Life is fast-paced. These days everyone seems to be frantically moving from one activity to another trying to accomplish tasks quickly and efficiently. Humans are not the only ones moving about at a frantic pace. Phoenix now has another inhabitant who leads a fast-paced and erratic lifestyle. The crazy ants are in town and are ready to make a nuisance of themselves.
Three Identifying Characteristics Of A Crazy Ant
Phoenix homeowners can differentiate “crazy ants” from other ant species by identifying their bodies, their habits, and their actions.
Some identifying characteristics are as follows:
1. Coloring: The Tawny (also known as the Caribbean, hairy, and Raspberry) crazy ant is a relatively new and invasive species in the Phoenix area. Adult members including the queens, males and workers are reddish-brown; it is covered with many hairs. Worker ants have long legs and antennae.
2. Habits: Crazy ants are social insects that can form extraordinarily large colonies or groups of colonies. They enjoy large shady and grassy areas that tend to retain moisture. Typical locations of colonies are under or within almost any object or void, including stumps, soil, concrete, rocks, potted plants, etc. Nests primarily occur outdoors, but worker ants will forage indoors, into homes and other structures.
3. Actions: They come by their name “crazy ants” because of their movements which are rapid and erratic. Unlike other species of ants, crazy ants form noticeably loose and random foraging trails. Their trails are often found going up and down trees and fences as they prefer to follow structural barriers to their destinations.
Problems Associated With Crazy Ants In Phoenix
While crazy ants may not bite and sting like other species of ants, they can more than make up gfor that by being a great annoyance to residents and business owners alike.
Some of the problems they cause are as follows:
- Massive colonies in a yard can cause both people and their pets to become uncomfortable while playing and relaxing.
- Wildlife, irritated by crazy ants covering the ground and trees, will often be chased away by these pests.
- If you think other insects are safe from these nuisances, think again. Even fire ants have been chased out of their nesting area by crazy ants.
- Not content with dwelling outside, sometimes crazy ants find their way into homes and businesses. Once inside, they seem to have a special preference for the electrical box. This can cause short-circuiting by clogging the switching mechanisms, which results in equipment failure. In some cases, ants have caused thousands of dollars in damage.
Coupled with all of these problems, prevention and eradication tactics used on other species of ants do not apply to crazy ants. They are a breed of their own. Because crazy ant colonies are primarily outdoors, your typical indoor treatments will not control these pests when they forage inside your home. To effectively treat a crazy ant infestation, the homeowner/business owner needs a multi-level approach. Chemical and spot treatments alone are not the answer for solving your problems.
How To Solve Your Crazy Ant Problem
Since chemical and spot treatments are inefficient to treat a crazy ant infestation, call White Knight Pest Control for professional assistance. We offer comprehensive ant control solutions to meet our customers’ pest infestation needs. White Knight Pest Control provides initial inspections and service, maintenance treatments, and a service guarantee. Trust the professionals at White Knight Pest Control to send those crazy ants packing!