Pavement – Tetramorium caespitum – These ants are 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, blackish/brown with paler legs and antennae, and have a solid black abdomen. Readily visible on the head and thorax are parallel lines or ridges that give the body a grooved texture. Nests are usually found under stones, next to buildings, and in cracks in pavement, although they can be found in wall voids, under floors, and in insulation. Quite common, they can be found trailing around baseboards, heating ducts, electrical wiring, or around toilets, as these locations provide easy access to the interior of a home. They can be a particular nuisance in and around homes with slab construction. These ants do stay active all year long, but are more active during the summer months or indoors during the winter. They feed on many different substances, preferring most commonly either grease-based or sweet foods.
Pharaoh – Monomorium Pharaonis – Light yellowish to reddish-brown in color, these small (1/15 to 1/12 inch) ants are a common problem in many homes, due mainly to their preference for warm, moist areas and their wide range of foods. Commonly found around areas such as furnaces, hot water pipes, heat ducts, and the like, these insects do require a fairly ready water source. They do not have a major food preference, feeding on many items (such as syrups, fruit juice, honey, jelly, cakes, pies, greases, dead insects, and even meats and blood). One of the behavioral phenomenon found with these ants is the ease with which they will “bud” – sending groups of workers out to a new location to found a new nest. This is caused mainly when the original colony is stressed, either by misapplication of the wrong products in attempt to get rid of the problem, or by environmental conditions (excessive heat or cold, etc). This can cause more and more of a problem, as more and more satellite nests can be created by a colony if it is not controlled early on. These ants are mainly nocturnal, preferring evening and night to trail in search for food and water, and can be found during these times with a flashlight.
Little Black Ant – Monomorium minimum – These ants are very small (1/15 inch) jet black ant that are normally located outdoors in relatively open areas. They are known to nest in rotten wood, under logs and/or bricks, or in hollows in the ground outside. Inside, they prefer to nest in baseboards or under the edge of carpets, or even in the masonry of the building itself. Their main food source is plant secretions, but will willingly feed on sweets, meats, breads, grease, vegetables, and fruit when found indoors.
Carpenter Ant – Camponotus spp. – Carpenter ants are among the most conspicuous of ants found in and around homes. They are usually larger and typically black or very dark bodied. Their workers do have highly developed mandibles with which they can pinch or bite. They very greatly in size, from about 1/4 to 3/4 inch long. There are many different species of carpenter ant, some with brown or reddish markings (almost looking two-toned), and others that are solid black. They will establish nests in a number of different locations, preferring old dead or rotted wood, or any wood with a higher moisture content. They can build in areas of only good healthy wood, only requiring a cavity or crevice to start building the nest in. Indoors, they can be found in hollow doors, window sills, porch foundations, roofs, baseboards, fireplaces, or other naturally hollow areas. Carpenter ants will hollow out wood into “galleries” within which they store their food and eggs. This causes major economic damage, as the wood infested by the ants is now weakened severely. Carpenter ant colonies only have one queen, and when the time comes that the colony is “mature” (between 3 and 6 years), winged “alates” are produced (200 to 400 per year), that mate and produce fertile queens. These queens are all that is required to begin a new nest, so the longer a carpenter ant infestation is left, the worse the situation becomes. One of the telltale signs of carpenter ants is the appearance of sawdust or “frass” found near the nesting location. The preferred food sources of carpenter ants varies depending on the maturity and size of the colony.
TYPES OF ANTS
