Crazy ants

What crazy ants look like

You identify crazy ants by how they move. Instead of following a tidy line, they run in fast, jerky, apparently random zigzags, changing direction constantly, which is unlike any other ant you will see indoors in Ontario. Workers are 1.5 to 3 mm long, dark brown to black, and often have a faint grey sheen from fine hairs. Their legs and antennae are noticeably long for their body size, and the first antennal segment is much longer than the head, which is a reliable feature under magnification. The waist has a single node. If you watch a group for a few seconds and see them scattering in all directions rather than forming a trail, crazy ants are the likely answer.

Signs you have crazy ants

• Erratic running. Ants darting about with no clear trail, doubling back and changing course every few centimetres.
• Ants after new plants arrive. Activity starting shortly after houseplants, nursery stock or potted plants came into the building.
• Wide foraging range. Ants turning up in rooms far from any food, including bathrooms, offices and storage areas.
• Year-round indoor activity. Steady numbers through the Ontario winter, because heated buildings let them survive when the outdoors cannot.
• Nests in odd places. Colonies found in potted soil, under carpet edges, in wall voids, behind appliances and in stored boxes.

Why crazy ants come indoors

Crazy ants originate in warmer regions and are usually introduced here rather than arriving from the yard. They travel in the soil of potted plants, in nursery deliveries, in shipping pallets and in stored goods. In our climate they cannot maintain a colony outdoors through the winter, so established populations are found in heated buildings, greenhouses, food premises, apartment buildings and warehouses. Indoors they will nest almost anywhere that is warm and holds a bit of moisture, and they eat a wide range of foods including sweets, grease, protein, dead insects and plant honeydew. Because they forage far from the nest and do not hold to a trail, finding the colony takes a careful inspection rather than simply following a line.

How to keep crazy ants out

• Inspect the soil of new houseplants and nursery stock before bringing them in, and quarantine them for a short period.
• Check incoming boxes, pallets and deliveries in commercial settings, which is the usual route in.
• Reduce indoor moisture: fix leaks, run bathroom fans, and avoid overwatering potted plants.
• Keep food sealed and clean up grease and crumbs, since they feed on almost anything.
• Seal gaps around pipes, wiring, baseboards and door frames to limit movement between units and rooms.

How GO! Pest Control treats crazy ants

• Inspection. We confirm the identification and search systematically for the nest, including potted plants, voids, carpet edges and warm equipment, because trails cannot be followed.
• Treatment. We use a mix of sweet and protein baits, since their food preference shifts, along with targeted crack and crevice work and void treatment at the nest.
• Follow-up. We return to check bait take and to look for activity in adjacent rooms or units, as these colonies spread easily inside a building.
• Advice. We tell you how the ants most likely got in and what to check on future deliveries and plants.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about crazy ants