Crazy Ants....Seriously...Anyone seen them yet ?

[brin]

This worries me....Imagine if this is true..Have any of you seen these yet....I'm in mid. GA. and I have not seen them yet..they seem to like to eat electrical wire...great ! think of our tractors..etc.

When you talk to folks who live in the invaded areas, they tell you they want their fire ants back," said Edward LeBrun, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, in a statement from the school. "Fire ants are in many ways very polite. They live in your yard. They form mounds and stay there, and they only interact with you if you step on their mound."

'Folks who live in invaded areas, they want their fire ants back.'

- Edward LeBrun, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin

Crazy ants, on the other hand, "go everywhere," invading homes and nesting in walls and crawlspaces, even damaging electrical equipment by swarming inside appliances. [Image Gallery: Ants of the World]


'Crazy' ants driving out fire ants in southeast | Fox News

 

[Western]

Bob, I haven't seen them either (I dont think). I believe they only like to get into "charged" electric components. Fire ants also seem to be attracted to electricity, I had them burn up an AC compressor once, and the AC guy said it is quite common.

 

[brin]

Bob, I haven't seen them either (I dont think). I believe they only like to get into "charged" electric components. Fire ants also seem to be attracted to electricity, I had them burn up an AC compressor once, and the AC guy said it is quite common.

Dennis, I had the same thing happen with my AC....my guy just came to do the summer service and told me to put fire ant poison down around the units...he saw some dead ones around the electric components...He told me to turn both outside units off and drop some poison granules ( we use Amdro ) right down through the screen on top of each unit...he said all the components inside the unit are sealed so it would be OK as long as they are not running... These new ants sound worse ...I hope they stay away...

 

[Western]

I never thought of putting it inside, I do keep it around the unit to the point of overkill. I may treat the inside next time I have to apply it.

If it wasn't for the fact that they new ant likes to get into the house and walls, I'm not so sure I'd take the fireant over them, but I haven't had to deal with the crazy ants yet.

 

[dmccarty]

I just read this story on a UK tech site. The fire ants just arrived up here. We don't need no more special ants from way down south. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

I've been lucky so far, in that I've not had fire ants damage electrical equipment, but from what friends and relatives have had happen, apparently it's common. But I sure had lots of fire ants down in Navarro County. I used to broadcast Logic Fire Ant bait in the 3 acres or so around the house about twice a year, but even so, we'd have new mounds pop up after every rain and I'd pour a liquid poison on each mound.

 

[creekbend]

I hadn't even heard of these "Crazy Ants" until you started this thread. Thanks for posting. I had plenty of Fire Ants in Florida.

 

[tallyho8]

I have seen the crazy ants here in south Louisiana. So far I've had only a few isolated sightings and I'm hoping they don't get a foothold if they are as bad as stated. I have hundreds of fire ant mounds on my property and hopefully, they are keeping the crazy ants in check.

The crazy ants are much larger than the fire ants and much, much faster. I would describe them as similar to a chicken running around after its head has been cut off. :confused2: