ANTS

Ant Swarmer

Swarmers are ants that developed in their colony with wings (unlike the millions of wingless worker ants you see on the ground). Winged swarmers produce the offspring in the colony and swarm at certain times of the year. Colonies can have both primary breeders (one king and one queen), and hundreds of secondary breeders to assist in egg laying and colony growth.

Carpenter Ant

Carpenter Ants are the largest ants on the continent. Some species are black, others are reddish brown. Short hairs form rings around their abdomen and clusters on the head and thorax. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles, preferably in dead, damp wood. However, unlike termites, they do not consume wood, discarding a material that resembles sawdust.

Odorous House

Odorous house ants gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. They are small in size, approximately 3mm in body length, and have one node, which is flat in shape. Their bodies are typically dark brown or black in color.

Pavement Ant

Light to dark brown to blackish; dark parallel lines run down the head and thorax; about 1/8″ long. Their bodies are covered with stiff hairs. Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. Colonies are usually easy to find due to the piles of displaced soil next to and on top of pavement. Indoors, pavement ants nest in walls, insulation and under floors. They like to travel under the edges of carpet next to the tack strip.

Pharaoh Ant

Pharaoh Ants are small, about 1/16-inch long. They colored light yellow to red, with black markings on the abdomen. Pharaoh ants nest almost anywhere that provides protection. They are extremely opportunistic and have been found nesting in walls, furniture, appliances, between folded sheets, hollow curtain rods, inside irons and under roofing shingles.

Fire Ant

Fire ants get their common name from their ability to inflict painful bites and stings. They are red and black in coloration and, like all insects, they are protected by a hard exoskeleton and have six legs. Worker ants have round heads with mandibles, an armored thorax midsection and an abdomen, made up of the pedicle and the gaster. The head is typically copper brown in color. When fire ants attack they usually cause minor red welts and a pustule that will fade in a couple days. In about five percent of cases, fire ants can actually cause death. In those cases, where people have a volatile reaction, some of them actually do die.

Sugar Ant

Sugar ants can be commonly found in South Florida homes. Though not physically harmful, these small red ants are attracted to food and are best known for infesting pantries and cabinets or anywhere in your home that you may store food.

Big Headed Ant

Big Headed Ants are an invasive species that are common in subtropical climates, like we have here in south Florida. They can be particularly difficult to control due to a single colony having multiple queens, reproducing year round.