So it is proved! Humans are not the only species who can be attributed to being crazy at times. They share the title with a particular type of ants called “crazy ants”. Crazy ants called so because of their erratic behavior actually are ants that belong to the genus Paratrechina from the subfamily Formicinae. Over 150 species and subspecies are described, some of which occur on every continent (except Antarctica). They form large colonies in open soil or under rocks or other objects, or in rotten wood on the ground. Specifically, Paratrechina longicornis occurs around the world. It is also known as ‘Longhorn ants’. They do not bite or sting people. Longhorn crazy ants are able to reproduce with their siblings without any negative effects of inbreeding. This has allowed them to become one of the most widespread invasive ants in the tropics. The crazy ant is found in various parts of the world and is not native to the United States (Smith 1965). While found in tropical cities worldwide, it was thought to be of either Asian or African origin. In fact, Wetterer (2008) argues that Paratrechina longicornis is the most “broadly distributed of any ant species.” Colonies of crazy ants are moderate to very populous. This species is a pantropical tramp that is easily dispersed by human activity. However, while the term ‘crazy ant’ is officially identified with this species, there are other closely related ant species that are also called ‘crazy ants’.
There is another species of crazy ants called Nylanderia fulva. These are an invasive species of ants. They are known as Rasberry crazy ant or tawny crazy ant originally found in Houston, Texas. While this species is part of the Paratrechina or “crazy ant” complex (a group named because of the ants’ random, nonlinear movements), the media and others in Texas are also calling it “Rasberry” after the exterminator Tom Rasberry, who first noticed the ants were a problem in 2002. A large infestation is currently present in at least 20 counties in Texas. The ants appear to prefer the warmth and moistness of the coast. The colonies have multiple queens. Nylanderia fulva appear to displace other ant species, including red imported fire ants most likely due to exploitative and interference competition. The ants are not attracted to ordinary ant baits, are not controlled by over-the-counter pesticides, and are harder to fully exterminate than many other species because their colonies have multiple queens. Scientists have described the ants as having overrun Texas since the early 2000s.
The crazy ant has achieved pest status
across the United States. It has been found on top floors of large apartment buildings in New York, hotels and flats in Boston and in hotel kitchens in San Francisco, California. It can be a significant agricultural pest as it assists in the distribution and/or protection of phloem-feeding Hemiptera, such as mealybugs, scale insects, and plant aphids (Wetterer 2008). The crazy ant is an agricultural and household pest in most tropical and subtropical areas and is a pervasive indoor pest in temperate areas. It has the ability to successfully survive in highly disturbed and artificial areas, including ships at sea. Since it can live indoors with humans, there is no limit to the latitude where it can exist!!
There is alarming news for the residents of the southeastern states of USA as was reported by Danielle Elliot of CBS News on 1st July 2013. Astonishing numbers of crazy ants have been reported to be swarming towards their states. USA Today reported University of Texas research assistant Ed LeBrun saying these ants have since spread to about 50 counties across Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. They nest everywhere from crawl spaces and walls to electrical wires and small circuits. Researchers at Texas A&M University say they cause about $146.5 million in electrical damage each year. In a study published in April, researchers from Texas A&M University found that fire ants are able to fend off crazy ants in most situations. But that shifts when crazy ants are restricted to a low-sugar diet, as happens when fire ants consume most of the available food. When consuming a low-sugar diet, crazy ants become stronger and more aggressive, and able to defeat the fire ants. When UT researchers recently investigated two crazy ant invasion sites, they found the red ant population decimated — a sign that the crazy and may quickly reign supreme in the southeastern region.
A very peculiar thing has been noted about these crazy ants. They have a penchant for electrical appliances. As Mary Beth Quirk of The Consumerist reported on 2nd July 2013 these ants can make a meal of almost any electrical gadget from a cell phone to an air conditioner! They enter these gadgets and make them their home. They can chew on the internal wires thus causing a short circuit. If one gets electrocuted, its death releases a chemical on a cue to attack as they recognize a threat to the colony, said Roger Gold, an entomology professor at Texas A&M. “The other ants rush in. Before long, you have a wall of ants,” he said. Why they are attracted to electrical equipment is still a mystery. But various theories have been postulated regarding these most credible ones being that they sense the magnetic field surrounding wires with electric current flowing through them. Or, they might prefer the heat byproduct of resistance in the wires. However, it could simply be they are searching for food or a nesting location that is easy to defend.
The Weekly World News on 9th June 2013 reported that the crazy ants in Texas and Mississippi were destroying property and attacking humans!! The Crazy Ant Poison that U.S. Exterminators use only stops them for a day, and then a fresh horde shows up, bringing babies. Controlling them can cost millions of dollars. And there’s no surefire way of controlling them. If 100,000 are killed by pesticides, billions more will follow.
The current method of controlling them involves the use of a toxic product called Fipronil. Fipronil is a broad spectrum insecticide that disrupts the insect’s central nervous system. Fipronil is a slow acting poison. Its wildlife impacts include:
1) Fipronil is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates.
2) Fipronil is toxic to bees and should not be applied to vegetation when bees are foraging.
3) Fipronil has been found to be highly toxic to upland game birds.
So for this particular problem, we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution.
At C Tech Corporation, we offer a safe and effective solution to deal with these insects.
Combirepel™ is a non-hazardous product that primarily repels insects from the application. It is a broad spectrum repellent which works against insects thus efficaciously repulse them away from the application. The best feature of this product is that it is environmentally safe and causes no harm to the insect as well as humans and the environment.
The product available in the form of lacquer can be used as a topical application and can be applied to wooden and concrete structures of heritage sites. The liquid concentrate is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, concrete, fiber, ceramic, metal, polymer etc.
The product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes, agricultural films, etc. while they are manufactured. The product will prevent the ladybugs from coming near to these applications.
The liquid concentrate can be mixed with paints in a pre-determined ratio and be applied to the interior and exterior areas of heritage sites which can be painted. The liquid concentrate is compatible with all types of paints and solvents.
Using our products, they can repel the termites in an eco-friendly way!
Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you are facing problems with insects.
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