Effective management approaches vary with ant species. Use behavioral characteristics such as food and nesting preferences along with physical characteristics to identify ants.
A first step in identifying ants is to use a magnifier to determine if they have one or two nodes at the petiole of their abdomen. Locate the petiole, the first portion of the abdomen, and count the number of nodes present.
If you are not sure of your ant's identity from this page, or would like more detailed information on identifying ants, see the Key to identifying ants.
1/8 inch, dull brown
(Linepithema humile)
Food: sweets, sometimes proteins.
Nest: outdoors in shallow mounds.
Large, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, black or bicolored red and black.
(Camponotus spp.)
Food: sweets.
Nest: in tree stumps, firewood, fence posts, hollow doors or window frames; deposit sawdustlike frass outside of nests.
1/8 inch, dark brown to shiny black; very strong odor when crushed
(Tapinoma sessile)
Food: sweets, sometimes proteins.
Nest: in shallow mounds in soil or debris, or indoors in wall voids, around water pipes or heaters.
1/8 to 1/4 inch, brownish-black head, red thorax, and velvety black abdomen; very distinct odor when crushed
(Liometopum occidentale)
Food: sweets and insects.
Nest: in dead wood such as old tree limbs, stumps, and logs.
3/16 inch, dark brown to black
(Tetramorium caespitum)
Food: sweets, proteins, grease.
Nest: in lawns or under stones, boards; build mounds along sidewalks, foundations, and near water.
1/16 inch, yellow or honeycolored to orange
(Monomorium pharaonis)
Food: fats, proteins, sweets.
Nest: in wall or cabinet voids, behind baseboards, or insulation or outdoors in debris.
1/16 to 1/5 inch, reddish with dark brown abdomen
(Solenopsis invicta)
Food: sweets, proteins.
Nest: in mounds with multiple openings in soil or lawns and sometimes in buildings behind wall voids.
1/8 to 1/4 inch, amber head and thorax with black abdomen, body covered with golden hairs
(Solenopsis xyloni)
Food: proteins and sweets.
Nest: in small mounds with flattened irregular craters in wood, under rocks.
1/32 inch, yellow to light brown
(Solenopsis molesta)
Food: greasy and fatty foods, sometimes sweets. Steal food and ant larvae from other ant nests.
Nest: outdoors in soil, under rocks or decaying wood or indoors behind wallboards or baseboards.