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Tom Rasberry and his Crazy Ants  (Source: AP)
Crazy raspberry ants stack their dead to avoid pesticides on surfaces

There are many things that can harm electric devices like computers. From water to power surges to toddlers, computers are apt to be damaged by many different things. Some Houston, Texas residents are finding that a new danger is looking to harm their computers and electronics: ants.

A new species of ant has arrived in Houston and is believed to have come to Texas via a cargo ship that arrived at the Port of Houston. The ants are called crazy rasberry ants. The ants get the odd name from the fact that they tend to move erratically around in search of food rather than moving in orderly lines like typical ants.

The rasberry portion of the name comes from the exterminator who first battled the new species in Houston. The ants appear to be immune to the common over the counter ant sprays that Texas residents rely on to keep ants at bay during the hot and humid summer months.

There is one upside to the new species of ant— they eat fire ants. Fire ants are a huge problem and one of the most common pests in Texas with a vicious sting that leaves welts and burns like fire -- hence the name.

The crazy rasberry ant will also bite humans, but it doesn’t do so with a stinger. The new ants are about the size of fleas. So far reports have come in that the ants have invaded computers causing them to stop working and caused fire alarms to malfunction.

These ants aren’t the only ant species known to invade electrical devices. Every hot and humid Texas summer, homeowners often end up at their air conditioning unit with a water hose trying to wash the fire ants out that have taken up residence and stopped the AC unit from functioning.

The problem with eradicating the crazy rasberry ants is that each colony has multiple queens that must be killed to wipe out the colony. A&M doctoral student Jason Meyers says, “The population built up so high that typical ant controls simply did no good.” Exterminators are trying to get the EPA to allow the use of stronger pesticides to combat the ant problem.

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I found it funny
By archcommus on 5/15/2008 10:57:31 AM , Rating: 4
I found it funny that you italicized crazy raspberry ants every time you used it.

A little more explanation about why they go after electronics would be nice.




RE: I found it funny
By arazok on 5/15/2008 11:33:13 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
A little more explanation about why they go after electronics would be nice.


Um, because they're crazy?


RE: I found it funny
By crimson117 on 5/15/2008 11:45:23 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
quote:
A little more explanation about why they go after electronics would be nice.

Um, because they're crazy?

Um, because electronics are delicious?


RE: I found it funny
By kzrssk on 5/15/2008 11:47:00 AM , Rating: 5
I know everyone here loves the smell of new electronics fresh out of the plastic.


RE: I found it funny
By arazok on 5/15/2008 1:17:41 PM , Rating: 5
I'm chewing on a circuit board right now.


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/15/2008 1:31:26 PM , Rating: 2
I'm still trying to figure out how to get the packaging open on my ram sticks. They look so delicious, and with the cost of DDR2 so low right now I'm considering buying 8 gigs!


RE: I found it funny
By Xajel on 5/16/2008 3:24:52 AM , Rating: 2
well, we enthusiast go after electronics and computer too, does this mean we are crazy too :D


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/16/2008 6:42:36 AM , Rating: 2
They just need to get some RAID...mirroring.


RE: I found it funny
By FITCamaro on 5/15/2008 11:59:55 AM , Rating: 2
Scientists don't know why. A few other ant species also seem to like electronics.


RE: I found it funny
By JustTom on 5/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: I found it funny
By FITCamaro on 5/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: I found it funny
By Reclaimer77 on 5/15/2008 2:21:43 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Scientists don't know why. A few other ant species also seem to like electronics.


Yup. I used to repair outside air conditioning units. Every so often I would get a call from someone saying their condenser unit wouldn't run. And sure enough it was because ants had gotten inside the low voltage contact and then got smashed when the unit was energized. This lead to the contacter not being able to energize the high voltage relay because the ants were insulating the charge.

I think the most simple explanation is probably correct. Ants are attracted to the heat electronics dissipate. Especially in ideal locations like closed A/C units and sealed computers.


RE: I found it funny
By Omega215D on 5/15/2008 4:22:16 PM , Rating: 2
It seems pretty good that they eat fire ants though who also tend to flood the insides of objects.


RE: I found it funny
By Adonlude on 5/15/2008 5:20:01 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Scientists don't know why. A few other ant species also seem to like electronics.


It's probably all the food crumbs stuck in the keyboards.


RE: I found it funny
By eye smite on 5/15/2008 10:02:37 PM , Rating: 2
Gasoline or rubbing alcohol kills any insects I've run across.


