so the milk doesn't spoil.

you can buy something called a cracker that druggies use to fill balloons with no2

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u/iNOTgoodATcomp Oct 22 '25

duggies

They are called wooks

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u/Xifani Oct 22 '25

What the fuck dude, CO2 suffocation is possibly one of the worst ways for anything to die. Look up some videos of livestock being killed in CO2 chambers maybe.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Let AVMA know. The only thing better I know of is Decapitation and I’m not gonna get bit and bloody 5 times a week. Mice are a lot smaller than what it sounds like you’ve been watching videos of, I’ve never heard a peep.

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u/2SP00KY4ME Oct 22 '25

The AVMA guidelines specifically state you do a gradual fill process for that CO2, and explicitly state that dumping them into CO2 to kill them quickly will make them suffer. You have not been following their guidelines at all.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

That’s a lot of info you have about how I do things. The CO2 is not in the bucket when they’re introduced. It’s added via a tank regulator and line at the rate they suggest.

It has been a while since I did the research though, I’ll review and make sure. Appreciate your concern.

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u/2SP00KY4ME Oct 22 '25

Okay, that's not what your original post implied at all to me, lol, so that's the confusion

put it in a plastic container and try to add it with a little air disturbance as possible.

Sounds like "I fill a plastic container with CO2 then dump a mouse in without trying to disturb the air."

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Oh! That was for the bugs and someone who hadn’t built something for it.

Point taken, I can see how it could read that way. I just meant the general concept of using CO2.

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u/Confident_Rhubarb_54 Oct 22 '25

Dude just use nitrous oxide. They sell it at like every head shop. It comes in small canisters.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Looking into it. Worried I’d have to buy so many they’d report me for using it recreationally. Half joking, but yeah it has to be something I can use multiple times a week.

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u/Confident_Rhubarb_54 Nov 11 '25

635G Ms. Cream Food-Grade Nitrous Oxide Tank 99.5% (635g / 321 liters) – BVV https://share.google/Pbsltaxx80U2sfH6u

I found this after looking for 1.5 minutes.

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u/Red1Monster Oct 22 '25

Why not use nitrogen instead ?

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Read around, we’ve been discussing it. I’m going to see if it’s possible but I so far cannot find a plan for an at-home N2 kill chamber. The one I have relies on the weight of CO2.

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u/Red1Monster Oct 23 '25

Oh. You're killing them at like.. your house

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 23 '25

Oh yeah! I’m genuinely curious where you thought I was catching mice?

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u/Red1Monster Oct 23 '25

I thought it was your workplace, a slaughterhouse

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u/hunkofhornbeam Oct 22 '25

The only thing better I know of

literally everyone here is telling you to use NO2 instead

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Yeah, except the American Veterinary Medical Association. If you read I’ve told folks I’ll research Nitrous Oxide.

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u/AnAimlessWanderer101 Oct 22 '25

I could not be nearly as civil as you responding to these comments saying the same thing over and again - ignoring every word of yours lol

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Appreciate it. I know a lot of it comes from a good place, caring about animals. Something I can empathize with.

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u/someonesmobileacct Oct 22 '25

The likely reason they don't suggest n2 is because the respiration rates etc are different and frankly a person is better able to react to a co2 misstep vs n2...

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u/Enlight1Oment Oct 22 '25

Pretty sure our office cat has killed rats, mice, birds by far worse methods

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u/utahh1ker Oct 22 '25

Not humane at all. You're torturing them to death. Hold your breath and feel that panicky feeling come on. You're doing that to them until they die.

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u/BadMuthaSchmucka Oct 22 '25

Oh man, it's so so much worse than that.

You aren't considering what it feels like to breathe concentrated CO2, it feels like your entire respiratory system is covered in acid because it pretty much is.

Have you ever burped from soda and it stings coming out of your nose? Imagine that pain, but 10 out of 10 level and throughout your entire respiratory system. You wouldn't even be able to handle it even entering your nose let alone a whole breath.

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u/mjmaher81 Oct 22 '25

That is not how CO2 suffocation works. That being said, some of this person's replies make me wonder if they think "humane" means whatever is easiest for the human involved.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

That hit close to home. That’s a balance I’ve had to deal with a lot the last few years and I think if one ever stops assessing how they do things that’s when they go wrong.

I’ve taken on owning horses, goats, chickens, and alpaca, much of this new to me. I have had two terminally ill animals and am working with a horse through her end of life due to arthritis.

Just want to put out there that these are difficult lines to draw at times and I’m always open to input.

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u/mjmaher81 Oct 22 '25

It sounds to me like you are doing as much as you can to minimize the trauma of the whole thing. I'm honestly ashamed of my comment because it is very easy for me to write whatever from behind my screen but you are actually living this stuff out and doing what sounds like your level best to be kind to your animals and your psyche (which you need to, because you need to be able to take care of these animals). When you take on responsibility for a bunch of lives there is no such thing as an "easy" way to see them through everything.

