Monday, March 16, 2009

New Handout on Crazy Ants

Tom Rasberry in 2004 at one of the first locations where Caribbean crazy ants were found.Depending on your perspective, the new crazy ant species discovered by Texas A&M researchers with the help of Houston PMP Tom Rasberry either has you excited about the prospect of new revenue, or shaking in your boots. Personally, I dread new exotic pests. Exotics are a lot easier to get than get rid of, and the ultimate spread and impact of this pest is still anyone's guess.

A new resource is available through the Texas AgriLife Extension public website that explains the new pest succinctly and gives consumer practical suggestions on what they should do if they suspect they have the Caribbean (aka Rasberry) crazy ants. If you have not thought about using AgriLife Extension publications in your business, now may be the time to start. Many useful publications are available online for linking to through your company's website, or for printing and distribution to customers, or potential customers.

By the way, the handout notes that at the present time the only practical recourse for dealing with these ants is professional pest control. And in case you think that this new pest is not anything to be concerned about in your part of the state, you might want to think twice. The new crazy ant species has spread to 11 counties within a few years, and there is no reason to think that it won't continue to spread, especially east and south.

And if you eventually end up with these ants in your neighborhood, you may live to rue the day when you looked forward to seeing these ants for the revenue they can generate. There's little satisfaction in a pest that's very difficult to control.

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