Odorous House Ants or “Sugar Ants” as they’re often called, are a common household pest found all over the US. Brownish-black in color, these ants are small, ranging from 1/12" - 1/8" long. Outside, they may nest under stones, walkways, or in flower beds or basement walls. They may also nest inside walls, window sills, subflooring, attics, along water piping, etc. and give off a foul smell when crushed. “Sugar ants” often enter homes and other buildings in search of food. These are the small ants that like to invade kitchens and bathrooms in particular, and will arrive in large numbers when they find a feeding site, potentially contaminating food and food preparation areas.
Pavement Ants are a bit larger than odorous house ants, ranging in size from 1/8" - 1/6" long. They are also brownish-black in color and have a pair of small spines along their backs, unlike odorous house ants. They nest outdoors under stones and pavement, although they can occasionally be found in walls, insulation and under floors. Slow moving, pavement ants are attracted to greasy and sweet foods and are often referred to as "grease ants."
Pharaoh Ants range in length between 1/15" - 1/12" and are light yellow to reddish brown in color. Their tiny size allows them easy access to a variety of places, particularly in warmer climates. They commonly infest hospitals, grocery stores and other large facilities in addition to homes. They will feed on sweets, grease, meats or even blood/bodily fluids and medical waste in healthcare facilities, making them difficult to control when coupled with their sporadic nesting habits.
Crazy Ants are about 1/10" in length, and dark brown in color with long antennae and legs in comparison to other small ants. They get their name from their erratic movements. Nesting in small cracks/crevices and wall voids, they are a common pest in Arizona homes as they cannot survive cool weather.
Primarily a nuisance, small ants may give a tiny bite if disturbed. They may also contaminate food with which they come in contact.
Pest control methods for small ants such as odorous house ants (“sugar ants”), pavement ants, pharaoh ants and crazy ants can be challenging. Their colonies are large and contain several queens, which they will break out into smaller colonies within a specific location if the nest is disturbed. Do-it-yourself products for ant removal often affect only a small number of ants, alerting the queens that their colony is under stress. As such, successful ant extermination for these pests may easily require several visits from a pest control company.
CALL ALPHA ECOLOGICAL TO SOLVE YOUR ANT PROBLEM—SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