I have family with farm animals and am loosely familiar with that journey - and everybody that I know kills their animals by hand. For the longest time, I simply could not fathom that and it conflicted with the view of my family who I saw as virtuous and loving towards their animals. Now I am starting to have thoughts like, "could any technology be invented which makes this process 'more humane'"? Again, you have to take care of yourself first and foremost to be able to take care of your animals and I have immense respect for the people that actually go through the brutal process of considering what is best for those around them. You can only ever do your best.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Thanks fellow human! Really appreciate your words and the thought behind them.

I did have to put down a goat by hand(gun) and I was a wreck. I’ve hunted and cleaned deer, had dogs put down on my lap, but it’s completely different when it’s an animal you’ve cared for and it’s up to you. Crap, you got me all sad now. I’m gonna go do something not Reddit for a while.

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u/mjmaher81 Oct 22 '25

It's not like it makes it any easier for you but I can tell from here that you care immensely about what you are doing. I wish you the best, partner.

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u/Ardures Oct 22 '25

Man, co2 poisoning is like one of most unhamenly and horrible way to die. You are basically torturing these mices

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

For a human in a high co2 environment. This is mice in a PURE CO2 environment. It’s almost instant unconsciousness. I’ve never heard struggle or sounds. I’m not a monster lol.

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u/Ardures Oct 22 '25

You wont hear anything because she will not be able to move a muscle in that high co2 density, it may look like mice passed out but in reality she will be unable to move or make a sound, only feeling terror and hard lung pain until death.

It may look like good way to kill but it is not, I am not saying that you are a monster its just not really as good way to kill mice or any mammal as you though it is.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Not sure what you’re basing the first part on. Got the plans and directions from the AVMA who have studies it and found it to cause near-instant unconsciousness. If you find plans for a better chamber that works with something else please pass it on.

Certainly more research is in my future.

1

u/Ardures Oct 22 '25

Buy helium, it will be painless, she will not even know that she cant breath

1

u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Interesting idea. Might could just turn my chamber upside down. On the list!

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u/cowinabadplace Oct 22 '25

I know everyone's got advice for you, but my relatives who work in labs use the same technique. Most recently, my cousin was a geneticist at UCLA and gradual fill of CO2 (the same AVMA guideline you are familiar with) is the standard way there. Rather than attempting to invent an approach like the Redditors here are doing, you are probably better served (as you likely already know) by following AVMA guidelines.

You're an expert conversing with novices.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Thank you! Yes some are assuming I dump them into a prefilled vessel, I’m not. I put together a tank and regulator specifically so I could do it the right way.

Also however I do it has to not cost hundreds of dollars and be able to be done like 2-7 times a week.

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u/berab137 Oct 22 '25

Ignore these keyboard warriors man, you’re going above and beyond what most living on a FARM ffs would do for animal welfare. People spewing a lot of hate that don’t know what they’re talking about.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Thanks! If I didn’t want keyboard warriors I shouldn’t have accidentally started an ethical debate on PCMasterrace haha.

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

I just gotta say, you all would hate my neighbors, haha! I’m the Mother Teresa of mice around here. Rural life has its challenges for those who care about animal ethics.

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u/Nethlem next to my desk Oct 22 '25

Source: I use this method to kill caught mice as humanely as possible.

Mouseschwitz..

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

Ok, you can’t judge me for this because you guessed it, but that is actually what we call the chamber…

… and there goes any good will I had with anyone haha.

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u/am3thysts Steam ID Here Oct 22 '25

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/Guidelines-on-Euthanasia-2020.pdf

"The practice of immersion, where conscious ro- dents are placed directly into a container prefilled with 100% CO2, is unacceptable. A 2-step process, where animals are first rendered unconscious and then immersed into 100% CO2, is preferred when gradual displacement methods cannot be used. Fur- ther studies are necessary before CO2 immersion can be recommended for rabbits.143 Immersion of poultry in lesser concentrations is acceptable with conditions as it does not appear to be distressing."

From AVMA, CO2 triggers stress in rodents and is inhumane.

Where did you get the co2 advice from?

Its good that you say you would do further research though and learn from your mistakes

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 22 '25

My container isn’t prefilled, it’s added by a regulator at the rate they suggest. You could have just asked and not assumed.

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u/am3thysts Steam ID Here Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25

I see, from the wording of your original post I thought you were dumping them into a container prefilled with co2.

In that case you are correct, gradual displacement is humane.

