Ant Facts  Carpenter Ants Fire Ants Pharaoh Ants |
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 | Ants communicate by touch and smell.
They lay down chemical trails and constantly touch each other to pass on their nest odor. |
| Ants live in colonies which may have
as many as 500,000 individuals. |
| Tiny ants can lift objects that weigh
more than they do. |
| Ants have remarkably strong jaws and
can give a painful nip. |
| When some species bite, they are able
to squirt formic acid from the end of their abdomen into the wound making it very painful. |
| When ants find food, they lay down a
chemical trail, called a pheromone, so that other ants can find their way from the nest to
the food source. |
| Carpenter Ants, the largest North
American ants, dig galleries in the wood and sometimes damage foundations and other wooden
structures, as do termites, but they cause almost as much damage by nesting in it --
approximately $750 million each year. |
| Fire ants, most common in the
Southeast U.S. from Texas to North Carolina and south into Southern Florida, not only
sting humans and small animals, they kill and eat nesting birds, including young poultry,
and cause much distress to other livestock. |
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(Genus
Camponotus)
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Appearance:
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Among the largest ants they range in size from 1/4 to 3/8
inches long, the most common species in this area are the red and black, but some can be
solid black, workers have large mandibles (jaws).
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Habits:
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They normally nest in dead portions of trees, stumps or logs,
or under fallen logs or stones; they invade homes in search of food; nests inside of homes
can do a lot of damage, they hollow out galleries in wood that are so smooth that they
appear to have been sandpapered.
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Diet:
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They do NOT eat wood, they will feed on nearly anything people
eat, especially sweets and meats; they also feed on other insects.
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Reproduction:
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The Queen ant lays 15 - 20 eggs the first year, and up to 30
eggs the second year; the eggs complete their life cycle in about 60 days, worker ants can
live up to seven years, while a queen may live up to 25 years.
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Other Info:
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All kinds of houses, regardless of age or type of construction,
are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants, they are difficult to control,
colonies can contain up to 3,000 plus workers.
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(Genus Solenopsis)
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Appearance:
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Reddish and about 1/4 inch long.
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Habits:
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Nest in mounds of 1 to 2 feet in diameter and sometimes from 1
to 1-1/2 feet high; large colonies can have up to a quarter of a million workers; they are
very active and aggressive and will sting any intruding animal repeatedly.
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Diet:
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Omnivorous, known to eat meats, greasy and sweet materials.
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Reproduction:
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Total time from egg to adult averages about 30 days; workers
can live up to 6 months; the Queen ants can live from 2 to 6 years.
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Other Info:
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Have been known to remove rubber insulation from telephone
wires and to damage central air conditioning units; their sting is painful and can kill
young wildlife.
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(Monomorium Pharaonis)
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Appearance:
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Very small; light yellow to red in color, with black markings
on the abdomen; about 1/16th of an inch long.
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Habits:
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Depends on artificial heating in human dwellings to survive;
infestations commonly occur in food service areas; will nest in any well-protected and
hidden areas throughout a structure; can nest outdoors.
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Diet:
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Food of all types; will also eat other insects.
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Reproduction:
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Grows from egg to adult in about 45 days; females live as long
as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs; workers can live up to 10 weeks.
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Other Info:
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This is the most difficult and persistent of all household ants
to control; very large colonies, with up to several million workers and thousands of
Queens.
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