Common Ants in Southern California

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants appear in the fossil record across the globe in considerable diversity during the latest Early Cretaceous and early Late Cretaceous, suggesting an earlier origin. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period, and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.
ARGENTINE
LINEPITHEMA HUMILE
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CARPENTER
CAMPONOTUS SPP.
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ODOROUS HOUSE 
TAPINOMA SESSILE
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HARVESTER
POGONOMYRMEX SPP.
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LITTLE BLACK
MONOMORIUM MINIMUM
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PHARAOH
MONOMORIUM PHARAONIS
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FIRE
SOLENOPSIS
INVICTA
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8 FACTS ABOUT ANTS

Fact #1: Colonies are bigger than the average ant farm.
Ant colonies come in literally all shapes and sizes. A few species live in colonies of only a few dozen ants; however, the average ant colony contains thousands of individual ants. Smaller colonies live in natural crevices or openings while larger colonies create vast nests and forage for supplies and food. There are also super colonies around the world that can contain more than 300 million individuals. These super colonies have been identified in Japan, Australia, the United States, and southern Europe.

Fact #2: Ants have specific jobs.
Ants are very social insects, and they divide jobs among different types of ants in each colony. The queen or queens have only one job - to lay eggs. All other female ants are workers; they feed the larvae, take out the colony's trash, forage for food and supplies, or defend the nest. Male ants' only job is to mate with the queen.

Fact #3: Ants don't have ears.
Instead of hearing through auditory canals, ants "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground. Special sensors on their feet and on their knees help ants interpret signals from their surroundings. They also use their antennae and the hairs on their body to feel around while foraging for food.

Fact #4: One ant species is exclusively female.
Researchers have yet to find a male of the species M. smithii. The queen ant reproduces asexually, so all offspring are clones of the queen. This species is found in several countries of Central America and most countries of South America.

Fact #5: Ants can become zombies.
Perhaps the strangest ant fact, there is a species of fungus that infects ants and takes control of their bodies. The fungus finds its way underneath the ant's exoskeleton and begins to consume soft tissue. Shortly after, by unknown mechanisms, it causes the ant to leave its colony. The ant then finds a leaf, bites it with a "death grip," and dies. A few days later, the fungus releases spores to infect more ants. Some ant species have learned to recognize infected colony mates and will carry them far away to protect the rest of the colony.

Fact #6: Ants can lift 10-50 times their body weight.
Because ants are so small, their muscles are thicker relative to their body mass than in larger animals. This allows ants to carry objects much heavier and bigger than them. To put it into perspective, if humans could lift 10 times their weight, a 200-pound man could lift a small car above his head.

Fact #7: Some ants are homeless.
Not all ant species build nests. A group of about 200 species known as army ants have two phases of their life: nomad and stationary. During the colony's nomad phase, the ants travel all day, attacking other colonies and insects they encounter for food. At night, they build a temporary nest and keep moving the next morning. The only time they stop traveling is during the stationary phase when the queen lays eggs and the colony waits for them to hatch. During this time, the worker ants make a nest out of their own bodies to protect the queen, the food, and the eggs.

Fact #8: Ants are found (almost) everywhere on Earth.
Ants are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica. A few islands such as Greenland do not have any native ant species, but individual ants have been brought in through human travel. The vast distribution of ants is rivaled only by that of humans. Very impressive for such little guys!

Argentine

Argentine ants are an invasive species originally native to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. They can now be found in many places around the world, including South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, the United States and Europe.
Today, Argentine ants are widespread throughout the southern states, California and Hawaii. Less widespread infestations are also found in Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and the Pacific Northwest.

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Varies from dark brown to black, and the body is often shiny in appearance.

Argentine ants range between 2.2 to 2.8 mm long. They are wingless with 12-segmented antenna and emit a musty odor when crushed.
→ Queens are slightly larger than workers, measuring between 4 to 6 mm long.
→ Reproductives (queens and males) may have wings.

The colonies of Argentine ants can grow quite large and contain tens of thousands of workers and numerous queens. Each colony will be divided into subcolonies located in various suitable harborages connected by established trunk trails. These subcolonies will number from a few hundred to thousands of individuals. Since members of two separate colonies are not aggressive toward each other, colonies will often combine with one another. This creates huge super-colonies that may extend over several properties. Argentine ants are very aggressive and will drive out native species of ants, creating an environment where they are literally the "king" of the anthill, so to speak. Their primary food source during the warm months is the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs. The presence of fruit trees, roses and other plants that attract aphids often contributes to Argentine ant infestations.

