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Argentine Ant
The Argentine Ant is also known as Linepithema
humile. which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). Members of this Family are
less than 1/16-1" (1-15 mm) long and are usually a
black, brown, or reddish color.
-
 They
have a complex social structure usually
consisting of a wingless worker caste composed
entirely of sterile females and a reproductive
caste made up of winged, fertile males and
females. There are some species do not have a
worker caste, and some reproductives do not have
wings. Ants have a slender "waist," or pedicel,
of 1 or 2 beadlike or scalelike segments between
the thorax and abdomen.
- Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels
or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time,
winged males and females emerge from the nest
and perform a brief mating flight. After mating,
the males die, and the females lose their wings
and return to the ground to start a new colony.
- Workers gather food, maintain and defend the
nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most
species are predators or scavengers, but a few
harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat
their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in
small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut
from plants.
- Some species produce eggs, which are eaten
by the queen and workers. When disturbed, most
ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging"
people.
California Harvester
The California Harvester Ant is also known as
Pogonomyrmex californicus, which are part of the
family Formicidae (Ants). Members of this
Family are less than 1/16-1" (1-15 mm) long and are
usually a black, brown, or reddish color.
-
 They
have a complex social structure usually
consisting of a wingless worker caste composed
entirely of sterile females and a reproductive
caste made up of winged, fertile males and
females. But some species do not have a worker
caste, and some reproductives do not have wings.
Ants have a slender "waist," or pedicel, of 1 or
2 beadlike or scalelike segments between the
thorax and abdomen.
- Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels
or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time,
winged males and females emerge from the nest
and perform a brief mating flight. After mating,
the males die, and the females lose their wings
and return to the ground to start a new colony.
- Workers gather food, maintain and defend the
nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most
species are predators or scavengers, but a few
harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat
their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in
small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut
from plants.
- Some species produce eggs, which are eaten
by the queen and workers. When disturbed, most
ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging"
people.
- Warning These ants are capable of delivering
a sting which does not hurt at first, but can
result in intense pain and swollen lymph nodes,
particularly if the victim is attacked by a
number of workers.
Carpenter Ant
Carpenter Ants are also known as the Genus
Camponotus, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants), there are many different
species of Carpenter Ants. Members of this Family
are less than 1/16-1" (1-15 mm) long and are usually
a black, brown, or reddish color.
-
 They
have a complex social structure usually
consisting of a wingless worker caste composed
entirely of sterile females and a reproductive
caste made up of winged, fertile males and
females. But some species do not have a worker
caste, and some reproductives do not have wings.
Ants have a slender "waist," or pedicel, of 1 or
2 beadlike or scalelike segments between the
thorax and abdomen.
- Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels
or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time,
winged males and females emerge from the nest
and perform a brief mating flight. After mating,
the males die, and the females lose their wings
and return to the ground to start a new colony.
- Workers gather food, maintain and defend the
nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most
species are predators or scavengers, but a few
harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat
their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in
small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut
from plants.
- Some species produce eggs, which are eaten
by the queen and workers. When disturbed, most
ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging"
people.
- Warning These ants will bite if aggravated.
Citronella Ants
Citronella Ants are also known as the Genus
Acanthomyops, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). They are about 1/8" to 3/8"
in length, and yellowish in color. They emit a
distinct citronella-like scent, especially when they
are crushed. They often live under slabs and may
swarm inside homes once or twice a year. Terrified
homeowners may mistake them for termites, but
citronella ants are harmless. The winged "swarmers"
usually die shortly after emerging and do not
require chemical control. 
- They do not live inside, but will frequently
forage inside in search of sugary food. They are
less of a pest than a distraction, and the best
method of keeping them out of buildings is
sanitation. If there is sugar available, there
will be Citronella ants in the school.
- These ants often "swarm," just like
termites, in the spring and/or fall, always
raise havoc because they are so often mistaken
for termites. Citronella ants, however, are
harmless.
- When the swarming happens inside, you can
vacuum them up for a non-toxic solution to the
problem. This problem can also be recurring, and
happen each year. Make sure you caulk any
entrances they may be using. Consult with your
exterminator about continuing swarming problems.
- They feed on the honeydew of aphids in the
soil.
Crazy Ants
The Crazy Ant is also known as Paratrechina
longicornis, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). These ants are known as Crazy
Ants because of their characteristic rapid and
erratic movement. The worker ants have extremely
long legs, making them relatively easy to identify.
-
 Yellow
Crazy Ants are yellow-brownish in color. They
are present in American Samoa, Australia,
Brunei, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Cook Islands, South East Asia,
Federated States of Micronesia, French
Polynesia, Guam, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Kiriabati, Malaysia, Marshall Islands,
Mauritius, Myanmar, Northern Mariana Islands,
Papua New Guinea, Reunion Island, Samoa,
Seychelle Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, Vanuatu and the
Wallis & Futuna Islands.
- Crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis) were
introduced to the United States from India.
Their distribution is limited to the Gulf coast
from Florida to Texas. They are easily
identified by their long legs and their habit of
erratically moving from place to place (hence
the name "crazy"). Crazy ant trails are not
readily obvious because of this erratic
movement. The easiest way to find the nest is to
look for workers carrying pieces of food or
workers with swollen abdomens. These ants are
carrying food back to the nest. By observing
their movement, it should be possible to find
the nest. Crazy ants are highly adaptable and
will nest in a variety of locations, from very
dry to moist. They will nest under objects, in
rotten wood or trash, in tree cavities, as well
as in debris left standing in buildings for long
periods of time.
- These ants feed on a variety of foods
including grease, sweets, and other insects. In
some areas they are considered a biological
control agent for houseflies. While crazy ants
need moisture, elimination of water by itself
will not get rid of these ants since they can
survive under a wide range of conditions.
Elimination of food sources and nest sites are
equally important in the management of this ant.
- Crazy ants do not respond well to baits, so
they cannot be relied upon for management of
this ant. Surrounding buildings with
vegetation-free barriers such as stone or brick
(but not wood mulch) will keep ants from
entering buildings to nest.
Fire Ant
The Fire Ant is also known as the Genus
Solenopsis, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). The Fire Ant society contains
2 or more worker castes of different sizes between
1/16" and 1/4". Their coloring is usually a dull
yellow to red or black, they have large heads and
incurved jaws that usually lack teeth.
- Their Food consists of other insects, seeds,
poultry, fruits, honeydew, vegetables, and
flowers.
-
 Females
excavate nest close to shrubs for protection
from burrowing ant-eating animals, spreading
large mounds of waste earth. Sometimes nests are
built in rotting logs or under stones. Mated
queen tends 1st generation eggs and larvae, then
1st generation female workers take care of eggs,
larvae, and queen.
- Their body contains a 2-segmented "waist"
(pedicel) between thorax and abdomen, and fine
hair mostly on the head and abdomen, and long
legs.
- Fire Ants live in fields, woodlands, open
areas, and in dry to moist soil. Their range
extends from Florida and Gulf states to the
Pacific Coast, north to British Columbia.
Reports of devastating battalions of Fire Ants
are well known in the South and Southwest.
- Although these ants often damage young
plants, they rarely destroy established crops.
Some people even consider this species a
beneficial predator of insect pests. Other
members of this common genus are found
throughout North America but the range of
individual species is more restricted.
- Warning Stings from Fire Ants produce a
painful, burning sensation.
Harvester Ant
Harvester Ants are also known as the Genus
Pogonomyrmex, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). Members of this Family are
less than 1/16-1" (1-15 mm) long and are usually a
black, brown, or reddish color.
-
 They
have a complex social structure usually
consisting of a wingless worker caste composed
entirely of sterile females and a reproductive
caste made up of winged, fertile males and
females. But some species do not have a worker
caste, and some reproductives do not have wings.
Ants have a slender "waist," or pedicel, of 1 or
2 beadlike or scalelike segments between the
thorax and abdomen.
- Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels
or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time,
winged males and females emerge from the nest
and perform a brief mating flight. After mating,
the males die, and the females lose their wings
and return to the ground to start a new colony.
- Workers gather food, maintain and defend the
nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most
species are predators or scavengers, but a few
harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat
their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in
small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut
from plants.
- Some species produce eggs, which are eaten
by the queen and workers. When disturbed, most
ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging"
people.
- Warning These ants are capable of delivering
a sting which does not hurt at first, but can
result in intense pain and swollen lymph nodes,
particularly if the victim is attacked by a
number of workers.
Leafcutter Ant
The Leafcutter Ant is also known as the Genus
Atta, which are part of the family Formicidae
(Ants). Members of this Family are less than
1/16-1" (1-15 mm) long and are usually a black,
brown, or reddish color.
-
 They
have a complex social structure usually
consisting of a wingless worker caste composed
entirely of sterile females and a reproductive
caste made up of winged, fertile males and
females. There are some species do not have a
worker caste, and some reproductives do not have
wings. Ants have a slender "waist," or pedicel,
of 1 or 2 beadlike or scalelike segments between
the thorax and abdomen.
- Ants live in colonies in underground tunnels
or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time,
winged males and females emerge from the nest
and perform a brief mating flight. After mating,
the males die, and the females lose their wings
and return to the ground to start a new colony.
