Ants
Carpenter Ants: Among the largest of all ants. Worker ants are usually 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, with large heads, shiny black bodies and no sting. They eat almost anything but cause most damage by tunneling in wood, both indoors and outdoors, to make smooth, “sculptured” nest cavities.
Pavement Ants: Small blackish-brown ants. Workers 1/10 to 1/8 inch long with mild sting. Mostly nesting outdoors under stones or in cracks in paving, but often invading homes seeking food and sometimes nesting in crevices indoors in winter.
Pharaoh Ants: Very small yellow or reddish ants. Workers only 1/16 to 1/12 inch long with mild sting. Originated in tropics and mostly found nesting in warm (80(-86(F), humid crevices indoors, such as near radiators and sinks. Active throughout the year, eating and contaminating all foodstuffs and sometimes attacking invalids and newborn babies. Easily spread between buildings on groceries and laundry.
Argentine Ants: Small brown ants. Workers 1/10 inch long, with no sting but a severe bite. Found throughout the South and California, and in some other states. Mostly nesting in the ground under boards, tree stumps, concrete walks, and leaf piles, but sometimes overwintering or nesting indoors, especially in heating ducts. Eats almost anything but prefers sweet foods and frequently establishes trails to raid food sources in homes.
Fire Ants: Small reddish ants with blackish abdomen. Workers 1/16 to 1/4 inch long with powerful stings. Found in the Southern states, Arizona and California. Some species form large nest mounds in open ground, while others nest under boards, rocks and plants, and sometimes under buildings, especially near fire hearths. They eat everything from cereals to meat, and attack domestic animals and people, especially invalids and babies.
What Can You Do Against Ants?
Many species of ants remain outdoors and are not pests. In fact, ants may be beneficial when they are predators on crop pests, and some are useful pollinators of plants. Ants can also improve soil quality because their tunneling activity enhances soil drainage and aeration and helps recycle soil nutrients. However, those ants which cause harm to people or property must be controlled using appropriate chemical and nonchemical methods. The choice of pesticide is especially important because some pesticides, particularly over-the-counter brands, are readily detected by ants and cause them to disperse and infest new locations. Also, many pesticides used by consumers perform poorly on soil and other porous surfaces, and are adversely affected by rainfall and ultraviolet light outdoors or by the heat and humidity in places where ants choose to nest indoors. Consequently, the selection and use of pesticides against harmful ants is usually best left to professionals. However, here are 10 nonchemical measures you can carry out that will discourage ants and complement other measures taken by professional pest control operators.
