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The Crazy Rasberry Ants
Invade Houston, Texas!
by www.SixWise.com
Texans are no strangers to ants, but these new arrivals --
dubbed "crazy rasberry ants" -- are raising eyebrows
all across the Houston area. Thought to have been brought
over by a cargo ship, even scientists don't know where exactly
they came from.
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In this AP photo, exterminator Tom Rasberry shows off
the ants he first discovered in 2002.
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What they do know is that they run in "crazy,"
erratic lines, and were first identified in the area by Tom
Rasberry, an exterminator, who battled them in 2002.
"I sprayed some pesticide just to knock them down,"
Rasberry told the New York Times. "But the next year
I went from seeing a couple thousand to millions of them."
Crazy Little Buggers
The ants' formal name -- "paratrenicha species near
pubens" -- is not nearly as popular as crazy rasberry
ants, but don't let their comical name fool you. These ants
mean business.
On a positive note, the ants eat fire
ants, whose stings are painful and also contain toxins
that can be dangerous in large amounts.
But that's where the good news ends.
They also eat beneficial insects, like ladybugs, and are
feeding on the hatchlings of an endangered grouse called the
Attwater prairie chicken. They drink sweet juices from plants
and, like some other ant species, seem to love electrical
equipment. As a result, sewage pumping stations, computers,
gas meters and even fire alarms have been destroyed.
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Worst of all, the ants, which are now numbering in the billions
and have spread to five area counties, seem to be resistant
to most pesticides.
Those that are effective -- products containing the chemicals
fipronil and chlorfenapyr -- have environmental restrictions.
And the ants have even been known to pile up their dead and
use them as a bridge to cross over pesticide-treated areas.
But there is good news, at least for people who live outside
of the Texas coastline. The ants love warmth and moistness,
so they're unlikely to wander too far from Texas' coast.
What to do if You Get Ants in Your House
Though most of the country won't have to deal with the crazy
rasberry ants, that doesn't make you immune to the other ant
species out there. What should you do if you want to get rid
of ants in your home, without using potentially toxic pesticides?
Follow the ant trail and figure out where they're entering
your home. Then, sprinkle the holes or cracks that they're
entering through with any of the following:
-
Flea
'n Tick B Gone, an all-natural, completely non-toxic
insect repellant
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Baby powder
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White vinegar
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Black pepper
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A spray of water blended with a few drops of peppermint
essential oil
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Red chili pepper
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Borax
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Paprika
Sprinkling coffee grounds around your house or drawing lines
with chalk over where they enter will also help to deter ants,
as will strategically placed mint plants.
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How can you keep ants from ruining your next picnic?
See the natural insect repellants below.
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To keep your home from becoming a place ants will adore,
the following tips will also help:
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Make sure any food left out on your counter is wrapped
tightly
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Clean up promptly after meals
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Move outdoor garbage cans as far from your home as possible
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Seal cracks in your foundation
Recommended Reading
Nearly
Invisible Biting Mites Invade Midwest: Here's What You Need
to Know and Do
How
to Most Effectively Keep Flies, Wasps, Gnats and Other Pests
Away from Your Picnic This Summer
Sources
New
York Times May 16, 2008
Yahoo
News May 14, 2008
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