Crazy Ants: Infesting Texas and Beyond

January 7th, 2009

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The Raspberry crazy ant has infested at least eleven counties in Texas, and it doesn’t show signs of stopping.

Crazy ants are tropical ants that need warm temperatures and high humidity. And so the conditions are favorable from Houston to Florida.

Mike Quinn is an invertebrate biologist. Colonies have multiple queens and ants number in the millions and possibly billions; they even drive out other ants. And if you want to hear something really crazy…

A&M has surveyed homeowners that had the fire ant and then had the crazy ant, and they almost all say they would rather have the fire ant back.

Having dealt with a fire an infestation inside my home, it’s hard to imagine anything worse.

Well, the fire ant can be controlled. But the difficulty with the crazy ant is that the only chemical that can control it is rather toxic. A lot of pesticides could be spread that harm the environment and not bring the crazy ant under control. Anybody who has this ant should contact a professional.

Although this rice grain sized, reddish colored ant is usually just annoying to humans, it can prove devastating to flora and fauna. We’ll discuss that tomorrow.

If you want to discuss this topic, we invite you to go to passporttotexas.org and leave a comment.

That’s our show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Movie of Rasberry Crazy Ants on the Ground [need QuickTime]

Crazy Ants: What’s in a Name?

January 6th, 2009

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

They have names like Pharaoh, sugar, and fire. And now we have another name for one of their kind: crazy.

Crazy ants are very erratic and fast moving. So, they act like they’re crazy, essentially.

Mike Quinn, an invertebrate biologist, says the Rasberry crazy ant, named after the Texas exterminator who identified it in 2002, has covered a lot of ground.

It’s already spread to the Louisiana border, and may already be beyond. Crazy ants are tropical ants that need temperatures and high high humidity. So, the conditions are favorable from Houston, back to Florida. And it could easily spread through that whole region in somewhat short order.

We know very little about this alien species.

We do not know how it got here. We do not know where it came from. We do not know much of its biology. We are truly at the beginning stages of understanding this ant.

What we do know is the species has multiple queens, and produces super colonies of millions of ants. Typical of ants, they’re drawn to electrical devices…with potentially devastating results.

They can shut down chemical facilities. They can potentially shut down an airport. They can shut down NASA. This ant is something to be reckoned with.

More about crazy ants tomorrow.

That’s out show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW-TV: Spreading His Wings

January 4th, 2009

This is Passport to Texas

At a Corpus Christi housing project, the imagination of a young boy takes wing. See his story this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series. Writer producer, Ron Kabele. [NOTE: This segment will actually air in February, not January.]

This is about a 14 year old boy who lives in a housing project, his name is Joe. I heard about Joe from Ken Rice, a coastal biologist, and he said this kid loves to look at birds, and he looks at the birds at the housing project.

One day I was walking and I looked back here and there were just birds flying inside the couch and they’ll go behind it for some shade. And they got some of this wood for their nest…some of this, too…but I think they’ll put this around their nest, inside, makes it softer.

Even though Joe has fished all of his life, he’d never seen the rookery islands. So, one of the things that Ken Rice does is he takes people out on these environmental type classes. And Joe and some of his friends from Glen Moss Village went out. Whoa.

Dude, the birds over there. Look! There’s a pink one.

An exposure like this isn’t enough to turn into wanting to become a biologist, but, when they see a bird, they understand maybe how the bird is a part of nature, and how they are a part of the environment, too.

Thanks Ron.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Winter Fishing

January 2nd, 2009

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Don’t wait for the summer sun to get your fishing gear out again, you can make some great catches this winter!

Texas has year-round saltwater fishing and it’s very productive, even in the worst of weather.

While you can find the usual Texas fare of redfish, flounder and speckled trout, professional fishing guide and outdoor writer, Danno Wise suggests casting your line to make some other great catches.

Down here in the Rio Grande Valley is the only place in the continental United States outside of South Florida there’s a fishable population of snook year round. They’re sensitive to cold so they’re going to go into the deeper portions of our bay systems, but because the fish will be concentrated, we have excellent snook fishing during the winter time.

We also have a substantial amount of beachfront fishing which is kind of overlooked. Whiting, which is a simple kind of fish, and the pompano. Very tropical looking species; in Florida, they’re targeted very heavily. Fish such as those are plentiful and good eating, and if you want to target going out just to get out of the house, relax, and catch a few to take home to eat, those are excellent choices.

Winter fishing season usually lasts between early December through March. Just remember some warm clothes and a waterproof jacket for that ocean spray!

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW TV: Bass and Buescher State Park

January 1st, 2009

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Start off January right by spending time with the Texas Parks and Wildlife television show. Producer, Abe Moore.

Some of the stories we’re covering in January include the Guadalupe Bass, and efforts to save our state fish. We’re also profiling some fun fishing stories, like on where to go fishing on both fresh water and saltwater, and some casting tips. And then, a story I did that’s going to air towards the end of January is on Buescher State Park, which is Southeast of Bastrop, near Smithville. It’s a nice little quiet park, kind of off the beaten path a little bit, and it’s really got a nice hiking trail down there.

Buescher SP has an 8-mile hiking trail that starts out in the Post oak woodland, which is an area that consists mostly of hardwood trees [bird call], and it makes a big loop and goes up into the Lost Pines ecosystem.

Now, there’s a park Road 1C that connects Bastrop SP with Buescher SP, and it’s a really cool little bike ride if you want to do some bike riding.

[bike gear sound] It’s about 12-miles long between the two parks. Therefore, if you make a round trip, you’ve got 24-miles that you’ve cycled. So it’s a very good workout—very intense.

So whether it’s hiking or biking, those are just some of the things you can do in at this hidden gem of a State park here in Texas.

Thanks Abe.

Find out where the show airs at passporttotexas.org.

That’s out show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.