Tom Rasberry
Tom Rasberry is an exterminator from Pearland, Texas, who first identified the Rasberry crazy ant in 2002.[1][2] The ants have been known to short out many different types of electrical apparatus.[3][4] Rasberry estimates that he has spent over 2000 hours researching them.[5]
Pest control career[]
Rasberry started Budget Pest Control in 1989; the name was changed to Rasberry's Pest Professionals in late 2009.
NASA career[]
The Johnson Space Center hired Rasberry in 2008 in an attempt to keep the ants out of their facilities.[6] Rasberry found three colonies at the NASA site, but all were small enough to control.[2]
References[]
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (2008-05-16). "A Pest Without a Name, Becoming Known to Ever More". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Gaudin, Sharon (2008-05-15). "NASA moves to save computers from swarming ants: Attack of the (computer) killer ants - pests taking out machines along Texas gulf coast". Computer World.
- ^ "Crazy rasberry ants, size of fleas, wreaking havoc across Texas". New York Daily News / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. 2008-05-14.
- ^ Ball, Linda Stewart (2008-05-14). "Ants swarm Houston area, fouling electronics". USA Today / Associated Press.
- ^ "Beware! Crazy ants on the loose". New England Cable News/ABC News. 2008-05-16.
- ^ Atkins, William (2008-05-17). "Rasberry, we have an ant problem: Exterminator saves NASA from crazy ants". iTWire.
External links[]
- Rasberry's Pest Professionals official website
- Texas A&M University System publication about Rasberry ants
- Texas Parks and Wildlife publication about Rasberry ants
- Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council publication about Rasberry ants
Categories:
- American entomologists
- Living people
- People from Pearland, Texas
- Myrmecologists
- Scientists from Texas
- Pest control companies of the United States
- American entomologist stubs