It is common to see the ant species around your home, school, or office. Make sure that these species are attracted by moisture, food wastes, and sweetness. The presence of ants and other pests will give rise to many of the infections. Because these ants will travel to many places, and you do not know where they are coming from. It is not healthy and hygienic to have ants in your place. You can see any number of ants daily, but they are not the same. There are 22,000 ant species are found and classified around the world. You cannot see all the types, a maximum number of ants most likely the large ant species will be found in the forest areas. In this article, we will discuss the most common types of ants and ant threats that can be found in human habitation.
Types of Ants
Not all ant species are the same, they are differing in their appearance, behaviour, and their lifestyle. Here we can have a discussion about the 8 common invaders, where these types of ants can be found commonly.
8 Common Invaders – Ant Species
- Acrobat Ants
- Argentine Ants
- Asian Needle Ants
- Carpenter Ants
- Crazy Ants
- Dark Rover Ants
- European Fire Ants
- Field Ants
Acrobat Ants
These types of ants have their worker ants who work together, they can grow from 2.5 to 3 mm, and these species will commonly nest in moist wood. They are of different colours like yellow-brown, brown, red-black, and full black. They can be usually found outside the homes like where there is a block of damaged wood. Acrobat ants are so ferocious, when threatened, they will lift their two nodes above their head like a scorpion and sting. They can be commonly found in Eastern European countries.
Argentine Ants
Argentine ants can be found in southeastern United countries, and they can grow from 2.5 to 2.8 mm long. They are usually light and dark brown in colour. They usually nest outside in any place during winter and shaded spots during summer. They can be found inside the home rarely and they will be in wall cracks or voids. These species have their single node and do not have the ability to sting. If they enter your home, you can feel a musty smell.
Asian Needle Ants
Asian needle ants can be commonly found in many European countries, they can grow up to 5 mm long. These have their single node, and they will sting if threatened or disturbed. Their sting will cause severe pain and there are some people who are affected by anaphylactic shock because of bite. They usually nest outside the home in shaded and moisturised places, and they are usually found in the seasons like July and August.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are the most commonly found ants near any of the residential areas. They will grow from 6 to 13 mm long, and they will sting if threatened. They are known for the structural damage as they can chew wood. But these ants will not eat wood always, they will chew wooden material to build their nest. These ants can be found outside the home in moisture and woodwork areas.
Crazy Ants
Crazy ants will grow from 2.2 to 3mm long and they are brown-black in colour. They have long legs and a long single node, but they do not have the stinging ability. These ants can be found outside the home like the areas of plants, soil, heavy vegetation, and garbage and they can nest inside the home like wall voids and house plants. These ants have their subspecies, and they are Caribbean Crazy Ant and Robust Crazy Ant.
Dark Rover Ants
These ants are usually medium and dark brown in colour and they can grow up to 1.5 mm long. They can be found in the areas where humans are available, and nest under the objects which are grounded. They can nest indoors like the areas of bathroom and kitchen. They have their single node and do not have the stinging ability. But they can make nuisance with their large colonies.
European Fire Ants
European fire ants are also known as super ants have their workers that can grow from 4 to 5 mm long, and these are the large ant species and are reddish-brown in colour. They can be found outdoor during summer and in winter they will nest inside homes under bathtubs and water heaters. They mostly prefer warm and moist places to stay and increase their colony. The European fire ants can sting when they are disturbed, and the bite will cause severe pain.
Field Ants
Field ants are common in northwest European countries, and they can grow from 4 to 8 mm long. These are also the species of large ants, and they can be found in different colours like brown, black, and reddish-brown. They are found mostly outdoors and have their nest in grassland, dead wood, and soil. They have their single node, and they can sting when disturbed. They will inject a small amount of formic acid and causes pain.
Conclusion
Thus, the 8 types of ants that can be found commonly were discussed. Not all ants can sting, but the ants in the forest can sting if disturbed. Though they are usually in-home, it must be avoided to have a healthy environment. Try some of the DIY methods to control ants, but it should be done with the proper knowledge. If you do not have any prior knowledge about the control methods, you should hire a professional pest control service to keep ants away.
