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'Tawny crazy ants' invade Fla. by millions

FLORIDA — Insects called "Tawny crazy ants" have invaded 20 Florida counties by the millions.

The ants look like a pile of dirt, but in actuality, it's a nest.

The colonies have reached epidemic levels in Tampa.

Researchers said these ants can reach densities 100 times greater than all other ants in the area combined.

"Unlike a regular colony that might have hundreds or thousands of ants, these have hundreds of thousands and millions of ants. It's just like love bugs, you're never going to get rid of all of the love bugs, but you can get them under control," said Chet Rowland of Chet's Termite and Pest Management.

The ants infest are attracted to heat-producing devices, like computers and smart phones.

In Texas, they caused more than $145 million in damage in just one year.

More information on Tawny crazy ants: http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ants/rasberry.html