Raspberry Crazy Ants in Texas
They're here. Now, what are they...?
It sounds like something out of a horror movie. But the "crazy ants" are really here.
First noticed in Bermuda a century ago, the tiny pests have wreaked havoc in Houston for the better part of a decade and were recently discovered in San Antonio – with the potential to destroy your computer, scare your dog or intimidate even that biggest of backyard bullies, the fire ant.
"These things are horrible," said Roger Gold, professor of entomology at Texas A&M University and part of a crazy-ant joint task force that includes both the U.S. and Texas agriculture departments.
"Where these ants occur, even the fire ants move out," he said.
Dubbed crazy because of their erratic, agitated movement, the ants forage for food indoors as well as out. And while fire ant colonies number in the hundreds or thousands, crazy ant colonies can surge to the millions or even billions.
Experts say swift action – including more funding for research – is necessary to prevent a true outbreak. Already, the ant has made its way to 14 Texas counties.
So far, the only known crazy ant colonies in San Antonio are clustered on the far West Side, near Loop 410 and Texas 151.
Because it has neither venom nor a stinger, the crazy ant can't seriously hurt you. But it is a big hassle.
Humans likely brought the ant to San Antonio, via plants or similar goods that are transported across the state, said Molly Keck, an entomologist with Texas AgriLife Extension, an education and outreach arm of A&M.
Crazy ants are also known as "tramp ants" because they will bed down just about anywhere they can find space, including computer wiring.
"We've got an issue here of a little tiny ant getting into sensitive equipment that, at any point in time, could shut it down," said Gold, the A&M professor. He cited chemical manufacturers in the Pasadena area outside Houston that have had to temporarily close down production because of crazy ant damage.
What the crazy ant lacks in venom, it appears to make up for in strategic brilliance, as far as bugs go.
Crazy ants are known to displace animals, which would rather not deal with constant swarms of ants crawling all over them. They disrupt the food chain by attacking pollinators and protecting certain insects that other animals rely on for food. They're known to evict honeybees from their hives.
Pest control experts and entomologists don't have an effective way to control crazy ants. Sigler eventually turned to a termite-killing agent, but he's had to go back to the hotel for at least three treatments.
While entomologists such as Gold are calling for more research money, Keck said the crazy ant will likely never be completely eradicated. But Mike Quinn, an independent entomologist who's studied the local colony, said San Antonio, unlike Houston, still has a chance to prevent the ant's spread, through more education and awareness.
*Information source: Vianna Davila, San Antonio Express-News
