Crazy Ants
Paratrechina Longicornis
Crazy ants are one of the most common pests in South Florida after the sugar and bigheaded ants. Workers are monomorphic and about 1/10” long. They are dark brown to black in color. Colonies are relatively small, with about 2000 workers. Most new colonies are created by budding rather than by swarms.
Crazy ants are omnivores, they feed on sugars from honeydew producing insects (aphids, mealybugs, and scales), or dead and live insects for protein sources. Workers forage up to 100 feet or more from their nest. They usually form large colonies outdoors in dry or moist locations such as trash, mulch, rotten wood, and under thick vegetation. Indoors, they nest in wall voids, in potted plants, and under carpeting.
Two key characteristics set this ant species apart from other species in South Florida. Their legs and antennae are very long in proportion to the other parts of their body. Crazy ants are slender and fast moving, exhibiting an erratic, jerky movement.