Walnut Creek Pest Control: Ants

Odorous House Ants:
Workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long Dark brown to shiny black Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side Very strong odor when crushed

Pavement Ants:
Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. They can infest structures.

Walnut Creek Ant Control

Argentine Ants:
Workers are all the same size, small, 1/8-inch long -Uniformly dull brown -Petiole with 1 erect node -Thorax uneven in shape when viewed from side -Musty odor emitted when crushed

Pavement ant—Tetramorium caespitum
Subfamily: Myrmicinae

Identifying characteristics

Workers are all the same size, 3/16-inch long
Dark brown to black
Petiole with 2 nodes
Thorax uneven with 1 pair of spines
Grooves on head and thorax
12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented club

Behavior

Feed on honeydew, insects, sweets, fruit, and greasy foods
Will feed on pet food both indoors and outdoors
Trails seen going to and from food sources, most often at night
Move in slow deliberate motion and are not easily disturbed
May move through plumbing pipes and electrical wires
Adjacent colonies fight, producing spectacular sidewalk “ant wars” in the spring.

Nest type and size: Nest in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards Mounds are built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters Colonies tend to be found near water.