Argentine Ants

The Argentine ant is dark brown in color. These ants are very small. They are approximately 3/16th of an inch in length. They have three body sections, and just behind the middle section there is a pointed protrusion that faces upward. The legs of the Argentine ant are light in color, and its mouthparts are yellow. This ant has many queens in the colony that will increase the size of the colony and cause the group to disperse in several directions if the colony is disturbed. One of the main reasons that they do this is when they feel threaten either by the nest being invaded by humans, or any kind of smelly insecticides are used. This ant should be either baited with a mild insecticide bait, or a special non-intrusive, non-repellent insecticide that is sprayed in areas that they are found. This kind of product is a restricted material that can only be applied by a licensed pest control operator.

Carpenter Ants

There are several different Carpenter ant species throughout the United States. Some are small, and some are large their size differs from specie to specie from 1/4 inch to as much as 3/4 inch. The one main characteristic that separates all other ants is the middle section of the body that has a smooth rounded appearance when view from the side.

Carpenter ants come in a variety of colors from reddish brown to dark brown. Some of them are all one color, while others have a two-tone appearance with the head and middle section one color while the back body section a different color.

Carpenter ants chew through wood to make a nesting site for their young. They originate from a main colony outside. They generally are in the ground 3’ to 5’ below the surface, but can also maintain a main colony in a moisture laden stump or woodpile. After a couple of years the main colony begins sending workers out to look for other places to set up numerous satellite colonies. The queen will stay in the main colony and continue to lay more eggs. The workers, following odor trails, will carry the immature stages to the satellite colonies. The infestation that is in the house is one of many possible satellite colonies. They are usually located in the wall voids throughout the perimeter of the house and sometimes in the attic and, or the crawlspace under the house. To eliminate the infestation from the structure you will need to inject the ground level walls and other levels where ants have been seen. In addition, a perimeter barrier spray should be applied around the outside foundation. The eradication of the ants from the house walls does not mean the problem is over. The main colony is outside somewhere and can live for over 25 years. A regular outside treatment done on a monthly basis will keep these ants in check.

House Pest Ants

The house pest ants are a number of different species that invade a household. They are all small and without the proper equipment, and without an entomology background it would be very difficult for the average person to identify, or separate the subtle differences from them. The purpose of this website is to help you decide the best approach to eliminate your ant problem. The cure for the various house pest ants is either the same or very similar for each one of them.

There are many different species of house pest ants, but the most frequently encountered ants are the Odorous house ant, (This ant got its name by the pungent odor they emit when crushed.), Pharaoh ant, Little Black house ant, Thief ant, and the Ghost ant.

These ants are very small. They generally range from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch in length. Pharaoh ants being the smallest. Pharaoh ants and Ghost ants vary from yellowish to reddish in color. Odorous house ants are generally brown to black in color. These ants are usually found in the kitchen area and feed on sweets, starches, and grease. All these ants have many queens within a colony. Spraying inside will generally disperse the ants into separate colonies within the structure, thus making the problem worse! Baiting is the most popular way to effectively eliminate them from the inside of the house. It should be noted that recently products that can be sprayed and that do not kill quickly so as to not cause an alarm in the colony have been manufactured and are now on the market, but can only be applied by a licensed pest control operator. This product has no odor, and will not cause the ants to spread throughout the house like most other sprays will. Since the main colony originates from the outside and is usually found underground, an outside periodic treatment should be applied to keep this ant from reinvading your home.

Pavement Ants

This ant is very small, and is approximately 1/10th to 1/8th inch in length. They have one set of spines that stick up from their middle body section. They are dark brown in color. They have a stinger in the posterior section and can invoke a painful sting. They primarily feed on other insects, and honeydew, but can invade your home and head straight for the pantry to nibble on nuts, berries, eggplants and any greasy items you may have stored.

They have derived their name by the habit of building nesting sites along concrete walks, driveways, joints in concrete, and along the foundation of your home. Sometimes they will leave little craters along the openings of their nests however they may just displace the soil along the area that they emerge from. They also nest under rocks or bricks that may be in your yard. The winged forms of the Pavement ant are attracted to light sources, and during the mating period (springtime to mid summer) may be found around porch lights. Inside the house they can be found around any heating system such as a hot water heater or furnace.

A careful inspection by a trained technician can reveal the source of the infestation and determine the best approach to resolve the problem.

Moisture Ants

The moisture ant is small in size, generally ranging from 1/8 inch to 3/16th of an inch in length and vary in color from yellowish to dark brown. These ants feed on fungus in decaying wood. This ant is actually known as the cornfield ant, however my father did a great deal of research on this ant in the Pacific Northwest as these ants were found in great numbers in decayed walls around bathroom shower stalls, and other heavy water laden wood portions of structures. His research in the 1950(s) along with setting government standards for structural pest inspections in FHA owned houses caused the name he applied to them to become a common name in the industry. These ants feed on other insects, honeydew from aphids, and fungus growth that is found in decaying wood matter. In nature they can be found under fallen trees, in stumps, or any organic matter that may have accumulated on the ground. When this ant is found in the structural portion of your home it is usually near a water source of some kind. It could be a leaking plumbing wall, a shower stall that the grout has worn away, in the floor area around the tub, or toilet. Possibly in a wall where a roof gutter has backed up, or in a wall where the outside soil is touching the siding or even several inches above the bottom of the siding. They can be found in the substructure area under your home in form boards that were not removed during construction, in support posts that have a wood to soil contact. Any area of your home that has water touching the wood can attract the Moisture ant. This ant does not destroy the wood, as they are only there because they are attracted to wood that has deteriorated. In a sense they are a flag that should be raised to alert you of the problem.

A thorough examination of the area in question should be performed, and any corrective measures should be followed up with. The infestation is generally a localized one, so if the damaged wood is removed, the moisture problem corrected, and the infested areas treated, this will eliminate the problem. Sometimes these ants can be coming up through a crack in a concrete slab under a wall. In this case correction of a water problem may not be possible, however removing the carpet or floor covering and sealing the joint that the ants are coming through can fix the problem.