Don't know what kind of ants are in your pants? Or even worse, the ants in your pants!? This Las Vegas Ant ID guide will tell you exactly the kind of ants we are dealing with.
Ants! Or as they should be called, The Number One Pest in America! Ants are not only a nasty and annoying pest, they can also cause serious damage to property. With over 700 different species of ants in the United States it is no wonder how they can rapidly become a major issue for home and business owners. Luckily if you take steps similar to avoiding cockroaches and other unwanted visitors. You can help minimize these potential risks by reducing or eliminating clutter in your yard and surrounding your building, this means no piles of leaves, sticks, or brush. Remove standing water and dehumidify cool damp places. Always seek environmental change before seeking chemical options, if a solution can not be attained by simply altering the Ants habitat it may be best to call Fortified Pest Management for a free estimate of the situation to help determine the best course of action using the latest in IPM tactics and safest chemicals made in the USA, implemented by highly trained experts. Whether you called the professionals or are trying your hand at Integrated Pest Management for the first time the first step is identifying the type of Ant plaguing you in order to determine the best plan for management.
Common Ant Species:
Pavement Ants-
- Pavement ants are darkish brown to black in color and are about 1/8 inch long.
- This species is found throughout the United States.
- Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. They can infest structures by entering through holes in the concrete.
- These black pavement ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.
The Tetramorium caespitum or better known as the pavement ant is among the most commonly found ants in the USA. Originally introduced to North America in the 19th century from Europe, the extent of their invasiveness and overall impact as a pest is not well documented. These tiny insects range in size from 2.75-3.2 mm and have a head and thorax with vertical fine ridges. The Pavement Ant does have a dual segmented petiole and post-petiole (waists). They range in color from dark brown (almost black) to black. There are actually 2 species of European pavement ants and in some places they are virtually impossible to distinguish them apart.
Imported Fire Ants-
- Fire ants are dark reddish brown in color and range from 1/8-3/8 inch long.
- This species is found in the southern United States from Maryland to Texas, California and New Mexico.
- Red imported fire ants build their nest mounds outdoors in landscape areas or near a structural foundation. They can also gain entry to a building through holes or cracks in the exterior structure.
- Red imported fire ants attack with a painful sting when their nests are disturbed. The sting often results in a raised welt that becomes a white pustule. Anyone allergic to insect stings will react more severely.
The most common of the 2 fire ant species that you can find in the USA is the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), the other is the naitive fire ant. Introduced to the US between 1933 and 1945 by way of Brazil the Imported Fire Ant spans from Maryland to southern California. Workers consist of different sizes ranging between 2.4 to 6 mm (1/8 to 1/4 in). The mandible has four distinct teeth and the antennae are 10-segmented, ending in a two-segmented club. The RIFA and its Fire Ant siblings get their name from the intense burn like pain caused by their bites. When coupled with the fact these are colonial insects if you stumble upon one chances are many are to follow.
Carpenter Ants-
- Carpenter ants are usually reddish black in color and 5/8 inch in size.
- Carpenter ants can cause severe property damage as they tunnel through wood to build nests. However, the extent and cost of the damage usually depends on the number of nests inside the structure and how long they've been active.
- Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources and frequently enter buildings through damaged wood, cracks around doors and windows, or holes in a structure meant for wires. They will also crawl along shrubs or tree limbs that touch a structure far above the ground.
- This species is located throughout the United States, but is most common in cool, damp climates found in the northern part of the country.
The Carpenter Ant is commonly found around buildings and structures, so it, like other ants, gets a very accurate name. The carpenter ant is among the largest species found in America, and unlike other worker ants will commonly have wings, giving them a larger range and ability to cause structural damage. Generally these ants will have a deep reddish color, almost black in some cases.
