Ants

Ants

Latin Name

Formicidae

General Information

Ants are insects that belong to the same group as wasps, bees and sawflies. Ants, however, all belong to a single group called the Formicidae; it contains roughly 11,000 species. These species can be easily separated from wingless wasps, because ants have one or two petioles; a petiole is a node-like structure found on the “waist” of ants. Although there are wingless wasps, most wasps lack any such node on the waist, making the waist appear as only a small or thin connection. Knowing to look for the petiole allows one to determine if an insect is an ant or not. One other point is the antennae are always elbowed in ants (not always so in wasps).

Ants are truly social insects. They have cooperative care of young, reproductive division of labor, meaning work is done by non-fertile females and overlapping of generations. The success of ants is attributed to their community building skills. Ants strongly influence the functionality of ecosystems. Ants dominate by their massive biomass, manipulate species composition, influence food webs, possess numerous mutalistic and symbiotic relationships. Ants shape both the non-living (by moving soil) and living (plant- ant mosaics) communities..

Considered by many to be one of the most successful living things on the planet, ants often come into conflict with humans. Ants invade our homes, steal our lunches, infest houses and at times inflict pain. Ants range from mildly annoying to highly problematic. Knowing what species of ant one is observing in conjunction with its biology and control can help to manage them successfully. When controlling ants, it is important to locate the colony; inspection and persistence are the keys for effective and successful management.
  • Argentine Ants

    Latin Name

    Linepithema humile

     

    Appearance

    Argentine ants range from light to dark brown and measure about 2.2 to 2.8 mm long. Their antennae have 12 segments.


    Behavior, Diet & Habitat

    Argentine ants are readily adaptable and can nest in a great variety of places. Colonies are massive and may contain hundreds of queens. Nests are usually located in moist soil, next to or under buildings, along sidewalks or beneath boards. These ants travel in trails.


    Argentine ants are omnivorous, meaning that they can eat almost anything, but they prefer sweet foods.


    Reproduction

    Like other ant species, Argentine ants pass through the development process called complete metamorphosis. Eggs are white, and larvae emerge from them after about 28 days. They reach adult stage in about 74 days.


    Argentine ants may live in soil, under wood, logs, debris or mulch. They may also nest in cavities at the base of shrubs and trees. Their nests are often shallow, measuring up to 20 cm (~8 in) in depth in open habitats.


    Signs of an Argentine Ant Infestation

    The foraging trails of Argentine ants are their most visible sign. The trails can be observed traveling up buildings, trees and into homes.


    More Information

    All Argentine ants are the same size. They travel with well-defined trails between their web of nests and their food sources. Argentine ants feed on sweets, honeydew and oily household foods.


    While other ant species have seasonal nuptial swarming flights, Argentine ants do not establish new nests through swarming. They produce reproductives that do not swarm from the nest but instead mate inside the nest. At times, due to temperature or colony pressures, a queen Argentine ant will leave her nest on foot to establish new colonies. New nests are constructed around the original, and remain connected to the queen’s old colony, so workers are sometimes shared between colonies.


    Argentine ants kill other insects and invade human dwellings. Over time, the network of interconnecting colonies could become a massive infestation. Each colony of Argentine ants can contain millions of insects and multiple queens. These colonies can populate entire city blocks. Argentine ant infestations are best left to a professional pest control operator to identify and treat.

  • Carpenter Ants

    Latin Name

    Camponotus spp.


    Appearance

    Carpenter ants are among the largest ants in the United States, ranging from 3.4 to 13 mm long. The most common color is black, but some species have reddish or yellowish coloration. Workers have large mandibles.


    Behavior, Diet & Habits

    Carpenter ants reside both outdoors and indoors in moist, decaying or hollow wood. They cut galleries into the wood grain to form their nests and provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. This activity produces wood shavings mixed with parts of dead ants which provides clues to nesting locations.


    Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they will feed on a variety of food people eat—particularly sweets and meats. They will also feed on other insects.


    Reproduction

    Queen lays 9 to 16 eggs the first year and may live up to 25 years. Eggs complete their life cycle in about 6 to 12 weeks.


    Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

    Carpenter ant workers and swarmers (winged ants) are the most likely sign homeowners observe. The workers may be observed foraging for food. Swarmers usually are produced when a colony matures and is ready to form new colonies. These winged individuals often indicate a well-established colony. An additional sign of carpenter ant activity is the debris they produce from tunneling in the wood. Rough wood shavings mixed with parts of dead ants from the colony indicate carpenter ant nesting activity. A final sign may be the “rustling” sound sometimes heard as the ants go about their activity in the home’s wood.


    More Information

    Ants of the genus Camponotus are known as carpenter ants because they prefer to establish their colonies in galleries excavated from damp or damaged wood. Carpenter ants do not eat wood as termites do, but instead remove wood and deposit the debris outside of their nests in small piles.


    Carpenter ants clean their nesting sites, and their galleries are not lined with mud or moist soil as termite galleries typically are. Carpenter ant workers keep their galleries as smooth as sandpapered wood.


    Carpenter ants vary in size, ranging from 3.4 to 13 mm in length. One carpenter ant colony can contain different sizes of ants, depending on caste and responsibility. The color of carpenter ants also varies among species, ranging from jet-black to dark brown, red, black, yellow, orange, yellowish tan or light brown. They are most commonly black, but some carpenter ants exhibit both red and black coloration. They are common in many parts of the world.


    Identification of carpenter ant species can be made only through careful observation of specific physical characteristics.


    In natural environments, carpenter ants dwell in both dead and living trees, stumps and rotting logs. However, they may also establish their nests inside of homes and buildings where wood is found. Carpenter ants prefer to establish nests in areas where wood has been exposed to severe moisture.


    Carpenter ants build two types of nests: parent colonies and satellite colonies. Parent colonies consist of a queen, her brood and workers. Satellite colonies consist of workers, older larvae and pupae. Workers create satellite colonies when the parent colony lacks sufficient space or when there is a suitable supply of food or water. There may be several satellite colonies associated with a parent colony.


    Carpenter Ant Treatment

    In controlling an infestation of carpenter ants, it is necessary to first find the nest. Once found, it can be removed or treated chemically. All moisture conditions that the ants found conducive must be corrected.


    If treated early, carpenter ants are seldom responsible for serious structural damage to houses and buildings. However, these ants could cause extreme damage if they continue undiscovered for an extended period. Thus, it is best to contact a pest control professional in the event of an infestation. It is advisable to seek professional help in containing carpenter ant infestations, as incorrect procedures may allow the colony to rebound when surviving members resume their burrowing and foraging.

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