Ant control, Ant pest control

Ants are nuisance pests around the home because they feed on and contaminate human foods, infest structures by nesting in wall voids and/or underneath kitchen sinks and other places, and build unsightly mounds in lawns and other landscapes. In some cases, ants are able to inflict painful bites or can have venomous stings. Ants do not attack or eat fabrics, leather or wood in houses. However, some species can establish nests in decaying wood, including wood in human structures.

Several species of ants are found in or around houses in Florida. In general, the most common ants can be grouped as house-infesting ants, yard-infesting ants, and carpenter ants. The most commonly encountered pest ants are pharaoh, white footed, Argentine, ghost, pyramid, carpenter, rover, native fire, imported fire, crazy, thief, Caribbean, acrobat (Figure 1), and big-headed (Figure 2) ants.


Figure 1.Acrobat ant.
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Figure 2a.Big-headed ant major worker.
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Figure 2b.Ant, minor worker.
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Ants can be recognized from other insects because they have a narrow waist with one or two joints (nodes) between the thorax and abdomen. When identifying ant species, the first characteristic to look at is whether the ant has one or two nodes. Also, ants have elbowed antennae. The antenna is the second most important structure in ant identification. The antenna is divided into segments starting with a long and thin segment called the scape, which is the first segment counted from the head of the ant. In some imported pest ant species, the antenna ends in a club that is formed when the last two or three segments of the antenna are significantly enlarged. Winged reproductives have four wings, with the first pair much larger than the hind pair (Figure 3).


Figure 3.A winged ant reproductive. Notice elbowed antennae, constricted waist, and smaller size of hind wings when compared to front wings.
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Ants are frequently confused with termites. However, termites have a broad waist between the thorax and the abdomen. Termite reproductives have four wings of equal size (Figure 4).


Figure 4.A winged termite reproductive. Notice front and hind wings are of equal size, and broad waist.
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Ants are social insects. Two castes (workers and reproductives — females and males) can be found in most colonies. Worker ants, which are sterile females, are rarely winged. They often are extremely variable in size and appearance within a given species (polymorphic = many forms: Figure 5), although some species have only one size of worker (monomorphic = one form), and others have two sizes (dimorphic = two forms). The functions of the worker are to construct, repai,r and defend the nest, and feed the immature and adult ants of the colony, including the queen. The worker ants will forage for both solid and liquid foods and water. However, most adult ants cannot ingest solid food. Solid particles are given to the larvae, which are able to digest solid particles. Some ants favor foods that are sweet, and species that are sweet feeders can be found tending to honeydew-producing homopterous insects such as aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects.


Figure 5.Red imported fire ant workers and queen. Notice the different worker sizes (polymorphism).
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Reproductive females normally have wings but lose them after mating. Therefore, queens do not have wings. The primary function of the queen is reproduction. However, in some of the more highly specialized ants, the queen cares for and feeds the first brood of workers on her salivary secretions. The queen may live for many years, and in some species is replaced by a daughter queen. Depending on the species, ants can have one or more queens.

The male is usually winged and retains its wings until death. The sole function of the male is to mate with an unfertilized female reproductive. After mating occurs, the male dies. Males are produced in old or very large colonies where there is an abundance of food. After reaching maturity, the male usually does not remain in the colony very long.

Ants have an egg, larva, pupa and adult stage (Figure 6). Eggs are almost microscopic and hatch into soft, legless larvae. Larvae are fed by workers, usually on predigested, regurgitated food. This process of exchanging food is called trophallaxis. Most larvae are fed liquids, although some older larvae are able to chew and digest solids. The pupa resembles the adult except that it is soft, uncolored, and immobile. In many ant species the pupa is in a cocoon spun by the larva. Six weeks to two months are required for development from egg to adult in some species.


