Pavement Ants
Appearance:
Pavement ant workers measure 1/8 inch long. The queens are about 3/8 inch long. Their body color is brown to black with paler legs and antennae. The head and thorax is grooved with parallel lines. The thorax has a pair of small spines facing backward from the rear portion. The thorax profile is unevenly rounded. The waist (pedicel) of the abdomen is 2-segmented (two nodes). This ant has a stinger but seldom uses it.
Swarmers (winged females/queens and males) can be distinguished from other ant swarmers by the presence of fine furrows/grooves on the head and thorax, similar to those of the workers.
Habitat:
Inside, pavement ants will occasionally nest in walls, in insulation, and under floors. The most likely place is in ground-level masonry walls of the foundation and especially near some heat source in the winter. They often follow pipes, which come through slabs for access to upper floors of buildings.
Outside, these ants typically nest under stones, in cracks in pavement, and next to buildings. They enter buildings through cracks in the slab and walls, slab expansion joints, utility and heat duct penetrations and the natural openings of buildings. Although not aggressive, workers can bite and sting.
Diet:
These ants feed on almost anything including insects, honeydew, seeds, plant sap, and household foods such as meats, nuts, cheese, honey, and bread, but show a preference for meats and grease. They forage in trails, and for distances of up to 30 feet.
Solutions:
What you can do: Quickly clean up food (including pet food) and beverage spills from floors, counters, porches and decks to discourage foraging by these ants indoors and near residences/buildings. Food items should be stored in airtight containers, if possible. Food should not be kept in work spaces, if that can be avoided.
Professional Solutions:
A Quik-Kill service technician will try to trace worker ants to the nest locations. A variety of materials may be used to treat the worker ants and reach colony sites in the ground, below slabs and inside walls. An exterior foundation perimeter (barrier) treatment may also be performed to help prevent future infestation.
Click here to request additional information or to schedule your free inspection to determine treatment recommendations.
Locations
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