Identifying Crazy Ants in Eastern Texas
Crazy ants, also known as the raspberry crazy ant or the tawny crazy ant are reddish-brown, 1/8” in length and have 2 long antennae. Crazy ants live in large colonies that can number in the thousands. These ants can overtake acres of land from livestock and can even infest and interrupt services within critical electronic equipment.
Common Nesting Areas for Crazy Ants
Crazy ants nest in many different places. Known to vigorously infest and damage electronic equipment and engines of vehicles and farm equipment these ants can be discovered just about anywhere. They also readily take over and inhabit other ant nests by essentially overtaking the other ant colony and kicking them out. Crazy ants have a unique ability to produce an acidic substance that is a natural anecdote to the effects of fire ant stings. They use this substance as a protective coating on themselves and will proceed to overtake and overwhelm fire ants and their established nests.
Diet Preferences of Crazy Ants
Crazy ants are omnivores, which means that they will eat just about anything that may be sweet or a source of protein. Most commonly they satisfy their sweet tooth craving for sweet food in honeydew (which is created by aphids or other insects), overly ripened fruit, scraps of food from people, or honey from a beehive. Protein sources can be other insects or small mammals attacked by a group of workers or the carcass of a dead animal.
The Threat of Crazy Ants to Electronics
Crazy ants can inflict bites, but they aren’t very painful and heal quickly. Crazy ants typically are classified as a nuisance pest because they don’t pose a direct danger or threat to people themselves, but they do pose a threat to electronic equipment as they tend to gravitate towards creating their nests inside it. If created inside electronic equipment, these nests have the potential of inflicting costly damage to the equipment.
Effective Crazy Ant Control in Eastern Texas
At Innovative Pest Control, we recommend utilizing one of our year-round pest control programs to protect your home from ants and other common pests. Our Advantage Pest Control Plans are specifically designed to keep your Eastern Texas property free of common pests year-round, including crazy ants.
Prevent Crazy Ant Infestations: Contact Us Today!
If you suspect that crazy ants have decided to make your home theirs, don’t delay, contact one of our pest experts today because these ants can quickly become a huge issue. To help prevent them from gaining easy access to your home or business here are a few preventative steps you can implement:
- Replace or repair all door and window insect screens.
- Seal all cracks, holes and access points on exterior walls.
- Trim landscaping, shrubbery, woodpiles, leaf and debris piles, and trees back away from the exterior walls.
