Tech: CD eating Bugs?

Subject: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: GUEST,Dazbo
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 07:43 AM

A colleague at worked opened an old CD of his and found the surface has gone tacky/gooey. I've heard of what I thought of as an Urban myth of bacteria or fugus that "eats" CDs. Is this so and is this what my colleague's experiencing?

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 07:46 AM

It may be the packaging attacking the surface of the CD, you can get an interaction between plastics sometimes, and if the sleeve on the CD is of this material, it may be one that reacts with material the CD is made of..
G

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 08:04 AM

I can't rule out the possibility of a fungus or bug. CDs are usually "sealed" with a laquer or varnish; and there are some "organisms" that could possibly attack that; but the common ones leave more of a "dust" than a goo.

More likely is a chemical attack from an old rubber band, plasticiser from the glue on a stick on label, scotch tape, duct tape, etc.

Surgical adhesive tape is especially bad, since it generally has a fair amount of amine plasticiser to maintain the "tackiness" of the stickum, although masking tape is about as bad.

The "aromatic" emissions from some wood - especially his/her cedar "hope chest" - will attack some plastics/varnishes. Moth balls anywhere in the vicinity could be to blame.

Detergent and/or dryer "softener" (anti-static anti-cling) residue on a bit of cloth in a tightly closed space likely could do it.

Unless you can find an "obvious suspect" in the way of something stored with the CD, it is likely to be very difficult to select from the many possibilities. "Sticky goo" is a characteristic that should be recognized by anyone who's cleaned out granny's attic and sorted even a few "generation-old treasures." Mostly, nobody knows where it all came from.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM

Have you heard the latest
Latest load of hooey
About the cd weevil
Who makes your cds gooey
From the edge right to the hole
he's heading for the hole!

The first time I saw the cd weevil
he was on Madonna's Greatest Hits
the weevil winked at me and he said
do you expect me to eat this shit?
From the edge right to the hole
I'm heading for the hole!

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:03 PM

LOL wld!!

But seriously, I have some old CD's strung across my patio window in an attempt to stop birds fying into it. Every once in a while a Blue Tit lands on them & pecks off bits of the glittery surface, I assume for nesting material.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:05 PM

It's attacking it's own reflection Hils, thinks it's a rival. That's the theory anyway :)
G

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: MMario
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:07 PM

Every time I see this thread title I get this visual flash of a Pac-man type CD eating insects made of program-code.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:17 PM

Thanks Giok, that sounds a lot more reasonable!

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:29 PM

I find small beetle-like insects from time to time on the shelf where I keep my CDs, every now and then they get into the cases. Though so far I haven't notice them trying to actually eat the CDs. But after reading this, I think I'm going to check when I get home.

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 01:46 PM

One wonders if these are home-burned CD's or commercially produced ones. It's possible that some home-burned ones are not as stable.

Did the CD's in questions have glue-on labels? If they did, maybe its the glue that's leaking out. I always copy any CD that has a glued-on label and mark it up with a CD marker so that I don't muck up my drives.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tech: CD eating Bugs?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 12:24 AM

Years ago I opened a brand new Sony CD (back when they were still really expensive and each came in their own jewel case and plastic shrink wrap) and it didn't respond to what I was trying to burn. When I looked at the CD I could see a human hand print across the burning surface, but it had an odd look, clearly where the oil had acted as a medium over a period of time for the bacteria to grow. I took it to the sink and carefully washed it with soap and it cleaned up fine and worked. But I found several in that pack like that. I guess Sony had people actually handing the disks instead of an automated system in place at the time.

SRS