Did you even know there were six different types of ants that could invade your home? We here at Contractor’s Best Pest Solutions don’t mean to frighten you, but we have more species of ants in the United States than we care to deal with and these species are tenacious and tough to get rid of. Here’s what they are and how you can identify them before you’ve got an ant problem.
Acrobats
These are worker ants that grow 2.5-to-3 mm long. They have two nodes – bumps between the head and the body – and can be yellowish-brown, reddish-black, or all black in color. These ants are outdoor ants that build nests in wood and foam panel insulation. They will sting when threatened.
Argentines
These ants grow to be about the same size as acrobat ants but they only have one bump (node) between their head and body. They prefer warm locations in the winter and cool, shady locations in the summer. You might find these light-to-dark-brown ants nest inside your wall insulation, too.
Asian Needles
Asian needle ants grow as big as 5 mm long and they are brown-black with mandibles (jaws) that are dark orange. These large ants sting, although they aren’t necessarily aggressive. They like cool, wet nesting locations outdoors and they swarm in July and August, particularly here in Georgia.
Carpenters
Carpenter ants nest in wooden structures which can make them as destructive as termites. There are several varieties of carpenter ants, which makes them hard to identify. The worker ants are large, between 6 mm and 13 mm, and you see them in your home’s woodwork, they’re probably carpenters.
Crazies
Well, yes, ants will make you crazy so it’s no surprise one species is named the crazy ant. These brown-black ants grow to be about 3 mm long and long antennae and legs. They will nest in dry or moist environments – they don’t care – and they love to invade your home to find food and shelter.
Dark Rovers
Medium-to-dark brown in color, dark rover ants are about 1.6 mm long and have one node. They like to nest in outdoor grass edges and in parking lots of all places. If they head into your home, they’ll likely nest in your kitchen or bathrooms. They don’t sting but they reproduce quickly into large colonies.
If you see ants inside or outside of your home or business, call Contractor’s Best Pest Control in Buford, GA. We’d be happy to inspect and solve your ant problem.
