North America is an ant haven with over 350 different species of ants in the Southwestern United States. The chances are high that you may have ants in your yard, near your house or even inside your home if you do not have regular exterminations.

Common Types of Ants in The Southwest

Odorous House Ant

The odorous house ant is about 1/8 inch long and very dark brown to shiny black in coloration. When these ants are crushed, they exude a very strong odor. These ants eat both dead and living insects and venture inside of a home in search of sweets. The ants travel in trails near house foundations and sidewalks outdoors. After entering a house, they travel along baseboards and the edges of carpets. Odorous house ants may make a nest in wall voids and around water pipes and heaters with up to 10,000 workers in it.

Argentine Ant

The argentine ant is about 1/8-inch long and is a dull brown color. They emit a musty odor when they are crushed. This type of ant feeds on fresh fruits, sweets and plant buds. In a home, they seek out sweets and oils. Outdoors they travel rapidly in a line formation along sidewalks and up sides of houses. Indoors they can be found along baseboards and under the edges of carpet. The ant mounds are generally outside with millions of ants per colony and multiple queens.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are 1/4- to 1/2-inch long and can be black or black and red. This type of ant travels in loose trails and feeds on insects, both alive and dead, honeydew and ripe fruit, although they prefer sweets. Homes with wood on them may have carpenter ants that bore into the wood to make nests and cause serious damage to wooden structures. Indoor nests are in the subfloor, door and window frames and in hollow doors.

Pharaoh Ant

The pharaoh ant is very small at only approximately 1/16-inch long and is yellow to orange in color. They feed on dead and living insects and inside they feed on sweets, proteins and fats. They like areas inside a home with moisture and may use plumbing pipes and electrical wires to travel from one room to another as they march in a trail along countertops, baseboards, floors and walls. Pharaoh ants thrive indoors in a wall or cabinet void, behind baseboards, in refrigerator insulation and hollow curtain rods or even in the folds of bed sheets. Colonies contain up to 300,000 workers.

Red Ants

The red ant is solid red in color and has two to three teeth on the front of the head. They are active in the morning and early evening and do not march in a straight line. They feed on insects, grease, proteins, sweets and seeds, though dog food either indoors or outdoors is a favorite food. Indoors they next in crawl spaces, under carpets and wall voids. Red ants leave a nasty bite on their victims, and some people are very allergic to the bites.

After learning the facts about ants, the best approach to keep all ants at bay in the Southwestern states is to be proactive.  It’s best to have an ant control regime that prevents these pests from your lawn and home, rather than to be reactive and put your family at harm.

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Odorous House Ant:  Tapinoma Sessile – Ant by Harsha K R, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / resized from original