Pest Library

Characteristics

Ghost ants are tiny ants that are 1/16 inch in length. They have a dark head and thorax with pale translucent, abdomen and legs. They emit a rotten smell when they are crushed. Their name fits them well because they can move quickly, and are difficult to track.

Habitat

These ants are tropical ants and are common in warm climates and greenhouses. They are outdoor pests, but can sometimes be found indoors. They like to stay in places where moisture is present, and prefers to create nests that are too small for their population. They may stay in soil, dead tree limbs, soil of potted plants, cracks in trees and shrubs, etc. They can also be found against the wall of buildings. When they are found indoors, these ants will stay in wall voids, in linens, electrical appliances, between cabinets and baseboards, and so on.

Behavior

The colony of this ant is made of thousands of workers and many queens. Although they are small creatures, they have thousands and thousands of individuals that are placed in a small nest, which is why they commonly create many sub-colonies. They regard each other as friendly neighbors whom they can rely on, if the need arises.

Food

These ants can feed on a variety of sweets, such as sugar, candy, honey, syrup, and so on. They can also consume grease and dead or alive insects. They also prefer the honeydew made by aphids and mealy bugs. When they are in facilities that store live insects, such as butterflies and flies, they will carry off the eggs back to their home or even attack and kill living insects to feed on them.

Life Cycle

Colonies of ghosts ants vary in size. Some colonies may have a couple of queens while others may have numerous reproducing females. The colony starts with a single queen producing colony members. When the colony becomes established, the queen will produce more reproductives to help with the production of the colony. New colonies will also be created through budding. This is when a queen and some of her workers create their own colony in a different place from the main colony. Budding can occur many times, depending on the availability of queens.

Other Information and Tips

Since ghost ants can easily adapt in their environment, these ants can become pests, especially when they stay indoors. Their love for sweets make them a real nuisance since they can defile the food that they take. The coconut-like odor they emit when crushed also makes most homeowners hate their presence.

It is not easy to control these tiny insects. Even if you are able to crush one nesting site, it is possible that they have more nesting sites that you have not discovered. The best way to control this ant is to give them baits. Since they prefer sweets, use sugar or honey water solution and boric acid for them to carry in their home. The ants will bring this solution back to their colony to share with the rest of the ants and their queens.

Photo by Sarefo (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons / resized from original