Ant Types
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFAs, for short) get their common name from their ability to inflict painful bites and stings. These dark reddish-brown ants are an invasive species found throughout the southern part of the U.S. These red ants build large mound nests that are flattened, irregular in shape, and between two and four square feet in size. They are commonly introduced into new areas through potted plants, shrubs and trees.
GHOST ANTS
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
The Ghost Ant is associated with a complex of ant species known as "tramp ants" that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical latitudes worldwide. Ghost ant workers are extremely small, 1.3 to 1.5 mm long, and monomorphic (one-sized). They have 12-segmented antennae with the segments gradually thickening towards the tip. Antennal scapes surpass the occipital border. Head and thorax are a deep dark brown with gaster and legs opaque or milky white
CARPENTER ANTS
IMPORTED FIRE ANTS
EUROPEAN FIRE ANTS
Carpenter Ants usually build their nests in damp, sound or decaying wood. Homes with moisture issues caused by leaks are prime targets for carpenter ants. The pests will also use tree branches that overhang roofs as a bridge, accessing buildings to find a way inside. Unsealed openings around utility pipes and wires are common entry points. When carpenter ants build nests, they dig out tunnels in wood, weakening it from the inside. A long-term infestation with multiple colonies in a home often means serious structural damage and unsightly cosmetic damage.
EUROPEAN FIRE ANTS
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
EUROPEAN FIRE ANTS
European Fire Ants Nests are usually in places that maintain high humidity for the colony including in the soil along roots of trees or shrubs, under rocks, logs or other human or natural debris, and in decaying logs. Their nest densities are extremely high in infested areas in the U.S., averaging between 0.5 and 1.5 nests per square meter. European Fire Ants deliver a painful sting which has in a few cases produced severe allergic reactions to the venom including anaphylactic shock.
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
The Compact Carpenter Ant, although primarily an arboreal species, is increasingly becoming recognized as a structural pest in Florida As the compact carpenter ants increase in population and range, they are being noticed by wary homeowners more and more over the last few years, mostly foraging on exterior walls. Since this is a day-active ant, they tend to be observed more than other carpenter ants that tend to be nocturnal. Compact carpenter ants are rarely observed inside structures but have been seen entering under doors, cracks around windows and structural cracks and crevices.
PYRMAID ANTS
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
COMPACT CARPENTER ANTS
Pyramid Ants are a predatory pest with one redeeming characteristic. These ants have adapted to life with humans remarkably well. Where you see one, thousands are likely living in a mounded nest nearby and they have a nasty habit of sneaking into your house. Your lawn and any other open ground is where the pyramid ants will most often colonize. They like sand dunes, pastures, roadsides, fields and scrub-covered land.
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
The White Footed Ant, has become an important pest ant in Florida. The White Footed Ant is a medium small (2.5-3 mm long), black to brownish-black ant with yellowish-white tarsi (feet) and a one-segmented waist. Although WFAs are strongly attracted to sweet foods they will also feed on dead insects and other protein. WFAs are commonly found foraging along branches and trunks of trees and shrubs that have nectars and/or sap-sucking insects that produce honeydew.
CRAZY ANTS
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
Crazy ants earned their name because of their frantic and erratic movement. But what’s really crazy about these ants is their odd attraction to electrical equipment. It’s estimated that every year, crazy ants cause more than $146 million in electrical damage. These ants, when electrocuted, release a scent (pheromone), providing a signal to other ants to rush to the scene to find the ‘attacker.’ This leads to a domino effect; as more ants are electrocuted and more pheromones are released, more ants are attracted to the location. If enough dead ants pile up, it can short out an entire electrical system.
ARGENTINE ANTS
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
ARGENTINE ANTS
Argentine Ants are an invasive species known for displacing native ants. They are also one of the most troublesome home-infesting pests. Moist areas, like mulch, under debris on the ground, under piles of refuse and home foundations, attract Argentine ants. When the weather cools in fall, the pests may use gaps and cracks around the house to take shelter. 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.
ROVER ANTS
BIG HEADED ANTS
ARGENTINE ANTS
Rover Ant Colonies are formed in soil, at bases of trees, in leaf litter, wood piles, and rubbish heaps. They are found in both natural and disturbed areas. Rover ants have proven to be one of the more difficult ants to control. Due to the rapid range expansion of this species, it is a relatively new pest problem.
BIG HEADED ANTS
BIG HEADED ANTS
BIG HEADED ANTS
Big Headed Ants, like all ants, establish well-defined trails between the nest and food and water sources. They feed on a wide variety of foods including dead insects, plant materials and garbage. The workers are partial to the sweet honeydew produced by aphids, scales and mealybugs found feeding on many trees and plants. Fruit trees, roses and many shrubs serve as hosts for aphids and may contribute to ant infestations in homes and other buildings.
PAVEMENT ANTS
BIG HEADED ANTS
BIG HEADED ANTS
The Pavement Ant is an ant native to Europe, which also occurs as an introduced pest in North America. Its common name comes from the fact that colonies in North America usually make their homes under pavement. It is distinguished by one pair of spines on the back, two nodes on the petiole, and grooves on the head and thorax . During the late spring and early summer, colonies attempt to conquer new areas and often attack nearby enemy colonies. This results in huge sidewalk battles, sometimes leaving thousands of ants dead. Because of their aggressive nature, they often invade and colonize seemingly impenetrable areas outside their native range