Intro: | Some Houston area residents say they'd rather have fire ants back instead of the infestations of a new ant that is displacing them. Bill McLean reports. |
McLean: | The Crazy Rasberry Ant is called crazy because of what they look like when they swarm, which they do a lot, and in HUGE numbers according to Texas A&M entomologists. Dr. Bart Drees says the most remarkable thing about Crazy Rasberry ants is how prolific they are. |
Drees: | :17 - The main problem with this ant is that there are so many of them where they exist, and they're running off all other ant species including imported fire ants and, of course, the people living in these areas almost want the fire ant back because they're a lot less numerous. |
McLean: | Dr. Drees says crazy ants, like fire ants, are for some reason attracted to electrical equipment. But Harris and 10 surrounding counties have teeming pockets of infestation so thick they actually clog up generators and air conditioners causing shorts that could disable security systems and computers. And, experts say, grabbing the nearest can of bug spray isn't likely to do much good. |
Drees: | :15 - The problem here is that the ants are so numerous and involve entire neighborhoods so you actually end up spending a great deal of money, and the control is ineffective because whatever you treat becomes reinfested in a very short period of time. |
McLean: | Drees says professional exterminators can obtain pesticides that are known to be more effective than consumer products. He says people have inadvertently spread the crazy ants in the 11-county area in potted plants and other materials. More information is available on the Texas A&M urban entomology Web site. |
McLean: | In Austin, I'm Bill McLean. |
McLean: | Additional actuality, Dr. Drees says the sheer numbers of ants qualifies as an invasion. Audio is 13 seconds, coming in 3-2-1. |
Drees: | :13 - This particular ant is invading parts of Houston and 11 other Texas coastal counties currently, and where they exist, their colonies produce situations with just wall-to-wall ants. |
McLean: | Additional actuality, Drees says humans have helped spread the crazy ant, perhaps without knowing it. Audio is 12 seconds, coming in 3-2-1. |
Drees: | :12 - If you happen to move any object that contains a queen and some worker ants and some brood to a new location, you have just managed to start another pocket of infestation. |
McLean: | Additional actuality, Drees says he and his colleagues invite people to the crazy ant Web site at Urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ant/exotic-texas.cfm (Note: A search on "Texas A&M Urban Entomology" will also work.) Audio runs 10 seconds, coming in 3-2-1. |
Drees: | :10 - We have an identification form posted so if people suspect they may have them, they can learn how to collect a sample and send it to us for proper identification. |