Figure 6.Imported fire ant life cycle.
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Ants establish new colonies by two main methods: flights of winged reproductives and budding. The most common method is for male and female reproductives to leave the nest on mating flights (nuptial flights). The several hundred to thousands of winged reproductives that emerge from colonies for their nuptial flights have also been termed as “swarming.” These ant swarms, in early spring, can lead to increased frantic homeowner calls to pest management professionals. The mating flights are usually triggered by weather cues such as the right temperature and/or 24 hours after a rainstorm. The mated queen constructs a cavity or cell and rears a brood unaided by workers. The first brood molts into small workers, which then forage for food and take over the brood-caring and other duties in the nest while the queen continues to lay eggs. The colony grows in size and numbers as more young are produced. The colony grows rapidly but slows its growth when the colony size nears maturity.


Figure 7.Pharaoh ant.
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Budding occurs when one or more queens leave the nest accompanied by workers who aid in establishing and caring for the new colony. Some of the most difficult ant species to control spread colonies by budding. Pharaoh ants (Figure 7), some kinds of fire ants (Figure 8), ghost ants (Figure 9), and Argentine ants (Figure 10) spread colonies by budding.


Figure 8.Imported fire ant.
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Figure 9.Ghost ant.
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Figure 10.Argentine ant.
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Food Preferences

Most ants eat a wide variety of foods, although some have specialized tastes. Fire ants feed on honeydew, sugars, proteins, oils, seeds, plants and insects. Pharaoh ants (Figure 7) feed on sugars, proteins, oils and insects. Crazy ants (Figure 11) like sugars, protein and insects; carpenter ants prefer sugars and insects. Often ants’ preference for certain foods will vary throughout the year depending on how much brood is being produced in the nest. This variance in food preference has some consequence on the use of baits for ant control. Sometimes changing from sugar-based baits to protein or oil-based baits may be important in maintaining the ants’ interest in the toxic baits.


Figure 11.Crazy ant.
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Ants use scouts to locate food. When a scouting ant finds promising food, she carries it or a piece of it back to the nest. Some ants leave scent trails composed of various chemical compounds known as pheromones that others can follow to the food source. The pheromone trail that is deposited by scout ants is typically short-lived and must be reapplied continuously. Ants require water and will travel some distance for it if necessary. Workers are able to bring water to the colony in their guts.


Figure 12.Florida carpenter ant.
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Despite their name and where they are found, Florida carpenter ants (Figure 12) do not eat wood (as is the case with termites), but excavate galleries in it to rear their young. Carpenter ants feed on honeydew from sucking insects, household food scraps, insects, and other foods. They do not damage sound wood to any extent.



Prevention is the best line of defense against the establishment of any pest insect. Relatively small ants, such as the white-footed ant (Figure 13) and rover ant (Figure 14), can fit through extremely small openings to gain access into the home. Sealing cracks and holes where ants may be entering a structure can effectively stop most ant invasions. If these entry points can be located, they can be blocked by application of caulk or some other exclusion device. This can also help to prevent other insects from gaining access into your home.


Figure 13.White-footed ant.
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The best approach to ant control in the home is cleanliness. Any type of food or food particles can attract and provide food for ants. Store food in tight containers. Remove plants that can attract ants, or control aphids, whiteflies and other honeydew-producing insects on plants in and around structures. Removing any materials or vegetation that is serving as a nesting site to ants is beneficial towards a long-term ant management strategy. Try to remove piles of old lumber, firewood, railroad ties, and debris that can serve as potential nesting sites for many ants including Argentine, Caribbean crazy, crazy, white-footed, and fire ants. Reduce moisture sources, including condensation and leaks.


Figure 14.Rover ant.
Credit:Alexander Wild
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1.This document is ENY-203 (IG080), one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: April 1994. Revised September 2012.. Please visit the EDIS website at



P. G. Koehler, professor/Extension entomologist, R. J. Vazquez, graduate assistant, and R. M. Pereira, associate research scientist, Entomology and Nematology Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

McDonald Pest Control provides pest control services and lawn care in the Clearwater and Tampa Bay area. For more information, go to our web site or call (727) 734-0963



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