( CNN ) -- Beware the `` crazy ants . '' Researchers at the University of Texas are warning that the invasive species from South America has the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern United States , largely because the ants can wipe out colonies of what 's been widely considered the insect villain of the region , the fire ant . The crazy ants , officially called `` Tawny crazy ants , '' are omnivores that can take over an area by both killing what 's there and starving out what they do n't kill , said Ed LeBrun , a research associate with the Texas invasive species research program at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in the College of Natural Sciences . `` Perhaps the biggest deal is the displacement of the fire ant , which is the 300-pound gorilla in Texas ecosystems these days , '' LeBrun said in a press release . `` The whole system has changed around fire ants . Things that ca n't tolerate fire ants are gone . Many that can have flourished . New things have come in . Now we are going to go through and whack the fire ants and put something in its place that has a very different biology . There are going to be a lot of changes that come from that . '' Beyond the troubles they cause for the environment , the crazy ants can be a big headache for people because their populations are so dense , LeBrun said . The crazy ants nest in walls , crawl spaces , house plants or empty containers in the yard , researchers said . `` They do n't sting like fire ants do , but aside from that they are much bigger pests , '' he said . `` There are videos on YouTube of people sweeping out dustpans full of these ants from their bathroom . You have to call pest control operators every three or four months just to keep the infestation under control . It 's very expensive . '' The crazy ants are going so crazy , in fact , that some people want their fire ants back , LeBrun said . `` Fire ants are in many ways very polite . They live in your yard . They form mounds and stay there , and they only interact with you if you step on their mound , '' he said . U.N. : Eat insects , save the world . Scientists are unsure how far the ants , which are native to Argentina and Brazil , may spread in the U.S . Since being first seen in Houston in 2002 , they 've been found mostly in wetter environments with mild winters in parts of Texas , Florida , Louisiana and Mississippi . And while they can quickly overwhelm a small area , the reproductive members of the species do n't fly , so to move over large distances , they have to hitchhike -- in your stuff . `` If people living in or visiting invaded areas are careful and check for the crazy ants when moving or going on longer trips , they could have a huge impact on the spread , '' LeBrun said . Giant tire-puncturing African land snails invade Florida .
`` Tawny crazy ants ' '' could change ecological balances . Comment: Species originated in South America . Crazy ants hitchhike with humans to spread .