Crazy ants can be very annoying! Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and as you stepped into the kitchen and turned on the light, you saw an army of these crazy ants marching in your sink and dancing on the floor.
Not only will you feel appalled by the sight of this encounter, but the discomfort of maneuvering your way around them can also be nauseating and affect your sleeping experience. Knowing how to get rid of crazy ants will help you avoid unpleasant situations like these, because these days, crazy ants are gaining more confidence. Who knows, they could plan a coup one day.
Given how important this is, we’ve decided to provide you with a guide that furnishes you with the step-by-step process to follow in purging your house or car of crazy ants so that you can enjoy the beautiful everyday bliss you truly deserve.
These species of ants are very predominant in Texas, and they’re also referred to as tawny crazy ants or crazy raspberry ants. It’s quite easy to identify these ants, and some of their features that easily give them away are their erratic behavior, sporadic movements, and red body.
Compared to other regular ants, they don’t possess the traditional curb but contain 12 segments, which are about 2.2 to 3 mm long.
Another thing that distinguishes them from other species of ants is their elongated antenna and super long legs.
Crazy ants are often found nesting inside wood and underground due to their sweet tooth, like other ants. Their favorite hangout spots are buildings and areas with food sources, and their versatility always comes through for them in carrying out their ordeals.
These omnivorous ants may seem harmless but don’t be deceived; they can wreak serious havoc on distinct electrical equipment and what’s more unsettling is that they can creep into your food to take some bites with all the dirty places they’ve been through.
If you ever find your house or car infiltrated by these unpleasant crazy ants, it’s pertinent that you kick-start the process of identification, location, and treatment to free your home from their infestation.
Whether you want to know how to get rid of crazy ants in your car or how to get rid of crazy ants outside your house, particularly in your home areas like your garden, here are simple steps you can follow.
A fair description of crazy ants has already been given, but more clarity wouldn’t hurt. It’s important to be sure that you’re dealing with crazy ants before you proceed with the treatment.
And this identification ensures that your hard-earned money and time aren’t wasted because you’ll use the wrong treatment products if you misidentify. To begin with, crazy ants can be tan-colored, but they usually come in grayish black and can be dark-colored as well.
Although small, they’re not too small and are about 2.2 to 3 mm long. Long 12-segmented antennae with no club and long legs are used to identify the worker crazy ants, and you should also watch out for the coarse hairs on their body.
These ants are called “Crazy Ants” due to their erratic movement patterns. Unlike other ant species, they have more tendency to move in a zigzag fashion, even though they do pursue a foraging trail.
Once you’re done identifying to confirm that it’s crazy ants you’re dealing with, then you can now move on to inspect. For you to proceed to the next stage, which is the treatment phase, you must determine the areas in and around your home where these ants have infested.
Don’t forget that these ants are scavengers, foragers, and predators, and they’re not restricted to a particular kind of diet, so you must not overlook any area in your home. Crazy ants fancy eating sugary foods, and they gladly feed on grease, animal matter, proteins, and a few other proteins.
The primary assignment of these ants is to start looking for food, and they immediately infiltrate a building. And to locate the infestation, do well to check both indoors and outdoors.
Your kitchen is one of the most vulnerable places where these crazy little creatures will likely be lurking around, and adequate knowledge of how to get rid of crazy ants in the kitchen will come in handy to keep your kitchen hygienic and ants-free.
Plumbing areas in your home (for example, your toilet), beneath floors, and wall voids are other indoor areas that you must inspect. More so, your outdoor areas, especially under lumber, bricks, and stones, tree stumps, logs, fallen tree limbs, and rotting wood, are their regular nesting areas too. Your garden areas and your potted plants should also be inspected.
It’s one thing to know where to look, and it’s another thing to know what to look for to ensure a well-done inspection. While you’re to look for these ants themselves, you also must have your eyes open for foraging trails.
Check out hollowed-out crevices, the soil, and inside wood where they’re likely to have established their nests.
Look for the ant activity, their foraging trails, and all the crevices and cracks you find. And additionally, their random directions and erratic patterns will sell them out.
These days, a lot of people seek methods on how to get rid of crazy ants naturally or with home remedies, which will be economical and eco-friendly. Whatever option you find most pleasing, this is the phase where you execute it.
Don’t forget, safety first. Keep your protective equipment (PPE) on, and the instructions on the treatment labels should be well-read and understood.
On how to get rid of crazy ants in your home, here are three options you have:
You can get both the colonies and the trail treated at the same time with a non-repellent ant spray. These sprays are a very effective treatment option because of the insecticide they contain, and it’s easy for you to get one. If you’ve found the nest, apply it.
A dust treatment, when combined with spray insecticides, gives amazing results. Any areas of your home or car where you suspect to have been busy with activities of these ants, including the corners, gaps, holes, cracks, and crevices, are places that need the application.
Ants cannot resist a sweet taste, and this is why ant baits will always give you the results you need. These baits contain poison, and they’re often taken to the nest by the ant workers to feed others. However, ensure that you keep these baits from the reach of your children and pets. There are also best pet safe ant killers that we recently reviewed.
Prevention, they say, is better than cure. Here are a few prevention tips inside and outside of your home.
For indoor areas:
For outdoor areas:
Crazy ants create clusters of colonies nearby, and when you spot a colony, it indicates that they’ve also established other colonies close by. You can determine their colony or nest by setting bait and following the trails visually.
Yes, crazy ants are dangerous. As they go around with their constant up and about, they tend to carry germs, and they can also damage some of your household items.
Crazy ants are not pets; they’re pests. Given the risk they pose to your home, your hygiene, and your equipment at home, it’s very important that you swiftly take action to eradicate them once you notice an infestation.
One of the annoying things about crazy ants is that they have a way of appearing in places where you never expected them to be, and they can cause great inconvenience. But with the proper knowledge of how to get rid of crazy ants inside and outside your home, you can feel more relaxed knowing that your home areas are safe for you, your family, and your guests.