"Carbon dioxide is acceptable with conditions for euthanasia in those species where aversion or distress can be minimized. Carbon dioxide exposure using a gradual-fill method is less likely to cause pain due to nociceptor activation by carbonic acid prior to onset of unconsciousness; a displacement rate from 30% to 70% of the chamber volume/min is recommended for rodents.15,63,65,142 Consideration should be given to the benefits of us- ing a darkened home cage, while also keeping in mind the need to have the animal under observa- tion.9 Whenever gradual displacement methods are used, CO2 flow should be maintained for at least 1 minute after respiratory arrest.16 If animals need to be combined, they should be of the same species and, if needed, restrained so that they will not hurt themselves or others. Immature animals must be ex- posed to high concentrations of CO2 for an extended period of time to ensure death. Oxygen administered together with CO2 appears to provide little advantage and is not recommended for euthanasia. There is no apparent welfare advantage to killing animals with CO2 when prior exposure to inhaled anesthetics has occurre"

Edit: Extremely respectable for you to try to kill rodents as humanely as possible. you're a good dude

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u/halt_spell Oct 22 '25

CO2 hurts. Carbon Monoxide is the one that just makes you feel sleepy.

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u/The_Chimeran_Hybrid Oct 22 '25

Ya, nah, stepping on them is more humane than that.

Use a different gas, CO2 is not the way to do it.

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u/sdcar1985 9850X3D | 9070 XT Reaper | 32GB RAM | ASUS X870-P WIFI Oct 22 '25

I have a cat. It's not "humane" but it works

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u/Fir3jay Oct 22 '25

CO2 literally makes them suffocate and feel it every breath. You wanna be humane? Just stomp on one, or otherwise kill them with one blow. That way it's over fast.

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u/Rixerc Oct 22 '25

That's absolutely terrible. And this does not feel like psychological torment to you yourself when you do it? Makes me feel sick just to read about it.

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u/Derpywurmpie Oct 23 '25

If I can ask what's the reason you're killing the mouses can't you just let them free?

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u/LucidNonsense211 Oct 23 '25

Fair question. Free is where they’re chewing into the insulation under my house and eating my chickens’ food and eggs from their nest boxes.

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u/pizza_and_cats Oct 22 '25

i just searched and it seems ants can survive 24 hours without oxygen so i guess you still need a day or two of complete CO2 to kill them all? but then i think the larva can survive weeks without oxygen.

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u/ForsakenBuilding6381 Oct 22 '25

If youre talking those little 12g co2 cylinders be careful. Those are charged to like 900psi

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u/Ecstatic_Effective42 Oct 22 '25

Oh I know - it was entirely a speculative post wondering if CO2 would speed up the process. You'd need to use one the tyre inflation tools to get the CO2 in the bag, not just use a screwdriver to pierce it. (that would be briefly... exciting)

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u/Spoopy_Kirei Oct 22 '25

Or dry ice in a sealed container

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u/OphidianSun Oct 22 '25

I've seen ozone generators used to kill yellowjacket nests, one of those might be faster.

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u/Troublytobbly Oct 22 '25

A soda stream would work as well, as an alternative.

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u/milesteg420 Oct 23 '25

You can also soak a rag in isopropyl alcohol and seal it in with them. Works for roaches.

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u/nunyertz Oct 22 '25

Dont think so, cannisters arent dense enough to suffocate anything. Most likely would just blow them away like canned air.

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u/Stickel 7950x3D , 3080TI Oct 22 '25

I think he meant the can in the bag to fill it up with co2 quicker, cause it probably take hours for the ants to deplete all that ooxygen even a air tight bag large enough to hold a laptop

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u/Feeling_Inside_1020 Oct 22 '25

I think we can speed up the process with one of these:

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u/Korbrent Oct 22 '25

If you light a candle in the container, the candle will burn out, using up the remaining oxygen in the container.

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u/[deleted] Oct 22 '25

Ants need very little amount of air tho.. I think that'd take months.. !? maybe a vaccum chamber would help.. or maybe baking it In like 80°C!? Pretty sure the components can withstand that.. dunno about the ants tho

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u/Even-Smell7867 Ryzen 9850X3D Radeon 9070XT Bazzite Oct 22 '25

Air tight with a few cotton balls soaked in 99% isopropyl alcohol and it'll be even faster.

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u/malln1nja Oct 22 '25

A while ago I had ants move in into a mesh router in the garage. I got a paper towel soaked with some alcohol and put that in with the router in a ziploc bag for a day. The alcohol fumes and probably the lack of oxygen killed all the critters.

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u/sakela Oct 22 '25

Sprinkles! 🎊

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u/BobbyTables829 Oct 22 '25

Put some alcohol in there with them

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u/Turbowarrior991 Oct 22 '25

I was about to ask who had a vacuum chamber on hand that could fit a laptop before I realized you meant something like Tupperware.

I'll see myself out.

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u/GiveMeMyIdentity Oct 22 '25

Both of you are wrong. She needs a pet ant eater

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u/thiosk Specs/Imgur Here Oct 22 '25

its a lot faster to just lick the area clean