The most common sign of an Argentine ant infestation is witnessing the trails of ants, often traveling up buildings, trees and into homes. The trails will oftentimes be wide and noticeable.

Because Argentine ant nests support multiple queens, these pests breed rapidly and create huge colonies that can number into the hundreds of thousand of workers. Drawn to decay and waste, the insects spread bacteria wherever they go. Argentine ants feed by transferring food from mouth to mouth, making baits more effective than aerosol or liquid insecticides.

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.

Argentine ants are very efficient foragers that follow regular trails when searching for food, and winged queens can sometimes be found among trailing workers. Unlike most ants, who only deposit pheromone trails on their way back to the nest from a food source, Argentine ants will deposit pheromone trails both to and from a food source. This behavior ensures they do not waste time revisiting the same area for food. Their preferred foods are sucrose-containing sweets, but they increase their intake of protein-rich foods during their peak reproductive months of the spring and summer. Argentine ants are known to be aggressive towards other ant species, and will attack competing ants when they move into a new area.

Argentine ant queens mate with males solely to populate the colony. Mating is the only purpose for Argentine ant males who will live for about a year and then die shortly after mating. The eggs laid by queens usually produce sterile female workers, who have many responsibilities in the colony including foraging for food, nursing eggs and feeding larvae.

Argentine ant colonies can contain hundreds of queens. For every 1,000 worker ants, it’s estimated there can be up to 15 queens. Unlike some other ant species that establish new nests through swarming, Argentine ants reproduce through a process known as budding where queens and males will mate within the parent nest before leaving with a handful of workers to start a new nest. These networks of interconnected nests can expand to form massive colonies called supercolonies that can contain millions of members, including multiple queens, and have been known to populate entire city blocks.

Argentine ant colonies are typically located in wet environments near a food source. Outdoors, they usually build shallow nests in moist locations such as under boards or stones, beneath plants or along sidewalks. When the conditions outside are not favorable for the ants to thrive, usually too cold or too dry, Argentine ants have been known to invade buildings in large numbers. Once inside, they will still nest near a source of moisture, such as water pipes, sinks and potted plants. One common way ants gain entry into a home is by trailing along tree branches or utility lines that contact the structure.

Argentine ants do not have stingers and only bite humans when provoked. However, the bites are not severe and pose no major health risks.

Argentine ants do not pose an extreme health threat, but they are known to crawl over sewage, trash and dead animals while looking for food and can be carriers of disease-causing bacteria for conditions like dysentery. If they gain access to a household’s kitchen, they are capable of contaminating food. In areas where large numbers of Argentine ants are present, workers have even been known to attack poultry chicks and destroy beehives.

TIPS FOR CONTROL

The Argentine ant can be difficult to control, especially during midsummer in areas such as Southern California. At best, regular treatments keep as few ants as possible from entering the home or business. General tips for limiting ant infestations include:

→ Eliminating piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
→ Keeping landscape mulch less than two inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
→ Ensuring the sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation.
→ Sealing as many cracks in the building's exterior as possible.
→ Keeping tree and shrub branches trimmed to prevent touching the home.
→ Considering re-landscaping to avoid using plants that are prone to aphids and similar insects. At the very least, treat such plants for aphids regularly. A tree/shrub company can be helpful with this task.

Argentine ants are believed to have been originally introduced to the continental U.S. in New Orleans via coffee ships from Brazil in the late 1800’s.
Carpenter

Carpenter ants get their name from their nest building, where they will excavate the wood and form smooth tunnels inside of the wood. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, they only tunnel and chew through wood to create nests.

The western black carpenter ant colony, when mature, contains about 10-20,000 workers, with large colonies of more than 50,000 individuals. There is usually only one functional, wingless queen per colony. Swarmers are not produced until the colony is more than two years old. They are produced in the previous year and held over the winter in the nest for release the following year. Swarmers appear from May until August in the eastern United States and from February through June in the west.

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While black carpenter ants are common, these pests may be a combination of black and red, or completely black, red or brown.

Carpenter ants vary in size and can be anywhere from ½” to ⅝” long.

