ANT FACTS
- Average life span of an ant is 45 to 60 days.
- An ant uses its antenna for touch as well as smell.
- Around 700,000 members can be found in the colony of the Army ants
Ants
 | Argentine Ant Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr)The Argentine ant, which is native to Argentina and Brazil, was probably introduced at New Orleans via coffee ships from Brazil before 1891. Colonies are located in moist situations near a food source. They include a few hundred to several thousand workers and many queens; numbers fluctuate seasonally. In the autumn, outside colonies join together to from huge overwintering nests. The workers are very aggressive and usually eliminate other ant species and some other insects from the area. However, ants from different Argentine ant colonies are friendly and do not fight. Inside, these ants usually nest near a moisture source such as water pipes, sinks, potted plants, etc. The workers follow regular trains when foraging, and winged queens can sometimes be found among trailing workers. Workers commonly tend honeydew-producing insects. The preferred foods are sweets such as sugars and syrup, but they will feed on almost every kind of food including meats, eggs, oil, fats, etc. Outside, Argentine ants typically live in shallow nests located in moist situations such as under boards and stones, beneath plants, along sidewalks, etc. This ant prefers sweets such as honeydew, fruit juices, and plant secretions, but also steals seeds, attacks poultry chicks, disrupts bee hives, etc. Their habit of crawling over everything including refuse, sewage, sputum, carrion, etc., affords them the opportunity to transport the causative disease organisms for dysentery and related diseases. |
 | Crazy Ant Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)The crazy ant's name comes from the worker's habit of running haphazardly about a room/building in search of food. The crazy ant is found throughout the United States, but is confined to the indoors in the northern states because it cannot survive the winter outdoors. The colonies tend to be small, composed of up to 2,000 workers. Such a colony commonly contains 8 to 40 queens. Colonies are known to completely abandon one nesting site and move to another. No intensive studies on its biology have been done. Inside, these ants usually nest underneath floors and in wall voids, especially near hot-water pipes and heaters. The workers visit food sources following regular trails, foraging up to 100 feet or more. The preferred foods are insects and sweets, but they will feed on almost any household food. Outside, the nests are shallow and usually located in soil under objects or in such places as cavities in plants and trees, trash, refuse, mulch, and in potted plants. Here, they feed primarily on insects, seeds, fruits, and honeydew from aphids (plantlice), mealybugs, and scale insects. They most often enter homes in the fall or after a rain because both conditions reduce their supply of honeydew. |
 | Fire Ants Solenopsis spp.Fire ants get their common name from their ability to inflict especially painful bites and stings. The two most important species are the southern fire and (Solenopsis xyloni McCook) and the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren). Typical mounds of the southern fire ant are flattened and irregular, covering 2-4 square feet. Swarms occur from May through October in the afternoon to early evening of warm days. Developmental time can require as few as 44 days. Its biology has not been thoroughly studied. Fire ants are typically ground-nesting ants. However, the southern fire ant will sometimes nest in the wood or masonry of buildings, especially in areas near the soil or warmth such as fireplace hearths. When the southern fire ant nests outside near a house, it is usually in the vicinity of the kitchen. Outside nests are usually situated under stones or other covering objects, or in the soil at the base of a tree or shrub, or in clumps of grass. Fire ants are attracted to electrical junction boxes of traffic signals, air conditioners, etc. When they mass around the electrical contact points, they cause the equipment to malfunction. They will also nest in gas and water meter boxes and then follow the pipes into the building. |
 | Pharaoh Ants Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus)The Pharaoh ant's name resulted from the mistaken belief of Linnaeus that this ant was one of the plagues of Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Pharaoh ants are thought to be native to the African region. This ant is found throughout the United States. Pharaoh ants have been strongly implicated in the spread of various disease pathogens. The colonies tend to be large with workers numbering in the thousands to several hundred thousand. There are usually several hundred reproductive females present in such a colony. Inside, Pharaoh ants nest in warm (80-86°F/27-39°C), humid (80%) areas near sources of food and/or water. Nests are usually located in inaccessible areas such as wall voids, behind baseboards, in furniture, under floors, and between linens. The workers range widely from the nest in search of food and water, and establish trails to food and water sources. The commonly use electrical and telephone wires as a highway system to travel through walls and between floors. |
 | Carpenter Ants Camponotus spp.The carpenter ant is among the largest ants, and can be from 1/4" to 3/8" long. The most common species is black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration. The workers have large mandibles. All kinds of houses, without regard to age or construction type, are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants. Carpenter ants usually nest in dead portions of standing trees, stumps or logs, and sometimes burrow under fallen logs or stones. They invade homes in search of food. The only external indication of infestation other than the presence of workers and/or swarmers is the appearance of small openings or windows on the surface of the wood. Through these, the workers expel debris which consists of sawdust-like shavings and/or fragments of insulation and insect body parts. The accumulation of such debris below such holes is a good indication of an infestation. They prefer to attack wood softened by fungus and are often associated with moisture problems. |