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/16/2008 6:40:19 AM , Rating: 3
So does stomping on them. But then, I was never shrunk by my dad like in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" nor did I ever face off with "The Fly" from the "hit" "The Fly" (Orig. 1958, remade in 1986).


RE: I found it funny
By Quiescent on 5/16/08, Rating: -1
RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/16/08, Rating: -1
RE: I found it funny
By PuterPro on 5/17/2008 2:29:26 PM , Rating: 2
ARE YOU CRAZY??!!

WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU SUGGESTING SUCH A STUPID THING AS MIXING BLEACH AND DRAINO ??!

That will produce DEADLY Chlorine gas , you IDIOT!

Just because YOU know that and consider it to be an example of "High Stupidity", not everyone is aware of the danger and someone who doesn't know just might try it from your suggestion! This is the INTERNET you fool, millions of people could read your comment, at least some of them do NOT know the danger and could be sickened or even KILLED! Whoever monitors this board is asleep at the switch, and should have stricken your comment!


RE: I found it funny
By EricMartello on 5/17/2008 9:13:56 PM , Rating: 3
Puter, let natural selection run its course. If anyone here is actually dumb enough to mix liquid drain opener with bleach, and as a result sustains injuries and/or death as a result of inhaling toxic fumes, it is for the better of the human race.


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/18/2008 12:34:59 PM , Rating: 2
Agreed. If you couldn't tell that my post was warranted sarcasm, or if you fail to do research before mixing chemicals, then it is your own fault. These "deadly chemicals" you speak of are not instantaneously deadly. They are VERY noxious and you will probably go fleeing out of your house and spend the night elsewhere. It isn't like you're going to suddenly die.

Furthermore, if you attempt to suck gasoline out a broken down car using a shop vac because you saw it suggested online then common sense has eluded you and we're probably better off as a species if you don't produce offspring.

Yes, I thought I was being funny.


RE: I found it funny
By theapparition on 5/16/2008 10:54:36 AM , Rating: 2
Theories range from generation of heat to ozone or other emissions. Short version as FIT said, they don't know.


RE: I found it funny
By EricMartello on 5/17/2008 9:11:46 PM , Rating: 2
Apparently some electronics have bugs they need to work out before coming to market.


RE: I found it funny
By JustTom on 5/15/2008 12:01:45 PM , Rating: 3
It is unknown why they go after electronics. It is in the source article. I always read any source linked in Jason's articles just to see how much he lifts directly out. I have weird hobbies and too much time.


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/15/2008 1:29:16 PM , Rating: 2
Perhaps the ants were sent here by China in an attempt to thwart us in our ever escalating cyber-war.


RE: I found it funny
By Ringold on 5/15/2008 2:54:01 PM , Rating: 3
That's probably just paranoia, but, stranger things have been done.

I for one propose we immediately retaliate by deploying Britney Spears, and her entire brood/family, to Beijing. They also breed rapidly, but instead cause chaos on the roads with DUI's. For a developing country, targeting infrastructure and morality early on seems like a good move to me!


RE: I found it funny
By FITCamaro on 5/15/2008 5:12:28 PM , Rating: 2
China would just execute her.......why am I arguing against her going......


RE: I found it funny
By JonnyDough on 5/16/2008 6:33:43 AM , Rating: 2
Can we send EA, Bush, and the RIAA there too? Not that I want EA and the RIAA executed...

Yes, I threw Bush in there. I did. I surely did. You saw that?


Shameless
By isorfir on 5/15/2008 11:02:38 AM , Rating: 5
Looks like they've got some bugs to work out.




RE: Shameless
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 5/15/2008 11:03:30 AM , Rating: 5
**Throws rotten fruit on stage**


RE: Shameless
By PitViper007 on 5/15/2008 11:06:22 AM , Rating: 5
That's just bad.


RE: Shameless
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 5/15/2008 11:12:09 AM , Rating: 2
Yea, that's bad. *throws eggs*


RE: Shameless
By MrBlastman on 5/15/2008 11:15:39 AM , Rating: 3
har har har! *slaps knee*

actually I got a chuckly out of that.

Being "rasberry ants," I wonder if they are a little tart to the taste when you eat them rather than the mild, crunchy but off-bitter taste a regular picante ant gives you?

Daily Tech needs to know!


RE: Shameless
By gradoman on 5/15/2008 11:32:07 AM , Rating: 2
So you have had a taste of red ants. I had about a table spoon of 'em once and I concur -- bitter and crunchy!


