COMMON ANTS IN NEW YORK (Articles)

Description: The black carpenter ant is a common invader of homes. In their natural habitat, carpenter ants aid in the decomposition of dead, decaying trees. They normally nest in logs, stumps, and hollow trees. However, the large, dark colored workers often invade homes in search of food. These ants seldom tunnel into dry, sound wood, but they may excavate moist, rotting wood and other soft materials ,such as foa…

Description: Pavement ants get their name because of their habit to nest under sidewalks, driveways, and building foundations. During the winter, pavement ants may nest inside structures near a heat source. A mound of displaced soil near a paved area is probably a sign of pavement ants. Very often they build their nests along sides of garages and houses, and parts of houses which are constructed on concrete slabs…

Description: The odorous house ant is native to most of the entire United States ranging from Canada into Mexico. These ants feed on many different items including most items found in homes but apparently prefer to feed on those high in sugars. The odorous house ant frequently wanders into structures for the combination of warm, moist spaces and sugar food. Due to their wide-ranging diet, the pests are capable of…

Description: The crazy ant occurs in large numbers in homes or out of doors. Ants of this species often forage long distances away from their nests, so nests are often difficult to control. Its common name arises from its characteristic erratic and rapid movement, and habit of not following trails as often as other ants.   Appearance: The crazy ant is an agricultural and household pest in most tropical an…

Description: Field ants construct mounds made up of plant materials, such as grass, twigs, leaves and pine needles. They often nest around small trees, shrubs or rocks. Other species build their nests in the cracks of sidewalks, along foundation walls and at the base of trees. Field ants rarely nest in homes but occasionally enter in search of sweets. Appearance: Large ants are 3/8-inch and often are confuse…

Description: A soil-nesting ant, is sometimes confused with subterranean termites because it may create debris-covered foraging tubes that are somewhat similar, albeit much more fragile, than termite tubes. More often these ants leave piles of loose sandy soil. Homeowners are annoyed by these dirt piles and by ants foraging in bathrooms, kitchens, around doors, and windows, as well as on exterior paved or brick wa…

  Description: Little black ants usually live outdoors in decaying wood, but will also build their nests in cracks in walls or cement. Outside, little black ants establish their nests under rocks or stones and in rotting logs, gardens and other open areas. Their nests can also be located within small craters of very fine soil. Indoors, little black ants build their nests in voids and cavities such as wall voi…

Description: They can survive just about anywhere. They can live in people’s homes, in the cracks or under the floorboards. They can build nests anywhere, such as under rocks, in any exposed soil, and rotting logs. If they cannot find any of these things, then they move into another colony. Their nests are generally large for the ants’ size, and have tunnels that lead to another ant colony for a reliable and st…

Description: The acrobat ant is named, because of the way the worker ants carry their abdomens above the rest of the body as if they were performing a balancing act.   Appearance: Acrobat ants are slightly longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped abdomen is usually darker than the rest of the body.   Lifecycle: Each colony contains a s…

Description: During the rainy seasons the honey pot ant repletes are fed so much that they swell up and become living underground refrigerators, some can become so large that it’s impossible for them to leave their nest. The food is stored for the whole colony and is used during the dry seasons when food is not so plentiful. Photo attribution link: By Derrick Coetzee (User:Dcoetzee) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons…