Ants
Acrobat Ants
Appearance
Acrobat ants are shiny brown to nearly black in color. They can range up to 1/4 inch but most are about 1/8 inch long. When viewed from above their abdomen looks heart shaped.
Behavior
They are most easily recognizable when they get excited. When Acrobat ants are excited they point their abdomens up or even over their head, hence their name. Acrobat ants, like most ants, will establish defined trails as they follow the pheromones of other ants. Worker ants eat a variety of foods, but prefer tending aphids and mealybugs for honeydew. Flowering plants are often hosts to aphids and mealybugs, and so Acrobat ants will forage in these areas. They are equipped with an irritating sting and will use it in defending their nest.
Habitat
They prefer to nest in moist areas, especially rotted wood. They will often be found in the branches of rotting tress or any rotting wood. Most infestations in the home occur from outdoor nests. They will usually establish colonies in soffits, door frames, and wall voids.
Control Advice
Any piles of lumber and brick present an optimum nesting area, so remove any such material. Remove excess mulch as mulch retains moisture and gradually rots. If found in the home colonies can rapidly grow.
Argentine Ant – Linepithema humile
Appearance
The Argentine ant has a slender appearance and is about 1/8 inch long. It is light to dark brown with a silky shine. The head is triangular shaped.
Behavior
As the name suggests these ants were imported from South America. The colonies grow to be extremely large containing thousands of workers and several queens. The main colony will branch out into sub-colonies. The colonies can all combine to form a super-colony. Super colonies can have tens of thousands of workers and can grow extremely large. They prefer honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs. They are aggressive towards other species of ants and will drive them out until they are the dominant species. The workers forage day and night for any source of food.
Habitat
Argentine ants adapt very well, and as such can inhabit a wide variety of places. They most often nest in moist shallow soil. Mulch is an optimum environment for these ants to breed. They will harbor under almost anything that provides shelter such as foundations, bricks, wood piles, etc. In the home they are most notorious for nesting in wall voids, insulation, and behind brick or stone.
Control Advice
The Argentine ant can be almost impossible to control on your own. Regular treatments from a professional, such as Precise, are necessary in order to reduce populations and limit the number of ants entering the structure. You can remove or reduce mulch, seal any cracks into the home, move mulch away from house, and make sure sprinklers do not spray foundation.
Carpenter Ants – Camponotus spp.
Appearance
The workers range in size from 1/4 inch to almost 1/2 inch and the queen is about 3/4 inch long. These are relatively large ants and come in a variety of colors such as red, brown and black, although, the most common Carpenter ants are black.
Behavior
These ants eat a variety of foods, but like many other ants prefer sweet foods especially honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs. At the beginning of the year the colonies produce winged ants called swarmers. These are often confused with termites. The swarmers fly out to find new harborage to start a new colony. Carpenter ants use specialized jaws to cut into wood that is moist or rotting in order to nest. One colony might harbor several thousand workers. If the colony gets large enough nests can cause structural damage, but colonies are more likely to reside in both structural wood and wall voids. These ants are most active at night when workers will go between mother colony and satellite colonies. The satellite colonies can be located both in and outside of the home.
Habitat
Carpenter ants can start a colony anywhere such as under a rock or in the soil but the colony will eventually move into moist or rotting wood. Outside they most often nest in decaying trees or tree stumps. Around houses they will often nest in wooden decks attached to homes, in structural support such as framing, and especially in poorly ventilated crawl spaces and attics. Carpenter ants require moisture and will always nest in areas where moisture is readily available.
Control Advice
These ants require special knowledge and skill in order to control, and are best left to a professional such as Precise. Carpenter ant control involves locating and treating not only the mother colony, but also the satellite colonies. To prevent new infestations store firewood away from homes, make sure branches and wires do not rest on roofs, make sure attic and crawl space have adequate ventilation, and make sure water does not accumulate around the foundation of the home.
Crazy Ant – Paratrechina longicornis
Appearance
This ant has a slender body and is about 1/8 inch long. They are a glossy dark-brown or nearly black. They also have long antennae and legs.
Behavior
These ants get their names from their erratic and irregular movement. They do not move in a straight line like most ants. Their colonies can develop to include thousands of workers and hundreds of queens. They will follow pathways along foundation walls, pavement, and such. When they are in large numbers they run so rapidly it is difficult to focus on a single individual. Populations fluctuate but are largest in the summer or after rain.
Habitat
Crazy ants will establish their nests in a variety of places outdoors but are most often found in mulch, under rocks, along sidewalks or driveways, and near shrubbery. They most often find access to homes under doorways and in cracks in the foundation or the exterior of the home. Once inside they will most often nest in wall voids, under carpeting, and in any other suitable void. They are scavengers and will eat almost anything but especially enjoy house fly larvae, garbage, and kitchen scraps.
Control Advice
This species can be difficult to control because, like the Odorous House ant, they do not readily feed on baits. In order to properly control these populations a professional, such as Precise, can effectively reduce populations by regularly inspecting and treating the home. To prevent further infestation you can: seal cracks and holes on the exterior of home, avoid landscape rocks throughout the yard, and remove mulch from the base of the home.
Fire Ant – Ssolenopsis invicta
Appearance
These worker ants will range in size from 1/8 inch up to 3/8 inch. They are a reddish-brown color.
Behavior
Fire ants are most easily distinguished when one is stung. Fire ants will attack anything that threatens the colony. They will build large dome shaped mounds above ground to house the rapidly grown colony. When the colony is disturbed the Fire ants send out an alarm signal and all workers rapidly scavenge to find the origin of disturbance. When a person is stung they are generally not stung just once by one ant, but instead are stung multiple times by multiple ants. Fire ants can pose a serious health risk to anyone allergic to insect stings. After being stung the skin will develop a welt and often times a white pustule will form.
Habitat
Fire ants will usually nest in the soil and will construct large mounds that are easily seen and indentified. They will also often nest in mulch and under objects that offer shelter. Sometimes they will construct mounds near the foundation of homes and thereby gain access into the home. They will most often settle in the wall voids, but the workers will forage along and under carpet.
Control Advice
Fire ants can be especially difficult to eliminate because of the health risk. It is usually best to leave Fire ant control to a professional such as Precise. Although some over-the-counter products can be successful with persistent treatment, they will often tend to push the colony around the yard instead of eliminating the colony.
Odorous House Ant – Tapinoma sessile
Appearance
This ant is dark brown to brownish gray and is about 1/8 inch long. The most distinguishing aspect is the unpleasant aroma they give off after being crushed.
Behavior
The Odorous House ant is the most common invader of homes. The body of the ant is relatively soft and can be easily crushed. A colony will generally be from 3,000-4,000 members and several queens. Colonies can combine to form a massive colony. A colony will establish sub-colonies throughout the house. The workers run in a straight line and will forage throughout the day. They are scavengers and will eat almost anything, but prefer sweet foods such as honeydew.
Habitat
These ants will nest outdoors in area with dense mulch, under boards, and under stones. Outdoor nests are generally shallow. Colonies are most productive nesting in homes. Generally they will settle in wall voids around kitchen sinks, but they can be found throughout the house. Infestation is most likely to happen after rain.
Control Advice
They do not respond well to baits and are extremely difficult to control because they establish sub-colonies throughout the house in a variety of areas. The colony must be located and treated with a product that has a long residual effect in order to destroy the nest. Regular treatments and inspections are necessary and are best done by a professional company such as Precise. To prevent further infestation you can: seal cracks and holes on the exterior of home, avoid landscape rocks throughout the yard, and remove mulch from the base of the home.
Pavement Ant – Tetramorium caespitum
Appearance
They are brown to red-brown in color and are about 1/8 inch long. The abdomen is shiny, but the head and thorax are dull.
Behavior
The pavement ant prefers nesting under or next to hard surfaces. The colonies can grow to be fairly large. They forage extensively and build complex nests. They keep their nests clean and so the waste tends to build up extensively around the opening. They are scavengers and will eat almost anything, but prefer sweet foods.
Habitat
These ants most often nest beneath slabs of concrete and under rocks. When they do find their way into the home their colonies are easily found because of the pile of dirt found around their entrances. Most often in the home they are found around baseboards or on garage floors.
Control Advice
Ant baits are sometimes effective in controlling pavement ants. They can also be controlled with the direct treatment of a non-odorous and undetectable spray. Most over-the-counter products will merely deter the ants and relocate the colony. To prevent further infestation you can: seal cracks and holes on the exterior of home, avoid landscape rocks throughout the yard, and remove mulch from the base of the home.
Pharaoh Ant – Monomorium pharaonis
Appearance
This ant is extremely small not much bigger than 1/16 inch long, and it is a dull-yellowish to light-orange. It will also have a shinny dark abdomen, especially towards the end of the abdomen.
Behavior
Pharaoh ants can be extremely difficult to control especially if they find harborage in the home. These ants are active year round in houses, and most active in the summer on the exterior of homes. Colonies will have multiple queens and increase by dividing, one portion of the colony going with each queen. Therein is the difficulty in controlling these ants because colonies will divide and infest other areas when threatened. They travel from room to room in the voids following plumbing and electrical wires; they can thereby spread and infest a number of rooms. They will eat a variety of foods but are attracted to grease, meats, insects, and sweets.
Habitat
They prefer warmer temperatures above 85 F and moist areas. They will often congregate around areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, but are extremely adaptive and will nest anywhere that offers shelter and harborage. Pharaoh ants have been found in such places as hollow curtain rods, folds of sheets, closets, inside of appliances, and in boxes. They will take advantage of whatever environment proves beneficial.
Control Advice
The only way to control Pharaoh ants is to use long-residual ant bait that is undetectable to the workers. Because the ants will split colonies so many times these ants can be extremely difficult to fully control.
