There are around 13,000 ant species in the world that have been bothering households for years. From messing up your garden and house plants to eating at your foot leftovers on kitchen countertops, ants have become a pricking problem in many homes.
What are the different types of ants in California? How do you prevent them? Here, we will discuss the different ant species to help you chalk out a specific pest treatment plan for your home.
Key takeaways
- There are various types of ants in California that can become a nuisance around homes and commercial spaces.
- Different ant species, such as Argentine, Carpenter, and Pavement ants, have different characteristics and behaviors that require specific pest treatment plans.
- Red imported fire ants and Southern fire ants have powerful stings that can be dangerous to humans and animals. Other ants, like Little Black and Harvester ants, can cause damage to crops and wooden structures.
Indetification of California ants
California is home to different types of ants that can become a constant irritation around your homes. Some ants even become dwellers in office spaces, warehouses, and other commercial locations and disrupt business.
Argentine ants
Argentine ants are primarily found in Northern California. They are small and brown in color. These ants do not sting but can bite when provoked. Argentine ants form vast colonies of 300 queens and 1000 worker ants and roam around homes searching for steady water.
The colonies of Argentine ants do not form permanent homes. They move from a place whenever they sense danger. They have become one of the common household ants, crossing over Odorous, Harvester, and Pharaoh ants which were more in number in the past.
Carpenter ants
Carpenter ants are huge in size and have a dark to light brown color. They do not sting but can bite hard and have very destructive capabilities.
These ants are one of California’s most dangerous ant species because they enter homes by making holes in the wood structures. They weaken the structure of your house or office and can make the whole thing collapse by hollowing out the insides. Rotting or damp wood, be it your wooden floors, furniture, or simply leftover firewood, Carpenter ants can drill through them and set up home for a long time.
As soon as you identify these monstrous ants, contact a pest control body before they cause permanent damage.
Pavement ants
Pavements are primarily found in pavements and hence the name. But they use the pavements beside your homes to enter your residence. They are large and can be black or dark brown. They feed on sweet food from your kitchen, and due to their large size, they fight off other ants from your homes to expand their colonies.
Pharaoh ants
Pharaoh ants can be light brown to yellow in color. They are small but can sting people. Their small size makes them non-threatening to humans but identifying their nests is quite hard. These common household ants can be found in pipelines, behind furniture, and more. They feed on sweet food, so make sure not to keep leftovers on the kitchen counter.
Odorous house ants
The odorous house ants are tiny in size, brown in color, and non-stinging in nature. They are one of the most found ants in Southern California. When crushed, they have an odor and can fest on any open food and can contaminate them.
Velvety tree ants
The velvety tree ants mostly reside on trees. They are large in size and have a velvety black color. They feed on honeydew produced by plants, but food shortage can lead them into your homes and make nests. They can bite and can infect existing wounds.
Red imported fire ants
There are many types of red ants in Southern California, but the red imported fire ant has caused much damage across Californian households. They are on ¼ of an inch but have a powerful sting. Their aggressive bite can be bad for humans and animals alike and feels like a fire sting. If many fire ants attack humans or crops in large colonies, it can be pretty fatal.
Southern fire ants
Southern fire ants are one of the dominant types of red ants in Southern California. They are a little smaller than the imported fire ants. These have a painful sting, and the ants are sensitive to vibrations and come out to attack when they feel footsteps. They generally reside under rocks or unmoved objects and primarily affect your gardens.
Thief ants
Thief ants are also known as grease ants because they love all things grease. These ants are small and light brown in color, and their nests are generally very close to available food. The thief ants are especially damaging because they are hosts and carriers of diseases and tapeworms.
Harvester ants
Harvester ants are an essential part of the ecosystem because they help in dispersing seeds of crops and plants. But due to lack of food, they now enter homes and cause a nuisance. They are small in size, have a brownish color, and have very characteristic “beards” on their chins. They have a painful sting that can lead to allergic reactions.
Little black ants
Little Black ants are tiny in size, almost 1/16th of an inch, and are primarily dark brown in color. They can make nests inside your homes or in your garden. Additionally, they can feast on almost any kind of food and even invest the wooden things inside your homes.
Start protecting your home from ants
Though there are different types of ants in California, most of them can be hard to get rid of. You might want to save money by getting rid of them with a DIY process. However, if not done correctly, the ants will come back and rebuild their nests very soon. To avoid all this recurring trouble, get in touch with ant control to evaluate the situation for you.
We will do a deep dive into the level of infestation and make a proper pest control remedy for your homes. Contact us now to request an appointment.
