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Where Did Crazy Ants In Texas Come From?
7/11/13
If you live in Houston or elsewhere in Texas or along the U.S. Gulf Coast, you’ve most likely heard about crazy ants (also called rasberry crazy ants and tawny ants) or have even had an encounter with these invasive ants. First detected in Houston and Harris County in 2002, crazy ants have become a significant problem.
While there is no documentation for where this pest originated, University of Texas researcher Ed LeBrun believes crazy ants entered the United States through the Port of New Orleans. And they are not the first ants to do so in his opinion either. In 1891, Argentine ants also arrived by the same port and red fire ants showed up via the same route in the 1930’s.
According to entomologists at Texas A&M University, Rasberry crazy ants (named for Tom Rasberry, an exterminator who first identified them) have spread with the help of humans and in some areas are displacing red imported fire ants. While that may not seem like a problem as no one really enjoys the sting of a fire ant, crazy ants are far more troublesome even if their bites aren’t as painful. In fact, crazy ants are a serious pest issue.
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In some cases, crazy ants are displacing other ants and even wildlife including birds.
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Crazy ants are taking over backyards and even causing pets to avoid the outdoors.
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When large numbers of crazy ants mass around electrical equipment, it often leads to short-circuits and equipment failure.
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Crazy ants may also prove to be a serious agricultural pest.
Because control of these ants is imperative, it is recommended that homeowners and business owners/managers know what crazy ants look like. Approximately 1/8 of an inch long, the crazy ant is reddish brown and is covered in tiny hairs. Perhaps the easiest way to identify crazy ants is by their behavior. While other types of ants tend to march in straight line, crazy ants exhibit a behavior that is in keeping with their name. Forming loose trails, they appear as if they are moving erratically and at random.
If you notice these ants nesting on your property (any spot or object that retains moisture could be attractive to these pests), contact a pest control company right away. Crazy ants often require specialized ant control in order to effectively eliminate and are not a pest that one should not attempt to exterminate on one’s own.
For crazy ant control in Houston, Austin and San Antonio as well as throughout South Texas, Holder’s Pest Solutions is the ideal choice. In business since 1947, this South Texas pest control company offers effective pest control for tawny ants and other types of ants and pests in the region.