Crazy Rasberry Ants

Crazy Ant Identification

Crazy Rasberry Ants are characterized by their erratic behavior and movements. Although a single colony will seem to be fairly small, consisting of only about 2,000 workers and queens, interconnected colonies will often times result in an outstanding infestation. You may be able to identify rasberry ants by their long legs and antennae in comparison to their bodies. Also, crazy ants are known for their slender appearance. They are dark brown to black in color ranging in sizes of about 2 mm - 3 mm. Many will be surprised that Crazy ants will overpower fire ants. As a matter of fact, fire ants are a part of the diet of Crazy Rasberry ants. However, this is only because of their rapid reproduction rates. They reproduce on a much higher rate than fire ants do and simply outnumber them. There are multiple queens in just one colony and many small colonies will interconnect which results in millions of workers and hundreds of queens.

Crazy Ant Damage

Crazy ant in houses are often times a result of cold weather outside. Because Rasberry Ants are unable to survive winters and they are able to live with people inside, they will be found inside homes and cause a nuisance. They will usually nest under floors and in the wall void area near areas of warmth and moisture which include water lines and heaters. They can enter the house through any crack or crevice and also by utility pipes that lead indoors. Crazy ants may begin to enter the home in the autumn season or after heavy precipitation. Crazy ants are actually attracted to electrical equipment, probably because of the warmth that these appliances or areas provide. Other researchers believe that Crazy Rasberry ants are able to detect the magnetic field that radiates from the wires. Whether or not it is easy to nest in or they are attracted to some sort of force, the fact of the matter is that Crazy Ants nest in these areas inside homes and buildings. Many complaints of crazy ants will come from homeowners or even businesses that will experience electrical shortages, overheating, and mechanical failures due to a heavy Crazy Rasberry Ant infestation.

Crazy Ant Behavior

Crazy Rasberry Ants are able to travel up to 100 ft to forage for food. They will leave regular trails and can feel on almost household food. Although they feed on almost any household food, crazy ants prefer sweet foods and will even feed on small insects. When they are outdoors, their diet will include small insects, including another species of ants called Red Imported Fire Ants, aphids, mealybugs, and seeds.

How to Get Rid of Crazy Rasberry Ants

The most effective way to kill Crazy Rasberry ants is to target the nest directly. When crazy ants are observed, they will leave a trail that leads to the nest from their food source. Each nest should be thoroughly treated with a liquid insecticide. Outdoor treatment also includes getting rid of potential entry access points. If there are tree branches or shrub branches that can act as a "bridge" to your home, you must get rid of these. For perimeter, barrier treatment, a residual liquid insecticide must be used. Focus on all entry points including any cracks and crevices, window frames, door frames, and utility pipes that leads to the inside of the structure. You may also want to consider using several different types of baits in conjunction with each other to ensure bait acceptance. This will include a granular bait treatment, gels, and bait stations. Apply these baits around suspected nesting sites, around the perimeter where there are cracks and crevices, and along ant trails as they forage for food.

Baits can also be used indoors as a crack and crevice treatment. Fine granule baits are more accepted indoors as well as gels and bait stations. If there are Crazy Rasberry ants inside the house, they will most likely invading areas like interior walls or the wall voids. You can access these areas by taking the outlets out or through plumbing holes. You may also want to consider drilling holes and injecting the insecticide into the wall void. These insecticides include a dust insecticide to kill crazy ants or a foam type of insecticide that targets crazy ants.