Small Ants
Of the thousands of species of ants, only a few are commonly considered pests. These include the following:
Pavement Ants
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Pavement Ants are one of the most common small ants invading homes. They are small (about 1/8") and black or dark brown in color.
Under a microscope or magnifying glass, one can see parallel lines or grooves on the head and thorax that vaguely resemble the pavement markings on a highway.
Pavement ants are omnivorous, but they prefer sweet foods, nuts, and oils.
Argentine Ants
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Argentine ants prefer sweet feeds like sugary candies, pancake syrup, honeydew, fruit juices, pastry fillings, etc.
Argentine ant colonies can get quite large, making control more difficult and time-consuming. They commonly nest outdoors under logs, rocks, concrete slabs, mulch, and leaves.
During winter months, Argentine ants often move indoors.
Odorous House Ants
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Odorous house ants are named for the foul odor that they give off when they are squished.
Odorous house ants tend to prefer sweet foods, and often arrive in droves minutes after a sweet beverage is spilled.
They are usually content to stay outside during the warmer months, only coming into homes when their natural sources of food become less abundant.
Pharaoh Ants
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Pharaoh Ants are itty-bitty things, averaging only about 1/16" in length. They'll eat virtually anything, and are capable of foraging over considerable distances. They often establish their colonies in wall voids, and travel throughout the entire house through pipe chases and electrical conduits.
Pharaoh ants are extremely difficult to control. Using sprays or dusts against them won't do diddly. (It may, however, do squat). So save yourself some aggravation and call a pro.
Thief Ants
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In nature, thief Ants live among colonies of larger ants and feed on the larger ants' young.
When thief ants invade human's homes they leave the kids alone. But they will eat fatty or greasy foods like meat, cheese, buttery pastries, lard, and pet foods. They are so small -- about 1/20 of an inch -- that they often go unnoticed and may be accidentally eaten by humans along with the foods that the ants are infesting. Yecch.
Citronella Ants
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Citronella Ants are about 1/8" to 3/8" in length and are yellowish in color. They get their name from the sweet, citronella-like scent that they give off, especially when they are squished between the fingers.
Citronella ants swarm once or twice a year, and terrified homeowners often mistake them for termites. But citronella ants are harmless and usually require no control other than sealing the cracks through which they emerged. In extreme cases, some ant baits are labeled for use against these ants.
Next: Small Ant Control