RE: Shameless
By MrBlastman on 5/15/2008 12:38:15 PM , Rating: 2
You know, I bet they'd go well with Chocolate... You can have plain chocolate covered ants, or, as everyone knows raspberries and chocolate are divine, "chocolate covered rasberry ants."

Put them in some ice cream as sprinkles and it definately could be heavenly. Perhaps as a sundae with hot fudge drizzled on top and some hot beetle-brownies underneath.


RE: Shameless
By kzrssk on 5/15/2008 11:46:04 AM , Rating: 3
Haha, I love bad jokes. If you weren't already a 5, I'd bump you.


RE: Shameless
By therealnickdanger on 5/15/2008 11:47:40 AM , Rating: 2
FTW


RE: Shameless
By AstroCreep on 5/15/2008 11:57:46 AM , Rating: 1
Wokka-wokka!

[rimshot]


RE: Shameless
By TSS on 5/15/2008 12:01:43 PM , Rating: 2
Psh,

I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords.


RE: Shameless
By MavisPuford on 5/15/2008 4:05:49 PM , Rating: 5
OMG They better guard their Texas instruments!!!!!


RE: Shameless
By nugundam93 on 5/15/2008 4:07:46 PM , Rating: 2
somebody give the man a 6! :)


RE: Shameless
By Scrogneugneu on 5/15/2008 7:57:36 PM , Rating: 2
You do know that the fact computer glitches are called bugs is related to an old story, where a glitch happened and the cause was found to be a dead bug somewhere inside the (then huge) computer?


RE: Shameless
By SlyNine on 5/16/2008 1:03:24 AM , Rating: 2
It was a moth, but dammit I cannot remember the computer.


RE: Shameless
By Devo2007 on 5/22/2008 7:06:00 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, and this happened to be a million dollar question on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" once. :)

(At least it was one of the higher amounts -- but I do think it was the final question).


Does this remind anyone else...
By JasonMick (blog) on 5/15/2008 11:17:36 AM , Rating: 2
Of Simant???

Remember how if you got enough numbers you could invade the house and chew up the carpet and kill the spiders.

That game was great, it really provided hours of entertainment, I wish I still had a copy.

The best was when you drove the humans so crazy, their sign on the big map said "for sale any price"! Priceless =D




RE: Does this remind anyone else...
By gradoman on 5/15/2008 11:35:54 AM , Rating: 2
Did a quick Google search since your post got me interested in the game.

http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/250/SimAnt+-+The...

Too bad I'm on a G4.


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 5/15/2008 11:47:14 AM , Rating: 2
Heh, I was rather impressed with the game back in the day.


RE: Does this remind anyone else...
By CU on 5/15/2008 12:23:25 PM , Rating: 2
Would love for a sequel to be made with better graphics. It was loads of fun.


By tastyratz on 5/15/2008 4:09:45 PM , Rating: 2
I agree
that game was a ball, Id kill to see a modern incarnation of it.
in some ways simpler times made for better game play.


ugh
By nekobawt on 5/15/2008 11:53:05 AM , Rating: 2
Jeez, that picture gives me the flippin' willies. Yeah, that's right. "Flippin'."

Also, are they "rasberry ants" or "raspberry ants"?




RE: ugh
By JustTom on 5/15/2008 12:03:40 PM , Rating: 2
They're Rasberry, named after an exterminator Tom Rasberry.


RE: ugh
By Generic Guy on 5/15/2008 12:26:06 PM , Rating: 2
In the tropics, this same species is known simply as Crazy Caribbean ants. That's where they're believed to have originally come from. The article mentions over-the-counter sprays are ineffective on them. They're also fairly immune to typical ant baits and traps as well.

And for some reason they like to eat through the plastic insulation on wiring, and things like the rubber 'springs' inside they keys on your keyboard.


RE: ugh
By JonnyDough on 5/15/2008 1:35:16 PM , Rating: 1
So what you're saying is that it's not the Chinese sending us computer eating ants, it's Cuba? I knew the embargo would come back and bite us but I guess I just expected fire ants in my pants. I mean, who knew the Castro clan would get revenge in the form of Crazy Caribbean ants in our computers?


New Hardware!
By cherrycoke on 5/15/2008 11:26:12 AM , Rating: 2
Here comes the Orkin 8000 PCI-Express!




RE: New Hardware!
By cherrycoke on 5/15/2008 11:33:40 AM , Rating: 3
Or maybe people will start putting sand in their case windows.


It's the Red Commies I tell ya
By mikefarinha on 5/15/2008 12:13:44 PM , Rating: 2
This reeks of a subtle Red Commie attack to plunge America back into the dark ages by having this bio-plague devourer our IT infrastructure!

