Pest ID Guide
Ants
One of the most common calls we get. Ants follow scent trails to food, and a few scouts can turn into a steady line overnight.
Identification
Several species are common locally, from tiny sugar-loving Argentine ants to larger carpenter ants that damage wood.
Habitat
Nest outdoors in soil, mulch, or wood, and travel indoors along scent trails toward food and water.
Why They're A Risk
Contaminate food and, in the case of carpenter ants, hollow out wood over time. A colony can number in the thousands.
Signs To Watch For
A visible trail moving in one direction, small dirt mounds outdoors, and sawdust-like material near wood (a sign of carpenter ants).
Species We Treat
Close-up of an ant foraging on soil
What Do Ants Look Like?
Ants have a distinct three-segment body: head, thorax, and abdomen, joined by a narrow, pinched waist. Most household species range from 1/8 to 1/2 inch long and are black, brown, or reddish-brown. Look closely at the antennae, which bend at an angle (unlike a termite's straight antennae), and the six legs, which are proportionally longer than a termite's.