The only external sign of a carpenter ant infestation other than the presence of workers and/or swarmers is the appearance of small openings on the surface of wood. Through these, the ants expel debris, which consists of sawdust-like shavings and/or fragments of insulation and insect body parts. The accumulation of this debris below the holes is a good indication of an active infestation. The gallery walls that carpenter ants create are smooth, with a sand-papered appearance. Active galleries are kept clean of debris.

Carpenter ants prefer to attack wood softened by fungus and are often associated with moisture problems, so homeowners should keep an eye out for excess moisture and soft, rotting wood around the home.

Most species of carpenter ants attack wood that is currently or has previously been wet and damaged by mold. Even though carpenter ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may later begin excavating tunnels through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through plumbing and electrical penetrations in the home. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs outdoors that touch the building above ground, then enter the home through any small opening.

Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, rotting fence posts, old firewood, under stones, etc. The parent colony, or main colony, is typically located outside and contains the queen, eggs and young. Satellite nests can occur and branch out from the main parent colony and they only contain workers, mature larvae and pupae. Satellite nests are formed in mid-summer both indoors and outdoors and do not form until the parent colony matures over several years. Usually around August, the workers and winged ants will emerge from the pupae.

Carpenter ants will begin mating flights in a process called swarming. Winged males are typically the first to emerge when environmental conditions like temperature and extended daylight signify that it’s time to swarm. If conditions are right, the male releases a pheromone that stimulates the female to leave her nest. The first appearance of winged males in a home often causes homeowners great concern, as it signifies that ants are living inside the house. Otherwise, the presence of a carpenter ant nest indoors is sometimes indicated by a rustling sound that will come from wall voids or from wood where the nest is located when the winged forms are disturbed.

Carpenter ants feed primarily on insect honeydew, plant and fruit juices, insects and other arthropods. Inside, they will also feed on sweets, eggs, meats, cakes and grease. The workers will forage up to 300 feet from their nest. Although some workers are active during the day, most activity occurs from shortly before dusk until dawn.

Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet, damaged wood.

Carpenter ants do not eat wood but damage wood through their nest building. If they gain entry to a structure, they can pose a significant property threat. If you notice carpenter ants, contact a licensed pest control professional immediately to discuss a proper course of ant extermination or control, including a plan for how to get rid of carpenter ants.

TIPS FOR CONTROL

Successfully controlling carpenter ants requires certain skills, knowledge and experience. Carpenter ant control involves tracking down and treating as many satellite colonies as possible inside and outside of the home as well as attempting to find and treat the parent colony. Accessing the parent colony may be difficult because it might be located high in a tree or on a neighboring property. In such cases, your service professional may use carpenter ant baits, but these may have varying results because of the carpenter ants’ finicky feeding habits. If conditions on your property (such as a large number of trees) create a high risk for reinfestation, your service professional may recommend regular pest management services to help prevent new infestations. These tips will help you limit carpenter ant infestation:

→ Store any firewood away from your home and remove any dead wood or wood scraps from around the foundation.
→ Trim dead limbs from trees and remove stumps. Rid your yard of these potential nesting sites.
→ Make sure that all plumbing or roof leaks are sealed, and check crawl spaces for excess moisture.
→ Water from rain gutters should be directed away from your home and not be allowed to accumulate close to the foundation.

Carpenter ants are neat freaks
Not only do carpenter ants remove the wood debris from their nests and tunnels, but they also remove old food, dead ant bodies, etc. That’s why you might have seen carpenter ants carrying dead ants. They even collect resin and use it to disinfect their nests.
Odorous House

During the late spring and throughout the summer, there are small black and brownish ants you may find all over your home and property. There are a lot of species of ants out there, but one of the most common across North America is the Odorous House Ant, which is also sometimes called a sugar ant, stink ant or coconut ant. They are a social species with some unique characteristics, including the fact they release a distinct odor when crushed.

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Brown or black

About one-eighth of an inch long.

Odorous house ants may develop huge colonies containing thousands of workers and numerous queens. This species may be difficult to control and does not feed much on ant baits. The keys to control are to find the colonies and subcolonies and treat them directly. Regular inspections and service are necessary to find and treat new colonies as they move in from neighboring properties. The services of a professional, such as Bug Busters Exterminators L.A., are very helpful when encountering these ants.


What do they eat?
Odorous house ants forage for food night and day. Outdoors they prefer honeydew from aphids and mealybugs. When the honeydew supply is reduced in autumn, they may move indoors for food. Indoors, they eat meats, sugary foods, dairy products, pastries, cooked or raw vegetables and fruit juices.