We must fight back!




RE: It's the Red Commies I tell ya
By neo64 on 5/15/2008 12:22:58 PM , Rating: 2
i can already Die Hard 4.5 - terrorists taking down nation's computer infrastructure by disseminating malicious 'ants'


By OxBow on 5/15/2008 1:43:55 PM , Rating: 4
The article states they eat fire ants, YAY, then it say's they also bite people, BOOH, but not with the toxicity of fire ants,YAY!, but they also attack electronics, BOOH!

I hate fire ants and anything that eats them is welcome news in my book. Then again, if they also eat my TV, radio, computer, breaker box, etc. then that's not so good.




The solution is obvious
By peldor on 5/15/2008 11:41:10 AM , Rating: 2
Madcap fruity anteaters




I have no worries
By Joz on 5/15/2008 12:40:57 PM , Rating: 2
Here in minnesota, the cold will stop them.

Only them damn big gray ants the tiny little black ants and those strange orange garden ants can survive, we shall not fall to these computer invaders!!!!!!(one+shift)!

stupit tecksans.




By aerospaced on 5/15/2008 12:51:46 PM , Rating: 2
Life Cycle
Little is known of the P. pubens life cycle. During a cold winter morning in West Palm Beach, Florida,
one de-alate queen and several winged males were observed in a soil nest under a log,
but the entire colony was not examined. In P. longicornis (Latreille), a related species,
a single colony may have eight to 40 queens (anon. ag.arizona.edu). It is assumed from observations
at West Palm Beach that colonies have several hundred thousand individuals and appear to be polydomous
(nesting in several locations) and polygamous (multiple queens)

Foraging and Feeding
Trails were not observed on a cold morning (approximately 48ºF), but as the temperature increased
(60°F), ants foraged from nest sites. Although thick trails were seen along sidewalks, trees, shrubs,
and structures, no feeding activity was observed. It is assumed that as other Paratrechina species,
P. pubens will scavenge for food, feed on dead insects, and tend honeydew producers. Sweet liquid ant
bait was fed upon when placed directly on an active trail, but recruitment to the bait was not observed.

Authors: John Warner and Rudolph H. Scheffrahn, University of Florida.




homer ant
By cmontyburns on 5/15/2008 12:54:16 PM , Rating: 2
homer ant: mmmmmm... sweet-mother-of...elastomer compound...ohhhhh... (drooling)

remember that episode when the enterprise (1701-d) had problems with "junior" sucking all the power, and jordi had to "make the milk sour"?

sometime in the 80's from where i was in asia, we had problem with household pests literally eating the propane hose. it looked like somebody getting his guts bit-off by a shark and exclaims "so thats how my spleen looks like!"(read with australian accent).
then they started replacing them with hoses that supposedly have a bitter taste.(they probably tested them on employees that looked/acted like pests). lo and behold- them 'lil critters were gone in a hurry.
result:
youre walking at fry's or best buy and looked at your favorite computer or appliance with a sticker that says: "100% tested on animals"
[vista capable... anyone?]




By Reclaimer77 on 5/15/2008 2:07:08 PM , Rating: 2
They said I was crazy to keep barrels of DDT in my house ! Well look who's laughing now suckers !! HAHAHAHAHAH !!!

HHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!

HA !




By Balgarath on 5/15/2008 2:27:04 PM , Rating: 2
I have lived in Zambia, Africa for 6 years now and those look very much like the little brown ants that like to invade our house. Nasty little pinches that are very annoying and slightly painful. I unfortunately can't identify the ones he has or the ones in my house, but they do look similar...




Time to underclock
By jmunjr on 5/15/2008 2:32:51 PM , Rating: 2
I live here in Houston. Looks like heat and silence aren't the only reasons to under-clock your computer these days...




Ants attacking electronics...
By Some1ne on 5/15/2008 5:29:38 PM , Rating: 2
They've discovered our weakness. We're all screwed!




fight fire with ... raspberries?
By lucyfek on 5/15/2008 6:58:05 PM , Rating: 2
any ant that fights fire ants is a good ant
PCs - colateral damage




Norton
By jvillaro on 5/15/2008 9:29:50 PM , Rating: 2
You gotta know those guys are going to try to punk somebody and them sell Norton AntiAnt 360 or something...




