Rasberry Crazy Ant

1. In2002,TomRasberry,aprofessionalpest-mana geme ntproviderfromPearland,discovered a
populationofanewpestantnearPasadena,Texas,inHarrisCounty.Hugenumbersofthisnew
antliterallycoveredthelandscapeinindustrialparksandresidences. TheCenter forUrbanand
StructuralEntomologywithintheDepartmentofEntom ologyatTexasA&MUniversityhas
identifiedtheantasanewexoticinvasivepestinTexas,butthespecies’identification andcountry
oforiginarestillunresolved.Itisnowcommonl ycalledtheRasberrycrazyant,Nylanderiasp.nr.
pubens(previouslyinthegenusParatrechina).Currently,littleisknownregardingthebiolog yor
controlofthisant.Theantpopulationhasbeguntospread,oftenthroug hhumanassistance.
Wherearetheyfound?
Asof2009,highnumbers
oftheRasberrycrazy
antshavebeenfoundin
thesouthernpart
ofTexas.Asof
November2009,
infestationshave
beenconfirmedinBexar,
Brazoria,Chambers,Fort
Bend,Galveston,Hardin,
Harris,Jefferson,JimHogg,Liberty,
Montgomery,Orange, WalkerandWharton
counties.Newinfestationsaresuspected
beyondtheseareas.Themostcurrentdistri-
butionispostedathttp://Urba nEntomology
.tamu.edu.Theseantscanbetransporte d
throughmovementofalmostanyinfested
containerormaterial.Thus,themovementof
potte dplants,mulch,garbage,yarddebris,
bagsorloadsofcomp ostorbalesofhaybycar,
truck,railroadorairplanecantrans portant
coloniesandresultinnewareasofinfestation.
Whatistheirpeststatus?
Recent ly,theantwasalsofoundinbeehives
causingthebeestoabscondthehives,andfor
thisreason,theTexasDepartmentofAgri-
culture(TDA )considerstheRasberrycrazy
anttobeanagriculturalpest.However,no
informationisyetavailableonanypotential
damagetocropsoradverseeconomiceffects
ininfestedlands.Crazyantscanhitchhikeon
nurseryplantsandotherlandscapingmateri-
als.Furthermore,statelawrequiresnursery
productsandpremisestobefreeofpestsand
diseases.Therefore,TDA mayrequirea
treatment orotherappropriateregulatory
measuresupondetectionofcrazyantson
nurseryproductsand/orinpremises.
Nurserymanagersandretailgardenstore
managers areencouragedtokeeptheir
premisesfreeofcrazyants.
Whatdotheydo?
IninfestedareasaroundtheHous tonarea,
largenumbersofRasberrycrazyantshave
causedgreatannoyance toresidentsand
businesses.Becauseonemulti-queen colony
cannumberinthemillions,antscanblanket
thegroundandtrees,creatinguncomf ortable
situationsthatpreventresidentsfromenjoy-
ingtimeoutdoors.Petsandlivestockmay
avoidtheareaduetotheconstantlycrawling
crazyants.
Rasberrycrazyantshavebeenfoundaccu-
mulatingbythethousandsinelectrical
equipmen t,causingshortcircuitsand
equipmen tfailure.Insomedocument ed
cases,theantshavecausedtensofthousands
ofdollarsindamage andremed ialcosts.
Criticalelectricalandcomput ersystemsin
trafficsignals,businesses,schools,hospitals
andairportscouldbeaffected.
Dotheystingorbite?
Althoughtheseantsdonothavestingers,
workerantspossessastructurecalledan
acidoporeontheendoftheirabdomenwhich
canexcretechemicalsfordefenseorattack.
TheRasberrycrazyantsarecapableof
biting,andtheirbitecausesarelatively
sharppainthatquicklyfades.
Rasberry Crazy Ants
TEXA SPARKSANDWILDLIFE
Rasberry
Crazy Ant
Anewexotic species
invadingTexas
Formoreinformation,photos
andhelpwithidentification,
pleasevisit
http://UrbanEnt omolog y.tamu. edu
4200Smith School Road
Austin,TX78744
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
©2010 PWD BRK0700-1219(2/10)
Inaccordanc ewithTexasDepositoryLaw,thispublicationisavailableatthe
TexasStatePublications Clearinghouseand/or TexasDepositoryLibraries.
TPWDreceive sfederal assistance fromtheU.S.FishandWildlifeService
andotherfederalagencies. TPWDisthereforesubjecttoTitleVIoftheCivil
RightsActof1964, Section 504oftheRehabilitation Actof1973, TitleIIofthe
AmericanswithDisabilities Actof1990,theAgeDiscriminationActof1975,
TitleIXoftheEducationAmendmentsof1972, inaddition tostateanti-
discriminationlaws.TPWD willcomplywithstateandfederal lawsprohibiting
discriminationbasedonrace,color,nationalorigin,age,sexordisability.If
youbelievethatyouhavebeendiscrimi nated against inanyTPWD program,
activityorevent,youmaycontacttheU.S.FishandWildlifeService,Division
ofFederalAssistance,4401N.FairfaxDrive,MailStop:MBSP-4020,Arling-
ton,VA22203,Attention: CivilRightsCoordinatorforPublicAccess.
TOMRASBERRY
SANFORDPORTER
BastiaanM.Drees,PaulR.NesterandRoger
E.Gold,TexasAgriLifeExtensionService

2. Whateffectdo
theyhaveonwildlife?
Verylittle iscurrentl yknownabout the
wildlifeimpactfrom Rasb errycrazyants.