When alarmed by a predator, worker odorous ants will move in quick, erratic motions, raising their abdomens into the air.

Reproduction & Life Cycle
Like all ants, odorous house ants live in colonies. Each colony may contain two or more queens and over 100,000 workers. The queens of an odorous ant colony can produce thousands of workers and hundreds of reproductives.

New colonies are created in two possible ways. The first is when the colony produces winged male and female reproductives who swarm out of the nest, mate and the fertilized female establishes the new colony. Swarming typically occurs in the summer months. The second way odorous ants form new colonies is when a queen and workers bud off from the main colony and form their own new colony.

These ants develop by complete metamorphosis from egg, larva and pupa to adult. Development time from egg to adult is affected by several variables, such as temperature, but typically ranges from 34 to 83 days.

Where do they nest?
Odorous house ants are opportunists, nesting both indoors and outdoors. Nests are found in a great variety of situations.

Indoors, odorous ants can nest in wall crevices, near heaters, water pipes, under carpets, beneath floors or sometimes behind paneling. They are most likely to invade buildings during rainy weather. Odorous ants travel in trails, foraging day and night.

Outdoors, odorous house ants place their shallow nests beneath soil as well as in logs, mulch, debris and under rocks.

This species is common in California north to Washington and is the most common pest ant in the mid-south region of Arkansas and West Tennessee. They may be encountered occasionally throughout the midwestern United States. These ants nest outdoors under items on the ground, within landscape mulch, beneath loose bark on trees, under ground cover, in potted plants and within piles of items such as lumber, firewood or bricks. Nests may readily be established inside homes, in walls, beneath carpeting and other suitable voids or spaces.

Indoors, odorous house ants nest near moisture sources, such as in wall voids near hot water pipers, in heaters, beneath leaky fixtures and inside wood damaged by termites. Outside, odorous ants are often found in exposed soil or under stacks of firewood.

True to their name, odorous ants release an unpleasant smell when crushed. When they invade kitchen storage areas, the pests have a tendency to contaminate food products. These ants are able to bite, but they do not cause much pain. Odorous house ants are recognized as being one of the most commonly encountered ants inside homes. Should a homeowner experience problems with odorous house ants, contact our specialist since the use of homeowner applied liquid and aerosol insecticide products often create more problems by scattering the workers and creating more nesting sites. While odorous house ants do not sting or bite, they can become persistent pests, traveling indoors in large numbers.

TIPS FOR CONTROL

This ant can be difficult to control because it establishes multiple subcolonies and may nest in such a wide variety of sites. The keys to control are to find the colonies and subcolonies and treat them directly. Where the colonies cannot be found, baits may be attempted; however, several baits may be required before positive results are seen. Regular inspections and service are necessary to find and treat new colonies as they move in from neighboring properties. The services of a professional, such as Bug Busters Exterminators L.A., are very helpful when encountering these ants. General tips for limiting ant infestations include:

→ Eliminate piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
→ Keep landscape mulch less than two inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
→ Ensure the sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation.
→ Seal as many cracks in the home's exterior as possible.
→ Keep tree and shrub branches trimmed to prevent them from touching the building.

Harvester

Harvester ants get their common name from their behavior of collecting or harvesting seeds as their primary food source. They are of concern in the urban setting because of their stings, and their habit of removing all vegetation from around their nests causing large bare spots in lawns. There are 22 species of harvester ants found in the United States. The most common types of harvester ants are the California harvester ant, Florida harvester ant, red harvester ant, black harvester ant and the Western harvester ant. All are limited to west of the Mississippi River except the Florida harvester ant. Keep reading to learn more about harvester ants, including whether harvester ants sting, as well as information on harvester ant control.

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The color varies from red to reddish-brown to black, depending on the species.

Harvester ants range from three-eighths of an inch to one-half inch in length.
They have a two-segmented pedicel (the attachment between the thorax and abdomen), and most species have a pair of spines on the top of their midsection. Many species also have long hairs on the underside of their heads, which is beard-like in appearance.

Harvester ants are farmers in the sense that they gather seeds as their primary food source. They generally clear large circular areas completely free of any vegetation around the nest entrance hole. A few species are known to clear an area up to 30 feet or more in diameter. Other species may only clear a few feet. Some species construct mounds, while others carry the excavated soil away from the nest and discard it. These ants become pests only when they invade a lawn from a neighboring field. These ants aggressively defend their nests and will bite vigorously; some species will sting.

