Pest Control Ants

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Walnut Creek Pest Control: Ants

Odorous House Ants:
Workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long Dark brown to shiny black Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side Very strong odor when crushed

Pavement Ants:
Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. They can infest structures.

Walnut Creek Ant Control

Argentine Ants:
Workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long -Uniformly dull brown -Petiole with 1 erect node -Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side -Musty odor emitted when crushed

Pavement ant—Tetramorium caespitum
Subfamily: Myrmicinae

Identifying characteristics

• Workers are all the same size, 3/16-inch long
• Dark brown to black
• Petiole with 2 nodes
• Thorax uneven with 1 pair of spines
• Grooves on head and thorax
• 12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented club

Behavior

• Feed on honeydew, insects, sweets, fruit, and greasy foods
• Will feed on pet food both indoors and outdoors
• Trails seen going to and from food sources, most often at night
• Move in slow deliberate motion and are not easily disturbed
• May move through plumbing pipes and electrical wires
• Adjacent colonies fight, producing spectacular sidewalk “ant wars” in the spring.

Nest type and size: Nest in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards Mounds are built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters Colonies tend to be found near water.