Ifyouobserveanyeffect onwildlife, pleas e
reportittoTexas Parks andWildlife
Depa rtmen tbysubm ittingthe“Wildlife
ImpactReport ”form foundathttp://
UrbanE ntomolog y.tamu.ed u.Also,please
reportanysituations where thecrazyants
areaffectin gagricultu ralanimals,includ -
inginvasionandlossofwildanddomestic
honeybeehives.
Wildlifesuch assongbirds canbeirritated
bytheRasberrycrazyants.Massesof
crazyantscovering thegroundandtrees
likelyaffect ground andtree-nestingbirds
andother smallanimals, andcausewildlife
tomoveoutofthearea.
Theantsareeven displacing redimpor ted
fireantsinareasofheavy infestation.
However,afterexperiencing theRasberry
crazy ant,mostresidents preferthefireant.
Arelated speciesofcrazy anthasbeen a
seriou spestinSouth Ameri ca,reportedly
displacingallotherantspecies.Inaddition,
theSouthAmerican crazy antpestcaused
chickenstodieofasphyxiaduetoants
obstructingtheirnasal passag es.Larger
animals ,suchascattle,have beenattacked
aroundtheeyes,nasal area andhooves .
Identifyingcharacteristics
andbehavior
Whatcanyoudoto
preventandcontrolthem?
ProperidentificationofRasberrycrazy
antsbyaspecialistisessential.
Ifyouareaprofessionalpestmanagement
providerorlandown erandyoususpectyou
haveseentheseants,pleaseSUBM ITASAMPLEFOR IDENTIFI -
CATION bytheCenterforUrban andStruc tural Entomol ogy.Visit
http://UrbanEntomology.tamu.e duforan“IdentificationRequest
Form ”andinstructionsonsubmi ttingantsforidentification.The
processthroughthecenterisfree,requiringonlypostagefromyou.
Untilbettercontrolmethodsaredeveloped,youcanhelpcontrol
Rasberrycrazy antsbyidentifyingcoloniesanddiscouraging the
antsfromnestingonyour property.
Rasberrycrazyants:
•Areabout1/8-inchlongandreddish-br ownincolor,notblack.
•Aresocialinsects thatliveinlargecoloniesconta ining many
queenants,workerantsandbroodconsistingoflarvaland
pupalstages.Colonysizecanbeinthemillions, infesting
entiresubdivisions,industrialsites,agriculturaloperations,
parksandwildlifehabitats.
•Donotconstructhillsormoundslikefireants,anddonot
emergetothesurfacefromundergroundneststhroughcentral
openings.Instead,coloniescanbefound under orwithinalmost
anyobjectorvoid,includingpilesofdebris,stumps,fallenlogs,
leaflitter,soil,concrete,rocksorpottedplants.
•Primarilyformnestsoutdoors,butcanroamindoorsfrom
outdoornests.
•Formlooseforagingtrailsaswellasforagerandomly
(non-trailing)andcrawlrapidlyanderratically(hence
thedescription“crazy”ant).
•Eatalmostanyacceptablefooditem.Workerantscommonly
“tend”suckinghemipterousinsects suchasaphids,scaleinsects,
whiteflies,mealybugs,andothersthatexcreteasugaryliquid
called“honeydew.”Workercrazyantsarealsoattractedto
nectar-richpartsofplants, damagedandoverr ipefruit,
hummingbirdfeedersandwillconsumeotherinsects and
smallvertebratesforprotein.
•Arehard tospotduringcoolerwintermonths.Inspring,foraging
activitybeginsandcoloniesgrow, produc ingmillionsofwork ers
thatincreasedramati callybymid-summer (July-Augus t).Ant
numbersremainhighthrough fall(October-Nove mber).
ThebestwaytopreventaRasberrycrazyantinfestationistobe
“ant-aware.”
•Reportsuspiciousantproblems,andhavetheantsidentified
byaspecialist.
•Avoidbringingant-infestedarticlesontoyourproperty.
Carefullyinspectnewplantmaterials,mulchorsoilbrought
ontoyourproperty.
•IfRasberrycrazyantsaredetected,practicegood sanitization
techniquesbyremovingpotentialnestingsites,suchaspilesof
debris(mulch,woodetc.)fromaroundbuildings,orstacksof
debrisfromtheproperty,takingcarenottospreadtheantsin
theprocess.
Manyofthetypicalcontroltactics
thatworkforotherantsdonot
provideadequatecontrolofthe
Rasberrycrazyant.Theworkerants
arenotattractedtomostbaitprod-
uctsusedforfireantsandotherants.
Becausecoloniespredominantlynest
outdoors,indoortreatmentsarenot
effectiveincontrollingantsthat
ventureinsidestructures.
However,therearetreatments
availablethatoffertemporary“buffer
zones”aroundhomesandotherstruc-
turesinurbanareas.Theseproducts
mustbeappliedbyalicensedapplica-
toronlyandarenotreadilyavailable
totheconsumer.Therearecurrentlynolicensedoreffectiv e
treatmentsthatcanbeusedaroundlivestockorwildlifehabitats.
IfyoususpectyourhouseorpropertyisinfestedwithRasberry
crazyants,callaprofessionalpest-controlprovider.Theseexperi-
enced ,licensedprofessionalscanofferthemostcurrent,successful
alternativesthatareunavailabletoconsumers.Aftertreatment,
orwhenmakingmultipleapplicationsovertime,pilesofdead
antsmustbesweptormovedoutoftheareainordertotreatthe
surface(s)underneath,beingcarefulnottosweep orblowawaya
treatedsurfacesuchassoil.
Accumulations in
electrical equipment
cause short circuits
andequipment failure.
TOMRASBERRY
SANFORDPORTER
SANFORDPORTER