May 15, 2008 Beware! Crazy ants on the loose Play video

(NECN/ABC) - There's an ant invasion in Southeast Texas, and it's possible some people are dealing with "Crazy Rasberry Ants." The pesky little creatures have been around for about six years, and they are causing experts to scratch their heads.

In 2002, Tom Rasberry made a discovery in the Houston area that has kept him crazy busy ever since.

Rasberry: "I've been in this business thirty years and never have I ever seen anything like this."

This is Rasberry's personal video taken as part of a research project for Texas A & M. Until 2002 this type of ants had never been identified, they are now "Crazy Rasberry Ants." Rasberry after Todd, crazy because of their quick erratic running.

Rasberry: "Crazy ants run in a crazy manner."

Rasberry estimates he spent 2000 hours alone just researching these ants, not to mention fighting them, and they've been found from West Houston to Pearland and love ruining low voltage electrical equipment.

Rasberry: "These things short out."

Marceau: "They're everywhere. They're up and down the sidewalks, all over my front porch."

Matt Marceau is exterminating because he's already found his power cords chewed through.

Marceau: "I have a solar powered light, they went up the cord, and got in the battery, and it doesn't work anymore."

But, Rasberry's biggest fear is damge to the Texas ecosystem. The crazy rasberry ants can have colonies as large as fifty billion, consuming up to

Rasberry: "I foresee the wildlife population being devastated from this ants."

Reporter Erik Barajas of KTRK has the story.