Caribbean Crazy Ants

 Over the last few years reports have escalated of a golden-brown to reddish-brown "crazy ant" infesting properties in and around West Palm Beach, Florida. Thick foraging trails with thousands of ants occur along sidewalks, around buildings, and on trees and shrubs. Pest control operators using liquid and/or granular broad-range insecticides appear unable to control this nuisance ant.

  Paratrechina pubens is part of a group of ants referred to as "crazy ants" due to their quick and erratic movements. The Caribbean crazy ant is a medium-small (2.6-3 mm long), monomorphic, golden-brown to reddish-brown ant. The body surface is smooth and glossy, and covered with dense pubescence (hairs). After feeding, the ant's gaster (rear portion of the abdomen) will appear to be striped due to stretching of the light-colored membrane connecting segments of the gaster. Antennae have 12 segments with no club. The antennal scape is nearly twice the width of the head. This ant has one petiolar segment and does not sting.

  Ants were observed emerging from soffits, between railroad ties used in landscaping, under wooden debris, underground electrical conduits, and cracks in cement. They will probably nest in numerous locations.

  In the last few years, most of the reports of P. pubens infestations have come from pest control operators in and around the southeast Florida "Treasure Coast" from West Palm Beach north to Port St. Lucie, where trails consisting of thousands of ants have been observed along sidewalks, buildings, and gardens, causing property owners to complain. Sprays and granular applications of residual insecticides seemingly have had little or no effect in controlling this non-biting nuisance ant.

  Until research is done on management techniques, we recommend the use of contact residual insecticides sprayed along active trails and nest sites to reduce ant populations, followed a few days later by sweet ant baits placed at numerous locations along trails and frequently replaced with fresh bait. Always follow label directions.