Reproduction
Colonies usually contain a single queen who is responsible for producing the eggs. Winged reproductives, also called swarmer or alates, are produced in the summer. Males die soon after mating with the females, who go on to found new colonies.

Harvester ant mounds are moderate to large in size depending on the species. Typically, large areas surrounding the mound are stripped of vegetation to prevent shading, as harvester ants usually remain within the nest during the hottest part of the day. Harvester ants exhibit two foraging patterns. The first is where the ants leave the nest individually and disperse in all directions using visual cues, and the second is where the ants leave the nest and forage along scent trails to find resources. Although they prefer seeds, harvester ants will also feed on insects.

Some harvester ants may occasionally move their nest in response to changes in climate. Nests can be up to 3 feet deep, ranging from one to multiple entrances. Mound surfaces are sometimes covered with small pebbles, charcoal, or fragments of dead vegetation.

There is a single queen in each colony that is relatively long-lived. For example, Florida harvester ant queens have been recorded to live 17 years and queens of the Idaho harvester ant average 17 years but have lived for up to 30.

Swarming typically takes place during the summer, especially in the afternoon after a rain event. In regard to the Florida harvester ant, the female swarmers gather on the surface of their nest, where they mate with males that fly in from surrounding nests. Once mated, they fly off to start a new colony. 

Several dozen species of harvester ants occur in the United States, but most are desert dwellers and do not come into contact with humans very often. Only one species is found east of the Mississippi River in Florida; the remaining species are found in the Southwest. Nests occur in the soil with a single entrance hole.

Are Harvester Ants poisonous?
The answer to this question is YES, harvester ants are poisonous. In general, the harvester ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex are aggressive biters that inject potent and painful venom with their stingers. Like most stinging insects, their level of aggression and venom potency differs between species within the genus. For example, the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius, is not considered an aggressive ant, but its venomous sting is very painful.

In addition to affecting lawns, harvester ants are also known to sting when their nest is disturbed. Harvester ants have painful stings when irritated, and people who have allergic reactions to insect stings should be particularly careful of harvester ants. 
 
Harvester ants are an outdoor nuisance, especially in backyards or recreational areas. Many species of these pests can deliver painful stings and bites, but are not considered as aggressive as fire ants. However, a harvester ant sting can last longer than the stings of other stinging ants, and allergic reactions can be serious. Their mounds cause unsightly barren spots in lawns and landscaping.

The red harvester ants can be aggressive. They deliver a painful sting. Sometimes, the stings of harvester ants can cause allergic reactions, especially to those sensitive to their venom. Aside from their powerful stings, harvester ants also bite viciously.
Little Black

Little black ants typically nest in woodwork or masonry but sometimes come indoors and they are known to nest in the soil and under yard debris. Inside the house, little black ant infestation is usually the result of improper food storage.

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They are dark-brown, black or jet black in color.

Little black ants are small. The workers are as small as 1.5 mm in length, and queens can measure up to 4 mm.

Antennae: Their antennae consist of 12 segments and end in a three-segmented club.
Body: Their pedicel, or the ant waist, is two-segmented. Little black ants have no spines, and their thorax is unevenly rounded.

Little black ants are usually seen around homes following well-defined trails between the nest and food and water sources. They feed on a wide variety of foods, but 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. Most infestations inside are the result of workers searching for food. On occasion, a colony or part of a colony may establish itself inside a wall, behind brick veneer or beneath the carpet by a doorway.

Little black ant swarms are common from June to August, during which time they forage in trails and are frequently seen along sidewalks.

These small ants feed on grease, oil, meats, fruits, and vegetables materials such as corn meal and sweets. The workers also feed on other insects, honeydew and plant secretions.

This ant will take advantage of any suitable, moist space to locate its colony. It is commonly found infesting rotted logs, stumps and fence posts and may be found in tree holes and dead tree limbs far above the ground. Nests are also commonly located within piles of lumber, rocks, bricks and similar items.
Little black ants are common in wooded areas. In yards, they nest under rocks, in rotting logs, and under piles of bricks or lumber. Indoors, nests are located in woodwork, wall voids, decaying wood, masonry, and behind facades.

Are They Dangerous?
Although little black ants have a stinger, it is too small to be effective against most threats.

