Among the largest ants, form 1/4 to 3/8 inch long; most common species is black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration; workers have large mandibles. Normally nest in dead portions of standing trees, stumps, or logs, or burrow under fallen logs or stones; invade homes in search of food; nests inside homes can do great damage; hollow out "galleries" in wood that are so smooth that they appear to be sand papered. Does not eat wood; will feed on nearly anything people eat, particularly sweets and meats; also feed on other insects. Queen lays 15 to 20 eggs the first year, and up to 30 eggs the second year; eggs complete their life cycle in about 60 days; worker ants can live up to 7 years, while a queen may live up to 25 years. All kinds of houses, regardless of age or type of construction, are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants; very difficult to control; colonies can contain up to 3000 workers.

Fire Ant
Genus Solenopsis

Reddish, about 1/4 inch long. Nest in mounds of one to two feet in diameter, and about 1-1/2 feet high; large colonies can have up to 250,000 workers; very active and aggressive; will sting any intruding animal repeatedly. Omnivorous; known to eat meats, greasy and sweet materials. Total time from egg to adult averages 30 days; workers live up to 180 days; queens live two to six years. Has been known to remove rubber insulation from telephone wires; sting is painful, and can kill young wildlife.

Odorous House Ant
Tapinoma sessile

Dark reddish brown to black, 1/10 inch long; antennae have 12 segments. Nests found in a great variety of situations; in the home, often found nesting in the walls or beneath the floor; most likely to invade homes during rainy weather; travel in trails; forage day and night. Diet is honeydew in the wild; inside, prefer sweet items. Each female in the nest lays only one egg a day; young reach adulthood in an average of 24 days; workers and females live for several years. When crushed, give off very unpleasant odor; colonies are very large, but can be driven away by invading Argentine ants.

Argentine Ant
Iridomyrmex humilis

From light to dark brown, about 1/10 inch long; antenna has 12 segments. Readily adaptable and can nest in a great variety of situations; colonies are massive and may contain hundreds of queens; nests are usually located in moist soil, next to or under buildings, along sidewalks or beneath boards; travel in trails; forage day and night. Omnivorous; can eat almost anything; prefer sweet foods. Eggs are white, laid in summer; larvae emerge after about 28 days; adult stage reached in about 74 days. Has no important natural enemy in the United States.

Pharoah Ant
Monomorium pharaonis

Very small; light yellow to red, with black markings on the abdomen; about 1/16 inch long. Depends on artificial heating in the human dwellings to survive; infestations commonly occur in food service areas; will nest in any well-protected and hidden areas throughout a structure; can nest outdoors in lawns or gardens. Food of all types, but especially sweets; will also eat other insects. Grows from egg to adult in about 45 days; females live as long as 39 weeks and can lay about 400 eggs; workers only live up to 10 weeks. The most persistent and difficult of all household ants to control; very large colonies, with up to several million workers and thousands of queens.

Pavement Ant
Tetramorium caespitum

Light brown to black, appendages lighter than the rest of the body; about 1/10 inch long, parallel lines on head and thorax; antennae of 12 segments. Invade homes foraging for food throughout the year; nests are outdoors under stones, along curbing or in cracks of pavement; can nest indoors in walls and under floors. Omnivorous; will eat many things, but prefer greasy and sweet foods. Queen produces 5 to 20 eggs per day; brood develops in about 40 days; young go through three larval stages. Slow-moving; a particular nuisance around homes with slab-on-grade construction.

Thief Ant
Solenopsis molesta

One of the smallest household ants, about 1/32 to 1/16 inch long; antennae have 10 segments; range in color from yellowish to brown. Nest occur in a great variety of locations outside the home, especially under rocks; may nest indoors in cracks and cupboards. Feed on immature forms of other ants and insects; also attracted to greasy or high protein foods such as cheese and animal matter. Queens lay an average of 105 eggs, which incubate for 16 to 28 days; larval stage may last 21 days in summer, but can last through the winter. So small they are difficult to detect; very persistent, and therefore difficult to control.

Crazy Ant
Paratrechina longicornis

The crazy ant is named crazy because of its eratic movement, not following trails. Crazy ants are found in various parts of the world and is not native to the U.S. It can be found in Florida, through the Carolina's and to Texas. The crazy ant has a very rapid movement, long antenna and long legs and is easily identified by this rapid and eratic movement and long legs and antenna. Found in apartments, homes, warehouses and other areas. Crazy ant can travel a long distance from their foraging area. They eat a variety of foods such as grease, sweets, liquids, fruits, meats and vegetables. They can live in very dry and also moist areas.