Ants

Identification

Carpenter ants, vary in size and color but are usually large (1/4-1/2 inch) and blackish. Occasionally, swarms of winged carpenter ant reproductives will emerge inside a home. Carpenter ant swarms usually occur in the spring and are a sure sign that a colony is nesting somewhere inside the structure.

Habits

Besides being objectionable by their presence, carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. They excavate galleries in wood which have a smooth, sandpapered appearance. Wood which has been damaged by carpenter ants contains no mud-like material, as is the case with termites. Shredded fragments of wood, similar in appearance to coarse sawdust, are ejected from the galleries through pre-existing cracks or slits made by the ants. When such accumulations are found (typically containing dead ants and bits of insects which the carpenter ants have eaten), it's a good indication that a carpenter ant nest is nearby. Oftentimes, however, the excavated sawdust remains hidden behind a wall or in some other concealed area.

Identification

Pharaoh ants are small, yellow ants about 1/16-inch long. They have two nodes and the workers are all one size. It is often confused with the thief ant which is also a small, yellow ant with two nodes. The Pharaoh ant's antenna has 12 segments and ends in a three-segmented club. the thief ant's antenna has only 10 segments and a two-segmented club.

Habits

The Pharaoh ant can be found throughout the United States but is most common in the southern states. In northern states, it is most commonly found in apartments and commercial buildings such as hotels and hospitals. In the South, this ant is a common pest in homes as well as other buildings. In temperate climates such as the United States, the Pharaoh ant cannot survive outdoors year-round and so is found in close association with heated buildings. It can survive outside only in the subtropical areas of the country such as Florida and Hawaii.

Pharaoh ants do not build mounds or carve out galleries in wood. The nest in any dark void in a structure. Nest locations include wall voids, cabinet voids, behind baseboards and window moldings, behind insulation of appliances, inside hollow curtain and shower rods, boxes and expansion joints in slabs. They may even be found in areas such as folded paper sacks and newspapers. Outside, these ants can be found in leaf litter, flower pots and in the debris of rain gutters.

Identification

Tapinoma melanocephalum is a species of ant that goes by the common name ghost ant. They are recognised by their dark head and pale or translucent legs and gaster (abdomen). This colouring makes this tiny ant (1⁄16 of an inch, 1.5 mm) seem even smaller.

Habits

The ghost ant's diet consists mainly of sweets but they will also feed on grease and occasionally living or dead insects. They exhibit a high need for moisture, and although colonies are usually established outside, they can readily "set up camp" inside domestic houses during dry conditions. This is a widespread tropical species, found throughout the world. Its native range is unknown. The ghost ant is thought to be so named because the legs and abdomen of the insect look transparent, with only the head and thorax being dark brown in colour. Observed in infested buildings with the naked eye they are quite difficult to distinguish from pharaoh ants, being virtually of the same size.

Identification

The bodies of fire ants, like all insects' bodies, are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax, the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. The worker ants are blackish to reddish, and their size varies from 2 mm to 6 mm (0.12 in to 0.24 in). These different sizes of the ants can all exist in the same nest.

Habits

Red Imported Fire Ants are more aggressive than other ant species and have a painful sting. These ants and their telltale mound nests should be actively avoided. Red Imported Fire Ants can adapt to many climates and conditions in and around their environment. For example, if the colony senses increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float on the water! Many ants bite, and can cause irritation by injecting formic acid; stinging ants have a dedicated venom-injecting sting as well as mandibles.