Ants are one of the most successful group of insects. They are social insects with colonies numbering up to 500,000. Ants have a complete life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult). The adults in the colony are divided into three castes consisting of queens, workers, and soldiers. An ants life is dedicated strictly to the survival of the colony. There are roughly 700 species of ants that can be found in the United States and Canada. Of these, only about 25 species will infest indoors and roughly 5 of those species can be considered a pest problem here in the Atlanta area. It is most important to properly identify the ant species being encountered because treatments may vary depending on the species. In some cases, particular treatments may aggravate the problem. The three most common species are the Argentine, Carpenter, and Fire ants.

Argentine Ants
Physical Characteristics: Size: About 1/8-inch long Color: Brownish-Black
Behavior Characteristics: Argentine ants will feed on almost anything, but they prefer sweets. These ants will produce very large colonies numbering up to 500,000 and often times having several sub colonies. The workers are very aggressive and will often times eliminate other ant colonies in the area. Unlike other ant species, Argentine ants from different colonies will not fight and they will often times share food.
Habitat: Argentine ants prefer moist areas and can often be find nesting very shallow in the ground. These ants move indoors in large numbers when conditions outside are too wet or too dry. They can also be found overwintering inside a structure, usually around the kitchen or bathroom. These ants have even been found nesting in indoor house plants.
Homeowner Tips: Make sure that your landscape has proper drainage. Be sure to pull back the grass from around your foundation walls and the edges of concrete walkways and driveways. Cut back all trees and shrubs away from the home to eliminate hard to find points of entry. Seal all water leaks.

Carpenter Ants Physical Characteristics: Size: These ants vary in size from 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch long Color: Carpenter ants vary in color depending on the species including black, red, brown, or red and black. Although they are most commonly black.
Behavior Characteristics: Carpenter ants feed on a wide range of foods including honeydew from plant feeding insects such as aphids and will often time feed on other insects. During spring a large colony will produce winged reproductive ants known as swarmers which they fly out of the colony to form new colonies. These swarmers are often times mistaken for termites by the homeowner. The easiest way to tell the difference is ants have pinched waste and termites do not.
Habitat: These ants are known for the ability to boar out hollow caves in dead wood. Carpenter ants live in damp moist places often times in dead wood including hollowed out trees, stumps, fallen trees, and landscape timbers. Carpenter ants generally have a main colony and several sub colonies. These ants need a constant water source to survive; so they are often times found indoors around water leaks or damp crawl spaces.
Homeowner Tips: Make sure that your landscape has proper drainage and all water is directed away from the foundation. Keep all firewood away from the home. Keep all tree limbs cut back away from the house. Make sure all water leaks are sealed.

Fire Ants Physical Characteristics: Size: These ants vary in size from 1/8-inch to 3/8-inch in length. Color: Usually a reddish brown color.
Behavior Characteristics: Fire ants are extremely aggressive and will inflict painful stings if the nest is disturbed. One very seldom receives only one sting. These ants usually attack in numbers. These ants in rare occasions have been known to attack small livestock. If you have had the pleasure of accidentally disturbing a fire ant mound, I'm sure it was an experience that you will not soon forget.
Habitat: There are three types of fire ants that can be found throughout the southern states and parts of southern California. Here in Georgia, we most commonly deal with the Red Imported Fire Ant. These ants are a wide spread problem throughout the southern states for the homeowner as well as the agriculture industry. These ants construct large dirt mounds although they will often times hide under mulch, rocks, or landscape timbers. These mounds are very distinctive, especially in mid to late summer. It is very common to find as many as 10 or more mounds in a single lawn. These ants will also invade the inside of a structure for food. They have also been known to nest under the cement slab of a structure, often times around the kitchen or bathroom.
Control: Fire ant baits will work if used under the right conditions. Some over the counter products work well, but they will often times reemerge only a few feet away. The best control is obtained by a pest control professional with regular service visits. Return to Bug Facts