When in need of heat or moisture, little black ants quickly move indoors. Colonies start under debris, stones, or patios outside but can soon grow to include voids in walls. Noticing the pests in homes may mean a larger infestation is at hand and located outdoors and/or inside.

TIPS FOR CONTROL

Infestations of little black ants often require patience and skill to follow the trails back to the nest. The type of treatment used depends on the location of the nest (e.g., inside wood, within a brick pile, etc.). Baits can be effective but require persistence and follow-up to achieve results. General tips for limiting ant infestations include:

→ Eliminating piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
→ Keeping landscape mulch less than two inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
→ Ensuring the sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation.
→ Sealing as many cracks in the building's exterior as possible.
→ Keeping tree and shrub branches trimmed to prevent touching the building.
→ Considering re-landscaping to avoid using plants that are prone to aphids and similar insects. At the very least, treat such plants for aphids regularly. A tree/shrub company can be helpful with this task.

Pharaoh

Pharaoh ants enter homes to take advantage of crumbs, spills, moisture and protective habitat sites. Grease stains, dead insects, and sweet drinks attract these pests. In pantries, pharaoh ants infest and eat sugary foods and proteins like honey, peanut butter, and baked goods, but they can also be found infesting locations that have no food sources present. For example, pharaoh ants are known to build their nests in pipe chases, places that generally are located well away from sources of food.

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They have light yellow bodies with red and black markings on the abdomen.

Very small, about one-eighth of an inch in length and may easily be confused with several other types of ants.

This pest ant can be very difficult to control and eliminate. When foraging worker ants are killed by residual treatments, the colony will fracture or split into two or more colonies to ensure part of the colony survives. If such treatments are continued, the infestation is spread throughout the building. Pharaoh ants typically establish themselves in areas near moisture, such as the kitchen or bathroom. They travel from room to room within the walls via plumbing pipes and electrical wires.

Colonies of Pharaoh ants tend to be large, with workers numbering in the thousands. If disturbed, members of the colony will migrate to new locations to establish several new colonies through a process called budding.

Pharaoh ants feed on a variety of food sources including sweets, oils and proteins. They will also eat other dead insects.

Pharaoh ants will nest in virtually any site that provides protection. Colonies have been found nesting in walls, furniture and appliances, but they have also been discovered in unique locations such as between the folds of sheets in closets, hollow curtain rods, inside irons, in small boxes and under roofing shingles. They are extremely opportunistic in their selection of nesting sites.

Pharaoh ants are commonly found in commercial food handling establishments such as hotels, grocery stores and hospitals. Inside, they nest in warm, humid areas near food and water sources. Nests are usually located in inaccessible areas such as wall voids, behind baseboards, in furniture and under floors. These ants often use electrical and telephone wires as a highway system to travel through walls and between floorboards.

Outside, Pharaoh ants are typically found in shaded areas or under debris. They cannot survive outdoors year-round in the northern regions of the country.

Managing pharaoh ants is tough. In fact, the incorrect use of pesticides may prompt the insects to split off (budding) from existing colonies and begin new colonies in new locations rather than leave. Pharaoh ant populations can grow rapidly, especially if they go unnoticed near kitchens and pantries. Residents should throw away infested food, as the pests can spread salmonellosis and dysentery. A peculiar mating habit takes place with pharaoh ants since the mating of males and females takes place in the nest; therefore, a homeowner will not see a pharaoh ant mating swarm, unlike most other ant species.

Hospitals are of heightened concern with pharaoh ants, as the ants can spread disease and contaminate sterile equipment and rooms.

Pharaoh ants are found throughout our entire nation and are considered by most pest management professionals as one of the most, if not the most, difficult ant to control indoors.

Pharaoh ants have been implicated in the spread of more than a dozen disease pathogens including salmonella and Streptococcus pyogenes. They are notorious for being a major nuisance in hospitals where they can enter wounds, enter IV bottles and can sometimes even seek moisture from the mouths of sleeping patients.

TIPS FOR CONTROL

→ Seal all possible points of entry around the house including small openings and cracks around doors and windows.
→ Keep counters and floors clean and free of crumbs.
→ Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles.
→ Eliminate sources of standing water outside and use a dehumidifier indoors to prevent moisture buildup.
→ Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.
→ Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house.
→ Consider working with a pest professional to employ a preventative pest management plan.

