Most ants behave in predictable patterns by how they nest and forage for food, which makes it a little bit easier for you to find and treat the pests yourself. But some ant species can be tough to locate and eradicate, including crazy ants. Crazy ants are invasive species that wreak havoc outside and inside your home, including your electronic devices. If you notice strange ants misbehaving in your home or on your property, take immediate steps to treat them. Here's more information about crazy ants, how they cause destruction in your life and what you can do to treat them.
What Are Crazy Ants?
Crazy ants originated in South America and eventually spread to North America and other areas of the world. The pests have quickly become the bane of existence for many homeowners, especially people living in the Florida, Texas, and other areas of the South. The pests can reproduce in great numbers very quickly. This fact alone makes it difficult to eliminate the ants in your home and property.
There are several types of crazy ants: the Raspberry, Caribbean, and Longhorn. All three types of pests can invade your home without warning. So, how do you know if the ants you see are crazy ants? All crazy ants tend to behave strangely when disturbed. The ants will generally run around in erratic patterns or appear "crazy" when you bother them or when they sense a threat.
In addition, Raspberry crazy ants are reddish brown in color and reach lengths of about 1/8 inches. Longhorn pests have brown and black bodies with a blue-like color or tint running through it. Longhorn crazy ants are less common than the Raspberry and Caribbean ant. The Caribbean ant ranges from gold to reddish-brown in color and can reproduce in substantial numbers.
All crazy ants possess long legs and very long antennas. The antennas can be much larger than the pests' heads, which gives the ants an advantage over other insects in finding food. Crazy ants can also have multiple queens controlling their nesting sites or colonies. Some crazy ants spawn or "clone" their queens to ensure that the pests survive.
To treat your crazy ant problem, you must first learn how they invade your life.
How Do Crazy Ants Invade Your Life?
Crazy ants tend to live inside structures, such as cracks, logs, and under rocks. The ants don't make traditional mounds outside the home, which may make it harder for you to find them. The pests can travel long distances to reach your home. Once the ants find a food source and safe place to nest, they leave behind special odors or chemicals that alert other ants to follow. If you look closely, you might see several long trails of crazy ants leading from your yard to your house.
Crazy ants can eat sweets, meat protein, and other types of human food. The pests can also consume other insects, which makes them omnivores. Placing your food in plastic bags or packages might not disguise the scents they give off. In this case, it's best that you store perishable and aromatic items in your refrigerator or in a metal canister or storage container. By doing so, you disrupt the ants' food sources.
Also, inspect your electrical and electronic devices, such as televisions, laptops, and desktop computers, for ants. Although it's not readily known why, crazy ants can live or invade electronic and electrical equipment. The pests can damage the internal parts of your devices over time. If you find ants in your devices, place the equipment in an area away from other devices and contact pest control for help.
A contractor will generally locate the ants' nesting sites to kill the queens. Without queens, the other ants will generally leave or die. It's also important to chemically treat your home to ward off future invasions. A contractor can also help you eliminate the ants in your electrical and electronic devices. The treatments for this step may vary, but you may expect a contractor to discuss the best methods for your needs in greater detail later.
To learn more about the crazy ants in your home, contact pest and ant control company today.
Share6 December 2016
How often do you double check your front door or make sure that your garage door is closed? Although installing a home security system and giving your children instructions about stranger danger might seem like second nature, some people forget that there are real safety threats sitting around their windowsills. My child was bitten by a poisonous spider a few years ago, and ever since then, I have worked to increase awareness about the importance of pest control. A little pesticide can keep dangerous bugs from seeking refuge in your home and threatening your family. My website discusses different ways to keep your kids safe.