Prevention and Control

Control of the tawny crazy ant is similar to other ants, but large areas must be treated. Traditional pyrethroid insecticides, however, last only a week or two. We are currently looking at other chemistries that may be effective on tawny crazy ants. Baits tend to be more effective early spring when numbers are low and have worked at times, but due to the large number of workers, a large amount of bait is needed. Baits are usually protein, lipid or sugar based. But, tawny crazy ants tend to bait switch, so a sweet bait that works today might not be the preferred bait tomorrow.

Many of the typical single control tactics for other ants do not provide adequate control of the tawny crazy ant. Because colonies predominantly nest outdoors, reliance on indoor treatments to control these ants foraging inside structures is not effective. Effective crazy ant management is a 4-tiered Integrated Pest Management approach that involves landscape modification, elimination of food sources and landscape treatment, and lastly, if necessary, barrier treatment for structures. It should be noted that chemical applications alone are not the answer. They are part of the solution, and chemical applications by themselves will only give minimal reduction in the tawny crazy ant population. Good integrated pest management principles should be followed to obtain population reduction through habitat modification which will allow the chemical treatments to perform better.

At the foundation of any IPM strategy are cultural control methods beginning with the removal of harborage such as fallen limbs, rocks, leaf litter, and just about anything sitting on the ground that is not absolutely necessary. Cultural methods can also include altering the moisture conditions in a landscape. Crazy ants prefer humid, wet conditions so reducing the amount of irrigation, repairing leaks, and improving drainage should help. Food sources should be eliminated or managed. Specifically, honeydew producing hemipterans should be managed.

Avoid spreading this species to new locations! Anything being moved from an infested area should be inspected for ants and treated before transferring it to a new site.