Ants

Argentine Ant: Iridomyrmex Humilis

Appearance: From light to dark brown, about one-tenth inch long with segmented antennae.
Habits: Readily adaptable and can nest in a great variety of situations; colonies are massive, and may contain hundreds of queens; nests are usually located in moist soil, next to or under buildings, along sidewalks or beneath boards. Travel in trails; forage day and night.
Diet: Omnivorous; can eat almost anything; prefer sweet foods.
Reproduction: Eggs are white, laid in summer; larvae emerge after about 28 days; adult stage reached in about 74 days.
Other Information: Has no significant natural enemy in the United States.

Carpenter Ant: Genus Camponotus

Appearance: Among the largest ants, from 1/4 to 3/8 inch long; most common species is black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration; workers have large mandibles.
Habits: Normally nest in dead portions of standing trees, stumps or logs, or burrow under fallen logs or stones. Invade homes in search of food; nests inside homes can damage wood.
Diet: Do not eat wood; will feed on nearly anything people eat, particularly sweets and meats; also feed on other insects.
Reproduction: Queen lays 15-30 eggs. Eggs complete their life cycle in about 60 days. Workers can live up to seven years, while a queen may live up to 25 years.
Other Information: All houses, regardless of age or type of construction, are vulnerable to infestation and damage. Very difficult to control. Colonies can contain up to 3,000 workers.

Odorous House Ant: Tapinoma Sessile

Appearance: Dark reddish brown to black, 1/10 inch long; antennae have 12 segments.
Habits: Nests found in a great variety of situations; in the home, often found nesting in the walls or beneath the floor; most likely to invade homes during rainy weather; travel in trails; forage day and night.
Diet: Honeydew melons in the wild; inside the home, they prefer sweet items.
Reproduction: Each female in the nest lays one egg a day; young reach adulthood in an average of 24 days; workers and females live for several years.
Other Information: When crushed, give off very unpleasant odor; colonies are very large, but can be driven away by invading Argentine ants.

Fire Ant: Genus Solenopsis

Appearance: Reddish, about 1/4 inch long.
Habits: Nest in mounds of 1-2 ft. in diameter and about 1.5 ft. high; large colonies can have up to 250,000 workers; very active and aggressive; will sting any intruding animal repeatedly.
Diet: Omnivorous, known to eat meats, greasy and sweet materials.
Reproduction: Total time from egg to adult averages 30 days; workers live up to 180 days; queens live two to six years.
Other Information: Has been known to remove rubber insulation from telephone wires. Sting is painful and can kill young wildlife.

Pharoah Ant: Monomorium Pharaonis

Appearance: Light yellow to red, with black markings on abdomen; about 1/16 inch long.
Habits: Depends on artificial heating in human dwellings to survive; infestations commonly occur in food service areas; will nest in any well-protected and hidden areas throughout a structure; can nest outdoors in lawns or gardens.
Diet: Food of all types, but especially sweets; will also eat other insects.
Reproduction: Grows from egg to adult in about 45 days; females live as long as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs. Workers only live up to 10 weeks.
Other Information: The most persistent and difficult of all household ants to control; very large colonies, with up to several million workers and thousands of queens.

Pavement Ant: Tetramorium Caespitum

Appearance: Light brown to black, appendages lighter than rest of the body; about 1/10 inch long; parallel lines on head and thorax; antennae of 12 segments.
Habits: Invade homes foraging for food throughout the year. Nests are outdoors under stones, along curbing or in cracks of pavement. Can nest indoors in walls and under floors.
Diet: Omnivorous; will eat many things, but prefer greasy and sweet foods.
Reproduction: Queen produces 5-20 eggs per day; brood develops in about 40 days; young go through 3 larval stages.
Other Information: Slow-moving; a particular nuisance around homes with slab-on-grade construction.

Thief Ant: Solenopsis Molesta

Appearance: Yellowish to brown; about 1/16 to 1/32 inch long; antennae have 10 segments.
Habits: Nests occur in a great variety of locations outside the home, especially under rocks; may nest indoors in cracks and cupboards.
Diet: Feed on immature forms of other ants and insects; also attracted to greasy or high protein foods such as cheese and animal matter.
Reproduction: Queens lay over 100 eggs, which incubate for 16 to 28 days. Larval stage may last 21 days in summer, but can also last through the winter.
Other Information: Small and difficult to detect. Very persistent, and difficult to control.