PEST DATA:
Color: Brown or Black
Legs: 6
Wings: Varies
Size: 1/16″to 1/8″
Shape: Segmented, Oval
Antenna: Yes
Region: Entire US
Odorous Ants nest near homes and produce a strong, rotten coconut-like smell when crushed. Native to the US, these ants are very social, living in colonies of up to 100,000 members.
HABITS:
Odorous house ants like to eat dead insects and sugary sweets, especially aphid honeydew.
HABITAT:
Typically living for several years, these ants commonly make their homes in exposed soil, under stones, logs, mulch, debris and other items. They will also nest in wall and floor cracks.
THREAT:
Odorous House ants do not pose a health threat, but they can contaminate food by leaving waste behind.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.
PEST DATA:
Color: Dark brown to black and shiny
Legs: 6
Wings: Varies
Shape: Segmented, Oval
Size: 1/16″to 1/4″
Antenna: Yes
Region: Southeastern US
Argentine ants were introduced to the US from South America in the 1890’s and can be found throughout the Southern US and West Coast.
DIET:
Argentine Ants prefer sweet substances but will eat almost anything including meats, eggs, oils and fats. When foraging for food, Argentine ants leave pheromone trails wherever they travel not just from nest to food source. This habit ensures they do not waste time revisiting the same area twice. While the workers of most ant species are primarily responsible for gathering food, Argentine queens also assist with foraging for food.
HABITAT:
Argentine ant colonies are located near wet environments that contain a food source. These colonies can grow to monumental size, sometimes covering an entire garden or your whole back yard.
IMPACT:
Argentine ants do not pose a health threat, but they can contaminate food by leaving their bodily waste behind.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.
PEST DATA:
Color: Brown/Black
Legs: 6
Shape Segmented, oval
Size: 1/8″
Region: Entire US
HABITS:
Pavement ants will eat almost anything, including other insects, bread, seeds, nuts, aphid honeydew, sweet substances, meat and cheese.
HABITAT:
They establish nests in or under stones and cracks in pavement and can infest structures.
THREATS:
Black pavement ants can contaminate food.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.
PEST DATA:
Color: Dark reddish brown
Legs: 6
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 1/8″ -3/8″
Antennae: Yes
Region: Southern and Southeastern US
HABITS:
Red Imported Fire Ants will build large mound nests in the soil and will sting humans who disturb them.
HABITAT:
Nest mounds are usually outdoors in landscaped areas and near a structural foundation. Fire ants will gain entry to a building through holes or cracks.
THREATS:
The sting of a red imported fire ant is painful and often results in a raised welt that becomes a white pustule. Often, a person stung by a red imported fire ant receives multiple painful stings from more than one of the ants. Persons allergic to insect stings will react more severely.
PEST DATA:
Color: Range in color from red to black
Legs: 6 Wings: Varies
Size: 5/8″
Shape: Oval
Antenna: Yes
Region: Entire US
The tunnels that Carpenter Ants bore through wood when building their nests cause significant damage to homes and buildings requiring expensive repairs. There are several types of carpenter ants throughout the US and range in size from 1/4″ to 3/4″. Each colony is established by a single, fertilized queen. She starts her nest in a cavity in wood, where she raises her first brood of workers. She feeds them saliva and does not leave the nest or feed herself during this time. These workers begin foraging for food to feed the next generation of the colony which grows very rapidly and can eventually produce 2,000 or more workers.
HABIT:
Carpenter ants do not eat the wood they remove during their nest-building activities, but deposit it outside entrances to the colony in small piles. The diet of carpenter ants includes living and dead insects, meat, fats and sugary foods of all kinds, including honeydew and nectar from plants.
HABITAT:
Carpenter ants build nests anywhere they can find water, moldy/damp wood, tree stumps, firewood or in house plants. They also build nests inside buildings, usually entering through wet, damaged wood.
THREAT:
Carpenter ants don’t carry disease, but when building a nest inside a home, Carpenter Ants dig smooth tunnels inside the wood. These tunnels damage the wood and potentially weaken the structure. This kind of damage can be very expensive to repair.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.
PEST DATA:
Color: Dark brown to gray/black
Legs: 6
Shape: Long, segmented
Size: 1/16 – 1/8”
Antennae: Yes
Region: Entire US
HABITS:
Crazy ants are often seen running around in an irregular, haphazard manner when they are searching for food. They feed on other insects, aphid honeydew, fruit and seeds. Caribbean crazy ants build their nests outside, under rocks, or near foundations but will sometimes build them underneath floors or carpeting. Rainfall interrupts their food supply and they often journey out of their nest in search of shelter and nourishment.
HABITAT:
Crazy ants will build nests in both dry and moist environments. Colonies from 2,000 to 10,000 ants are found in mulch beds and leaf piles.
THREATS:
Caribbean crazy are not a health threat, but are a nuisance when in your home.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.
PEST DATA:
Color: Dark brown to gray/black
Legs: 6
Shape: Long, segmented
Size: 1/16 – 1/8”
Antennae: Yes
Region: Entire US
HABITS:
Crazy ants are often seen running around in an irregular, haphazard manner when they are searching for food. They feed on other insects, aphid honeydew, fruit and seeds. Caribbean crazy ants build their nests outside, under rocks, or near foundations but will sometimes build them underneath floors or carpeting. Rainfall interrupts their food supply and they often journey out of their nest in search of shelter and nourishment.
HABITAT:
Crazy ants will build nests in both dry and moist environments. Colonies from 2,000 to 10,000 ants are found in mulch beds and leaf piles.
THREATS:
Caribbean crazy are not a health threat, but are a nuisance when in your home.
PREVENTION:
Eliminate standing water. Pests, such as ants, mosquitoes and termites, are attracted to moisture. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house since they provide a pathway into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or small openings around the foundation and that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home.