The Texas AgriLife Extension Office is tracking an insect new to Central Texas – a type of ant. It doesn’t sting like the fire ant but it can cause its own set of problems.
It's called the Rasberry crazy ant.
No, it doesn't like raspberries. The breed was actually discovered by a guy whose last name is Rasberry. And the "crazy" part? Well the reddish-brown, eighth-of-an-inch long ant is a prodigious breeder. Which means a small hill can turn into a full on home invasion very quickly.
“Their reproductive capability is astronomical compared to what we’re normally dealing with. And the ant population can grow really large at certain times of the year. So we want people to keep an eye out for them, know about them and manage them properly so the populations don’t get that huge," Wizzie Brown, Program Specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Office, says.
The Texas AgriLife Extension says Rasberry crazy ants have been in the state for the last ten years – mostly contained to the Houston area. But experts discovered the ants had made their way to Travis and Williamson Counties last year.
The AgriLife Extension Office says most over-the-counter pest control products won’t kill Rasberry crazy ants. If you think you have them in your yard or home, you may want to call a professional.
