'Crazy ants' that feast on electronics and are invading the U.S.CANNOT be killed with normal insecticide

Since it was first spotted in Houston in 2002, it's spread to some 21 counties in Texas, 20 counties in Florida and a few locations in Mississippi and Louisiana

The omnivorous ant attacks and kills other species as well as monopolizing food sources to the detriment of the entire ecosystem

It also attacks electrical wiring, causing millions of dollars worth of damage

A new and annoying species of ant is terrorizing the U.S. and chemicals that kill off other types of the insect are proving ineffective against it.

The 'crazy' ant, named for the erratic trail it leaves as it makes its way across the country, originated in Argentina and Brazil.



But since it was first spotted in Houston in 2002, it has spread to some 21 counties in Texas, 20 counties in Florida and a few locations in Mississippi and Louisiana.

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The biggest factor to the spread of 'crazy' ants has been transportation via humans

Courtesy: University of Texas College of Natural Sciences

University of Texas researcher and co-author of a study on the creatures Ed LeBrun said the omnivorous ants attack and kill other species as well as monopolizing food sources to the detriment of the entire ecosystem.



He said everything from cattle to songbirds are at risk of the tiny ants, despite them being at the bottom of the food chain.

According to ABC News , the chemicals that kill the more common red ant aren't effective on crazy ants so residents should call pest control if they find an infestation in their home.



And hopefully they'll get there before the critters attack their computer.



The insects, bizarrely, are attracted to electrical wiring and components and in one year alone caused $146.5 million in damages in Texas, ABC reported.



The devastation occurs when one ant discovers the transformer then gets electrocuted when it touches it, and 'waves its abdomen in the air' omitting a certain scent.



The scent lures for ants to the scene and they too are electrocuted, again sending the scent into the air to attract their friends.



Eventually, there are so many dead ants that the electric switches get stuck or the insulation fries and the system shuts down.

Terrors: University of Texas researcher Ed LeBrun said the omnivorous ant, pictured, attacks and kills other species as well as monopolising food sources to the detriment of the entire ecosystem

But LeBrun said the biggest problem of the ant's invasion is that it has completely eliminated the red ant, or fire ant. And no one knows why.



'Perhaps the biggest deal is the displacement of the fire ant,' LeBrun said, according to ABC. 'The whole ecosystem has changed around fire ants. Things that can't tolerate fire ants are gone. Many that can have flourished.



'New things have come in. Now we are going to go through and whack the fire ants and put something in its place that has a very different biology. There are going to be a lot of changes that come from that.'



The crazy ants are most commonly found in coastal areas with warmer temperatures. K nown scientifically as 'Nylanderia fulva,' they are also referred to as 'rasberry' after the exterminator Tom Rasberry who discovered them in Houston in 2002.

The 'crazy' ants do not have such a painful sting as their insect counterparts, but they are still a nuisance for homeowners.



'Crazy' ants have been identified all the way from Texas to Mississippi. Researchers believe that the ants cannot survive in regions that are dry or cold.



Unlike fire ants, crazy ants also do not spread as quickly. They can only advance approximately 200 meters per year on their own.



The biggest factor in their spread along the Southeast has been human transportation.

