With another blistering summer firing up and an in-place population of any number of unpleasant bugs and critters, life in Houston may be getting just a little more unpleasant as we find ourselves being invaded by a species of ant that seems to be impervious to pesticides and has an appetite for electronics.

Exotic Texas Ant, Paratrechina also known as the Crazy Ant or the “Raspberry Ant” (named for Tom Rasberry who discovered them) stands to make his mark our humble little town.

Mentioned at Engaget this horrifying little creature has captured the limelight and is making headlines all over the web.

They have been known to short out many different types of electrical apparatuses. In some cases the ants have caused several thousand dollars in damage and remedial costs. These ants often cause great annoyance to residents and businesses.

For now they seem to be mostly in the South and the East…near the chemical plants oddly enough.

(queue 50’s sci-fi music).


I’ve already had one support call where the user jokingly suggested the problem with our Blackberry Enterprise Server might be a result of Crazy Ant infestation…har har…Rasberry, Blackberry, get it? Ugh!

On the plus side, these “Crazy” Ants seem to eat Fire Ants so they could be a boon to our area.

Now playing – Cheepnis by Frank Zappa

Ladies and gentlemen,
The monster,
Which the peasants in this area call FRUNOBULAX
(Apparently a very large poodle dog)
Has just been seen approaching The Power Plant
Bullets can’t stop it
Rockets can’t stop it
We may have to use NUCLEAR FORCE !

I For One Welcome Our New Ant Overlords
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5 thoughts on “I For One Welcome Our New Ant Overlords

  • May 15, 2008 at 8:33 am
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    We’ve had an ant problem in our house this year worse than I’ve ever seen. It’s not fire ants, and it’s not those little black sugar ants that get into food. They’re the stupidest, strangest ants I’ve ever seen. They don’t bite, and they don’t get in our food (although, they seem to LOVE our cat’s Rx kibble). They just march all over the damn house. I’ve sprayed Ortho Home Defense Max all over the place — they just do cannonballs into puddles of it and laugh at me. I’ve spread broadcast insecticide pellets all over the yard — no joy. I’m about ready to call Terminix or something.

  • May 15, 2008 at 8:40 am
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    Working on residential water wells in Galveston County, I’d see these ants often. The would build nests around the capacitors and connections of the electric pumps, shorting them out. We found treating the area with good ol’ Sevin Dust worked, but I doubt you’d want to sprinkle it on a Blackberry device.

  • May 15, 2008 at 8:49 am
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    On the one hand: anything that considers fire ants a tasty treat is potentially my friend.

    On the other hand: anything that considers my computers, game consoles, and other various electronics a tasty treat must be killed with fire.

  • May 15, 2008 at 9:12 am
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    Just take them into space and smash their home, giving them horrible, horrible freedom.

  • May 29, 2008 at 12:04 pm
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    just call the guy that discovered these guys! He knows how to get rid of them! 281-deadbug/tom rasberry

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