- Workers gather food, maintain and defend the
nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most
species are predators or scavengers, but a few
harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat
their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in
small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut
from plants.
- Some species produce eggs, which are eaten
by the queen and workers. When disturbed, most
ants are capable of "biting" or "stinging"
people.
Little Black Ant
The Little Black Ant is also known as Monomorium
minimum, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). The Little Black Ant is 1/16"
long with a slender, smooth body that is shiny black
to dark brown. They have a single-segmented "waist"
between the thorax and the abodmen.
-
 They
eat sweet substances, meat fragments, cooked
vegetables, other human food.
- Nests are constructed below ground, raising
small craters around opening at the surface, or
in rotting wood. Queen feeds 1st brood, then
workers take over, tending young and feeding
queen.
- Little Black Ants live in forest edges and
houses, throughout North America, except Pacific
Northwest.
- One of the most common ants in homes, this
insect is active day and night and is often seen
carrying particles of food many feet back to its
nest.
- Because there are usually no winged females,
these ants do not have nuptial flights.
Long Legged Ant
The Long Legged Ant is also known as
Aphaenogaster cockerelli, which are part of the
family Formicidae (Ants). They are 3/8" long
depending on the caste, with 2 sharp diverging
spines on the rear of the thorax. The Long Legged
Ant is usually a reddish black color.
-
 The
Long Legged Ant's food consists of small
insects.
- The Queen excavates brood chamber in soil
and lays a few eggs. Queen regurgitates food to
larvae until they can spin cocoons and transform
to adults. Then workers hunt for food, expand
galleries, feed queen, and tend eggs and young.
- They can be found in Arid plateaus at
elevations of 2,690-5,380' (820-1,640 m), from
California to Mexico.
- The sharp spines on these ants may be
nature's way of protecting their narrow "waist,"
or pedicel, from attackers.
Pavement Ants
The Pavement Ant is also known as Tetramorium
caespitum, which are part of the family
Formicidae (Ants). They are small pests (ranging
from 1/10 to 1/16 inches in length) that can be
found in many parts of the United States, as far
north as Canada and as far south as Florida. These
pests also thrive in parts of California, Mid-West
and Southeastern United States.
-
 Pavement
ants were introduced to the United States from
Europe and occur throughout the eastern United
States. They are an important pest in the
Midwest and New England. They build nests along
sidewalks, building foundations, and under
stones, boards, bricks, and mulch or leaf piles.
- Each individual colony contains thousands of
workers, multiple queens and is usually located
at one particular site; White Footed Ants and
Carpenter Ants can have satellite colonies or
build huge nests that cover hundreds of feet.
- This is a two-node ant (has two segments or
nodes on its pedicel) and is dark brown in
color. Its antennae has 12 segments (which ends
in a 3 segmented club) and its thorax has one
set of spines. The first physical characteristic
noticed (when viewed under a microscope or 30x
lens) is the lines which seem to have been
sculptured on the ant's head. These grooves are
evident on the head and thorax.
- Pavement ants are one of the most common
small ants invading homes. These ants readily
make trails to and from food sources and often
forage along the edge of carpeting or
baseboards. They are also common around the base
of toilets. They often nest in protected areas
so the nests may be hard to locate, but this is
essential to manage infestations of this
species. There can be several thousand in a
colony.
Pharaoh Ant
The Pharaoh Ant is also known as
Monomorium pharaonis, which are part
of the family Formicidae (Ants).
Members of this Family are less than
1/16" long and are usually a yellow,
brown, or reddish color.
- They are tThought to have come
to North America from Africa,
Pharaoh ants can be an acute problem
in hotels and inns as well as
apartments and homes.
- These ants generally come into a
structure via items shipped or
brought in from an infested
location.
- In the Pacific Northwest, the
climate is too cool in the winter
for them to survive out of doors.
Inside, they can nest in wall voids,
behind baseboards, under furniture,
or under stored items in cabinets or
closets.
- Food sources range from sweets
to protein-based foods. Pharaoh ants
can only be effectively controlled
through a comprehensive baiting
program.
- Treatment with liquid
insecticides actually makes the
infestation worse by causing the
ants to "bud" or "split" into
several smaller satellite colonies.
- There are many excellent baits
on the market for pharaoh ant
control. The more successful baits
contain pulverized silk worm cocoons
as an attractant. They also contain
a slow acting poison that gives the
worker ants time to get back to the
colony and feed them. The silk worm
cocoon seems to be one of the only
attractants for pharaoh that works.
Again, it must be emphasized that
spraying makes pharaoh ants worse.
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They
build above ground nests (mounds) in open areas
that act as a solar incubator for eggs and larve.
This mound may contain up to 250,000 ants.