Hold on to your picnics! There's an ant in Georgia that you may not have heard of - The Tawny Crazy ants is a species native to Brazil and Argentina. Over the past several years, these 6 legged insects have made their way across the southeastern United States from Texas all the way into Georgia. They're taking out fire ant colonies and disrupting ecosystems in their great migration and they don't care who knows it.
This invasive insect species has the potential to alter the ecological balance of the entire United States. Where fire ants once flourished, they're being wiped out by this omnivorous South American ant. Fewer fire ants might seem like a good thing, but really, it isn't. Where fire ants are content to stay in their own colony, crazy ants want to be in yours. Crazy ants are, well, crazy. They love to nest inside your home's insulation. They build nests in walls, crawl spaces, house plants, and empty containers found in your yard.
Researchers from the University of Texas note that these crazy ants have some people clamoring for their fire ants. Crazy ants don't sting like fire ants can, but they're actually much bigger pests with the potential to cause much bigger problems.
Here's what you need to know about Tawny Crazy Ants:
Identifying Characteristics:
- Size range: 1/8 inch long
- Coloration: Reddish-brown
- Elongated legs and setae, hair-like bristles that cover their bodies.
Behavior:
Tawny crazy ants do not form centralized nests or mounds.
Prefer moist areas but will travel relatively-long distances in order to forage.
Where You'll Find Them:
Tawny crazy ants are generally found in moist areas, including in damp soil, under rocks and stumps, in timber and compost piles, in garbage, and in potted plants. Due to their heavy concentration in gulf regions, they are also often found in shipping containers and other commerce. Tawny ants are adept at getting into homes. Indoors, they are often found in rotten or damaged wood and in gaps in walls or siding.
The Threat They Pose To Humans:
Like longhorn crazy ants, the primary threat tawny crazy ants pose to humans is the damage they do to electrical and computer equipment by chewing through insulation and wiring. The accumulation of their dead bodies and nest detritus can also cause overheating, corrosion, and mechanical failures in electrical devices.
As with longhorn crazy ants, they have been known to displace insects and even small animals, hurting the local ecosystem.
While they cannot sting, they will still bite any humans that they come into contact with.
How To Get Rid of Them:
Like their longhorn cousins, tawny crazy ants can be extremely difficult to treat due to their erratic movements and lack of centralized mounds. The best strategy for defending against them is to place a sugar-based and a protein-based bait together. Place a non-repellent insecticide around the perimeter of the house to create a protective barrier.
Keeping these ants out of your yard can be a hassle which sometimes requires multiple visits from your pest control company. You'll want Breda Pest Management on the job. Breda Pest Management uses TopChoice granules all over your yard and outdoor spaces with a 1-year guarantee on their services to take care of your ant extermination needs. If the ants return, a Breda Pest Management technician will come out and retreat your yard at no additional cost to you. In that case, you'll be glad you're part of the Breda customer family. Give the team at Breda Pest Management a call today!
