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Tiny Ants Which Often Invade Homes in Large Numbers

Crazy Ant Biology and Identification

Crazy Ant Inspection

Crazy Ant Elimination

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Crazy Ant Biology and Identification
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These small, dark colored ants get their name from the habit of meandering around, not following trails as often as other ants. Instead of looking focused (following distinct trails), they often are seen wandering around countertops, floors, etc., as if they are lost. Crazy ants will either be seen in trails or acting crazy!
All workers in a crazy ant colony are the same size and all have only one node between the thorax and abdomen. When viewed with a magnifying glass or microscope, these pests are easily recognized by their long antennae (which contains 12 segments) and extremely long legs.

The crazy ant's diet will vary from grease, sweets (both those found in a home and the sweet nectar produced by aphids) and even other insects. Once a colony locates a desired food source, hundreds of workers will be seen crawling all over the food. In a very short time period, they will take all of the food, making it disappear quickly.

Crazy Ant Inspection
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Crazy ants will adapt to moist or dry environments. You will not easily spot their mounds in your lawn. These pests will nest in soil beneath landscape timbers, mulch, decorative stone, logs, firewood and debris such as abandoned construction material. They can also be found in rotting wood, holes in the trunks and limbs of trees, even in irrigation equipment.
During periods when these small ants are foraging, trails are easily observed on the sides of the home, on sidewalks, patios and driveways. As with any ant trail, the ants will be seen traveling in opposite directions. While some of the worker ants are marching towards their food source, the others are carrying food back to their nest. Those carrying food should be followed to locate the ant nest for elimination. If visible pieces of food are not seen by the returning ants, their abdomen will appear swollen from carrying liquids being carried back to the ant colony.
Inspect all potted plants; crazy ants will find harborage beneath the planters as well as in the soil of the plant. Remember that potted plants are in many places: porches, patios, window boxes, etc.. Rain gutters are another favorite nesting site of this ant.
Inspect the entire property, locating as many nests as possible. Crazy ants will travel a considerable distance when foraging, so a diligent search is very important.

While inspecting for crazy ant colonies, you should also locate as many entry points as possible. Tree limbs or other vegetation touching the structure are "bridges" for these tiny pests. They have also been observed living in small pebbles or other such materials on buildings that have a flat roof.

Inspecting indoors, simply follow the ant trails to locate the walls where they are entering the structure or where they might have an indoor nest.

Crazy Ant Elimination
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Crazy ant elimination procedures include:

Eliminate points of entry to the home.
Inspect entire property, locate all possible nesting sites inside the structure and outside.
Using a good, low toxicity professional insecticide (such as Demon EC, Cynoff EC,) drench all ant beds found outdoors (using a good sprayer such as our Chapin sprayer or a watering can) and spray a good barrier around the home. Make two trips around the structure. In the first circuit, spray any possible entry point such as around windows and doors, behind shutters, in vents or weep holes -- any tiny or large opening where insect pests might enter. On the second circuit around the home, fan spray at least 3 feet high (on the foundation and side of the building) and 10 feet out on the ground. (Both Demon Insecticides and Cynoff Insecticides contain Cypermethrin, an excellent material for pest control of many different pests in and around homes.)
If your area or neighborhood is constantly infested with Crazy Ants, spreading Talstar Granules with the appropriate granule spreader over your entire yard will give a 1 to 3 month residual for ants re-infesting from other areas. Demon and Talstar or Cynoff and Talstar can be purchased in money-saving kits. This kits are described in our Fire Ant Elimination article.
Indoors, Demon or Cynoff can be sprayed on baseboards, in lower cabinets, in closets, beneath and around heavy appliances, etc. to kill existing ants. These products will also give you a long residual for any returning or re-infesting insect pest. Always read and follow label instructions.
If Crazy Ants have established colonies in your wall voids, either baits or dusts can be used to exterminate the ants. Obviously, baits are easier to use and are preferred by many people; but crazy ants rarely respond well to baits. Try baiting with a combination of Drax, Terro and Fluorguard baits, if you must use baits. This will give the huge ant colonies a variety of food sources, even if they constantly switch from one food source to another. While baiting indoors, never use an insecticide spray or dust; this will only contaminate the bait and kill workers before than can share the food with the rest of their ant colony. Use either baits or contact insecticides, but not both!
Since crazy ants do not respond well to baits, you should use Delta Dust or Drione Dust to eliminate interior colonies. Both dusts are good, but Delta Dust is water-proof and will do a better job killing ants that are foraging near or nesting close to water lines or other damp areas. Insecticide dusts are best applied with a Crusader Duster.