By mindless1 on 5/16/2008 1:10:19 AM , Rating: 2
we ought to think about ways to wipe these out as they don't belong here and seem to only have the benefit of eating fire ants which are not as large a (potential) problem. I've visited near houston many times and yes there are some ants but not behaving like this and also resistant to typical pest control. That they're also fouling up a computer or two may be a minor detail in the larger picture as they seem to be spreading rather quickly though I don't know when that supposed carrier cargo ship came.




Combatting Pests with Nano Tech
By JonnyDough on 5/16/2008 6:53:54 AM , Rating: 2
Problem? Pish! All we have to do is whip up some nanoants to specifically "target" the ants with ANTigens.

If that doesn't work we'll draft up a bill that will allow us to use our miniature bunker buster bombs with ant-seeking computerized navigation systems to take back the tiny underground tunnels that are rightfully ours!

Dear Ants,

All your anthills are belong to us.




Dont termites kill ants??
By Maximilian on 5/16/2008 8:35:38 AM , Rating: 2
Cant they just get some termites in to kill them all? Like in that one movie about ants where they attacked termites and all died.




Bad Trade
By Quiescent on 5/16/2008 9:22:08 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
There is one upside to the new species of ant— they eat fire ants. Fire ants are a huge problem and one of the most common pests in Texas with a vicious sting that leaves welts and burns like fire -- hence the name.


So... You can use these to kill fire ants, but you can't kill them, and they can kill your electronics? I think this is the worse good thing ever said for something. It's not an advantage if you can't kill them, and they can kill your electronics.

I figured that hey, I wouldn't move to Texas because of the fire ants, but now that's just another reason why I wouldn't want to move to Texas. Good luck, Texans.




When science goes bad.
By JonnyDough on 5/18/2008 12:51:11 PM , Rating: 2
I live in Southwest Michigan. Those little black flies that get their abdomens stuck together are here from Florida already. I flicked a pair of them off my leg yesterday, and it's only May. I think it's been about 5 years since they accidentally released them in Florida. They originally designed them to eat mosquito larvae I believe, but weren't ready to be released or something. I guess they were never tested. They don't eat mosquito larvae, and are now a worse pest than mosquitoes. They are commonly termed "Love Bugs" and are derived off an already existing fly, naturally.

It looks like I'll be storing the sports car that I want to buy someday in a museum instead (figure in rising gas prices and it's almost a sure bet). I'd hate to ruin the paint job.

What we need are some Crazy Flying Raspberry Ants that will eat these "love bugs." What's crazier than eating two bugs in love?




great commercial move
By duthoy on 5/22/2008 5:59:20 AM , Rating: 2
this is probably the best commercial move you can do as a exterminator; name the ants after you or you business!!

raspberry to the rescue




Raspberry, not Rasberry
By crimson117 on 5/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: Raspberry, not Rasberry
By puffpio on 5/15/2008 12:22:56 PM , Rating: 2
you = dumb :P

it's not named after the fruit


RE: Raspberry, not Rasberry
By BansheeX on 5/15/2008 1:11:43 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, they're named after some exterminator that tried to kill them. Tom Rasberry.


RE: Raspberry, not Rasberry
By jtemplin on 5/16/2008 12:02:58 PM , Rating: 1
Family guy anyone? I couldn't help myself =D

EXTERMINATOR 1
We got a 602 a 31 Spooner Street!

[Guns cock]

EXTERMINATOR 2
Logan let's go!

LOGAN
I can't, I just can't

EXTERMINATOR 1
What's with you Logan, you look like hell!

EXTERMINATOR 2
Fhlarity, he just watched his wife and kid get carried away by 7 million fire ants! I don't want to meet the man who looks good after that!

[The exterminators drive to the house. Kicks in door.]

EXTERMINATOR 1
My god! They’re everywhere!

[Guns Fire, Everything breaks]
[Grenade pin is pulled and thrown, explosion]

EXTERMINATOR
They're in the carpet!

EXTERMINATOR 3
Got one over here!

EXTERMINATOR 1
It’s no good there's too many of them!

[Guns are thrown at the fleas.]

EXTERMINATOR 2
What do we do now?, What the Hell do we do now!

EXTERMINATOR 1
We pray.

[A shot is fired]

EXTERMINATOR 2
Logan! You son of a bitch!

LOGAN
You think I'd miss this party?


RE: Raspberry, not Rasberry
By mallums on 5/15/2008 2:07:48 PM , Rating: 1
Yes, 'Rasberry' (without the 'p') is a not-too-common, but real name. There is a woman named Kelly Rasberry who is on Kidd Kraddock's syndicated morning radio show.


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