SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Rasberry crazy ant, Paratrechina sp. nr pubens, a destructive pest confirmed throughout 11 coastal counties in Texas, has now been confirmed in San Antonio. The ants were discovered in a hotel by a San Antonio PCO and confirmed by Bill Summerlin of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. The significance of this discovery is that Rasberry ants now have been confirmed in a location that is about 100 miles from the nearest confirmed infestation.
The Rasberry ant was found around
Tom Rasberry, the PCO who discovered the ant and for whom the pest is named after, told PCT he believes the ant has actually spread beyond the 11 counties, including most likely
Rasberry and others are trying to get this pest classified by USDA as an agricultural pest because of the threat it presents to livestock and honeybee farms. “I spoke with a beekeeper who lost 100 of his hives to the ants, and what happens when these ants get into chicken houses?” Rasberry said. “We are dealing with an ant species that, because of its nature, is spreading much quicker than fire ants. I think we are at a critical boiling point with these pests.”
Rasberry said that state and federal officials want more information about the pest before classifying it as an agricultural pest.