Ants are one of the most successful groups of insects. They are social insects that live in colonies which are usually located in the ground, but many enter buildings for shelter and food. Ants feed on practically every type of food, but those entering homes are looking for sweets and substances containing protein.
Pest ants are typically divided into two separate groups based on their nesting preferences, either wall-nesting or ground-nesting ants. The biology and habits of each species are different, so a detailed knowledge of these for each species is necessary for control.
The United States hosts almost 1,000 different species of ants. Of these, only 25 species commonly infest homes. These common insects vary in appearance. They can be as tiny as a pinhead or as big as a paper clip. Their colonies may have only a small number of individuals, or the may have millions. Here a list of ants commonly found in the United States:
- Acorn Ant
- Acrobat Ant
- Argentine Ant
- Asian Needle Ant
- Army Ant
- Big-Headed Ant
- Black Carpenter Ant
- Carpenter Ant
- Cone Ant
- Crazy Rasberry Ant
- Crazy Hairy Ant
- Dracula Ant
- Field Ant
- Fungus Growing Ant
- Ghost Ant
- Guest Ant
- Honeypot Ant
- Huntress Ant
- Leafcutter Ant
- Little Black Ant
- Odorous House Ant
- Pavement Ant
- Pharaoh Ant (Sugar Ant)
- Red Imported Fire Ant
- Rover Ant
- Slave Raiding Ant
- Small Crazy Ant
- Thief Ant
- Trap Jaw Ant
- Turtle Ant
- Velvety Tree Ant
- Western Carpenter Ant
- White-Footed Ant
- Winter Ant