Pharaoh ants typically make their way indoors through torn window screens, poorly sealed doors, windows or other entryways. Keeping doors, windows, patio doors and shutters closed and tightly sealed when not in use can limit their access. However, tiny pharaoh ants can also sneak in through cracks in walls, foundations and outdoor siding.
Fire

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. 
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) infests most of 11 southern states and Puerto Rico and officially arrived in California in 1998, where it was found infesting numerous residential and commercial areas in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and to a lesser extent, San Diego counties. The initial spread of these ants resulted from the movement of infested soil and container plants to uninfested areas. The ant was also found in almond groves in the Central Valley, apparently brought in with honey bee hives from Texas. Once established, the ant spread rapidly by flight of the reproductives.

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They are dark-brown, black or jet black in color.

There are many sizes of workers in the colony, ranging from one-eighth of an inch to almost three-eighths of an inch in length.

Fire ants pose a health risk to anyone venturing into areas where the ants are found. Although the vast majority of stings result only in a raised welt that may develop a white pustule, a person allergic to insect stings could experience a more serious reaction. Additionally, a person seldom receives just one sting. Rather, dozens or even hundreds of stings can be inflicted quickly on a person accidentally kneeling or standing next to or on a fire ant mound.

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.

Red imported fire ants usually nest in soil near structural foundations or in landscaping. Although these fire ants are often found outdoors, they can gain access to buildings through HVAC systems and AC units. If they manage to get inside, red ant bites can become an issue.

The red imported fire ant was brought into this country during the 1920s and has spread to cover most of the Gulf Coast states and most of eastern Texas. It is now established north into parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. These ants nest in the soil and construct large mounds that are easily seen in lawns and pastures. A single lawn may contain a dozen or more mounds. This ant will also locate nests within landscape mulch and beneath items on the ground, such as landscape timbers. The mounds of such colonies may be shallow and poorly structured, making them difficult to detect for the less experienced eye. Fire ants may construct mounds next to the foundation and enter homes through weep holes or other exterior cracks and holes. Once inside, workers forage in trails beneath the edge of carpeting. On occasion, the ants will bring soil up into walls or beneath first floor bathrooms and construct a nest.

When attacking, fire ants first use their mandibles to grip their prey, and then inject venom through a stinger. Fire ant stings are painful for most humans and fatal to some: if a victim experiences a severe reaction such as sweating, nausea or excessive itching, emergency medical services should be contacted immediately. Their sting, which includes alkaloid venom, is highly irritating to humans and results in red bumps and white pustules, which can ultimately lead to scarring. The sensation of a fire ant burn has been described as “stinging” and “intense burning,” and fire ants are known to attack potential threats or prey in large numbers. A fire ant colony may contain 100,000 to 500,000 insects, thus increasing the likelihood that multiple stings will be inflicted.

To avoid bites or stings outside the home, be cautious and observant where you step, sit or place items such as food or drinks. If you see a fire ant mound, keep an eye on the ground to watch for ant activity.

Although commonly referred to as a bite, red ants actually sting, not bite. In fact, red ants will sting humans who disturb a nest. The sting of a red imported fire ant is painful and often results in a raised welt that becomes a white pustule. Often, a person stung by red imported fire ants will receive multiple stings from more than one of the ants. Persons allergic to insect stings will react more severely to red ant “bites.”

How Do I Get Rid of Fire Ants? 

Fire ants are difficult to control for several reasons: the colonies are often very large and extend under the ground a great distance. Colonies often have multiple queens, so they can recover if a part of the colony and a queen or two have been killed, and they often occur in large numbers, so that when you have eliminated one colony another will likely move in to occupy the space.

Because fire ants can be sometimes a danger to humans and pets, it is a good idea to consult with professionals regarding ways to control them. Call your local Bug Busters Exterminators L.A. to set up an inspection of your property. A highly trained Pest Specialist will come to your home or business and conduct a thorough inspection inside and outside. The Bug Busters Exterminators L.A. Specialist will develop a customized treatment plan that best meets your needs.

Fire ants are members of the order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae, and genus Solenopsis. There are native fire ants in the United States, but two imported species, Solenopsis richteri (the black imported fire ant) and Solenopsis invicta (the red imported fire ant), are of major medical importance. The black imported fire ant (S. richteri) is originally from eastern Argentina and Uruguay. The red imported fire ant (S. invicta) is a native of the Mato Grosso region of Brazil, where its range extends into northern Argentina. Both species appear to have entered the United States.

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