Pavement ants are small, stinging, soil-nesting ants that occasionally invade structures. Like many pest ants they are not native to the U.S., but have been moved about through commerce. Pavement ants are fairly attractive, as ants go (at least to us Entomologists!), having intricate grooves and furrows on the head and body. These features make identification relatively easy with a simple hand lens.
Pavement ants are…like….totally groovy…(thanks to Antweb.org)
Pavement ants have the irritating habit of piling soil up next to slabs and sidewalks, and even on the interior of homes where they enter. They can easily find access to homes through small cracks in the foundation. Worker ants collect a wide variety of foods, from sweets to seeds and dead insects. Foraging workers are rarely more than a nuisance. Most homeowners become aware of pavement ants in the spring, when colonies release tens or hundreds of winged reproductives. These winged males and females may find their way into homes, where they can be mistaken for termites by the untrained eye.
Control of pavement ants is not difficult, but does require some understanding on the part of the homeowner. Colonies are sometimes difficult to find, and often inaccessible since the ants prefer to nest under objects or slabs – so the most effective products for controlling the ants are baits. Baiting takes advantage of the foraging (food gathering) and food sharing habits of the ants. Baits have the additional advantage of containing minimal amounts of pesticide. On the down side, baits are slow to act, and control may take 1 to 2 weeks. Baits are designed to work slowly so that they can be shared throughout the colony, resulting in long-term control.
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Jun 3, 2010 at 2:14 PM WOW! You just helped me NAIL the offenders of the dirt piles that popped up in the grass beside the driveway this week. I now believe I have to call you for exterminating too many ants around here! Thanks for the great info!