Ant Identification
Ants Common in Florida
Tallahassee, Florida, and its surrounding counties home to a variety of ant species, each with distinct characteristics. Commonly found are the aggressive Imported Fire Ants, known for their painful stings, and the Florida Native Ants, which play essential roles in ecosystems. Carpenter Ants, recognized for their wood-nesting habits, can cause structural damage if left unchecked. Additionally, Taw Crazy Ants, Ghost Ants, and Odorous House Ants contribute to the diverse ant population, exhibiting unique behaviors and preferences that reflect the region rich biodiversity.
What they look like:
The red imported fire ant (RIFA) is a small, reddish-brown ant that ranges in size from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Worker ants within a colony vary in size, and all are sterile females. Winged male and female reproductives are also part of the colony.
Biology and behavior:
• Highly aggressive:
RIFAs are notorious for their aggressive and relentless stinging, especially when their mounds are disturbed.
• Polymorphic workers:
Unlike many ant species, the worker ants within a RIFA colony come in different sizes, from very small to larger individuals.
• Prolific reproducers:
A mature queen can lay up to 1,500 eggs per day, and some colonies can have multiple queens. This allows the colony's population to grow rapidly and for them to quickly establish new mounds.
• Seasonal activity:
They are most active in Wakulla County, from spring through fall and can send out winged swarmers during these months.
• Nesting habits:
They prefer open, sunny areas like parks, lawns, and pastures. Mounds can grow up to 18 inches high and have no central opening, with the ants entering and exiting through underground tunnels.
• Indoor migration:
Colonies can also nest indoors in warm, enclosed structures, especially during winter months.
Commercial threat:
• Safety hazard:
Their painful, venomous sting is a significant liability risk for Gadsden County businesses. Their mounds in grassy or high-traffic outdoor areas pose a threat to employees and customers.
• Allergic reactions:
Some people are hypersensitive to fire ant venom and can have severe reactions, including nausea, dizziness, or chest pains.
• Electrical damage:
RIFAs are attracted to electricity and will nest in electrical junction boxes, air conditioning units, and signal boxes, causing short circuits, equipment damage, and signal boxes, causing short circuits, equipment damage, and power outages.
• Property damage:
Their foraging and nesting habits can cause damage to Liberty County lawns, landscaping, and irrigation systems.
• Our solution:
"Imported fire ants are a serious threat that requires professional treatment. Our technicians conduct a thorough inspection of your Tallahassee or surrounding area property to locate and treat all mounds. We use professional-grade baits and targeted treatments to eliminate the entire colony, including the queen, and prevent future infestations, protecting your business from this aggressive and dangerous pest."
What they look like:
The native fire ant species found in Florida, such as the tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata) and southern fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), tend to be brown to reddish-brown in color, often less vibrant than the invasive imported fire ant. They are generally slightly smaller than the imported species.
Biology and behavior:
• Less aggressive:
While their stings are still painful, native fire ants are typically less aggressive than their imported counterparts.
They will defend their mounds if disturbed but are less likely to swarm relentlessly.
• Nesting:
Native fire ants prefer sunny areas and build mounds in the soil or under objects. Their mounds may not be as large or prominent as those of the imported species, especially in Florida's sandy soil.
• Polygynous colonies:
Some native fire ant colonies can have multiple queens, similar to imported fire ants, allowing for faster reproduction and larger colony sizes. • Commercial threat:
• Safety hazard:
Their stings still pose a safety risk to customers and employees, especially in outdoor commercial areas like playgrounds, gardens, or landscaping.
• Nuisance pest:
While not as damaging as imported fire ants, a native fire ant infestation can still be a nuisance and signal a pest problem on your commercial property.
• Our solution:
"While not as aggressive as the invasive species, native fire ants still require professional management to protect your property and ensure safety. Our technicians are trained to identify native species and use targeted, effective treatments to eliminate their colonies and prevent them from becoming a liability for your business in Tallahassee, Wakulla, Gadsden, and Liberty counties."
Native fire ant mound treatments
For native fire ants (like the Tropical or Southern fire ant), the treatment strategy is often less aggressive.
The main goals are to resolve the immediate issue while preserving native ant populations, which can help suppress the spread of the more invasive species.
• Targeted mound treatment:
A professional typically uses an insecticide drench or bait directly on and around the mound. This is a more labor-intensive but precise approach for smaller infestations.
• Reduced broadcast applications:
Broad-spectrum baiting across large areas is generally avoided to prevent harm to native ant species.
This minimizes the disruption of the local ecosystem.
• Focus on individual colonies:
Treatments focus on eliminating specific nuisance colonies rather than trying to clear an entire area of all fire ants.
This is effective in areas with fewer than 20 mounds per acre.
What they look like:
As some of Florida's largest ants, many species are bi-colored, often with a reddish-orange head and thorax and a black abdomen, though some are entirely black. They range from 5.5 to 11mm long, with winged females being larger. A key feature is their smooth, rounded thorax when viewed from the side, a clear distinction from termites.
Biology and behavior:
• Excavating, not eating, wood:
Carpenter ants create nests and tunnels (galleries) within wood but do not eat it. They prefer soft, moist, or decaying wood but can expand into sound wood.
• Satellite colonies:
While the parent colony and queen are typically in moist wood outdoors, satellite nests can be established indoors in drier wood, wall voids, or insulation.
• Foraging:
Primarily nocturnal, they forage alone or in loosely defined trails for sweets, insects, and moisture.
•Biting and defense:
They don't sting, but they can bite with their powerful mandibles and spray formic acid for defense.
Commercial threat:
• Structural damage:
Repeated excavation can weaken wooden structures like window frames, siding, decks, and support beams over time, potentially compromising structural integrity.
• Contamination:
Foraging ants can contaminate food and surfaces, especially in kitchens and food storage areas.
• Nuisance and reputation:
The presence of large ants or swarmers is a nuisance that can damage a business's reputation and lead to customer complaints.
• Water damage indicator:
An infestation can indicate a pre-existing moisture problem, such as a leaky pipe or roof, that needs to be addressed.
• Our solution:
"Effective carpenter ant control requires a thorough inspection to locate both the parent and satellite colonies". Our technicians are experts at identifying foraging trails and nest locations, using targeted treatments and baits to eliminate the colony and prevent re-infestation.
We provide discreet and effective service to protect your business in the Tallahassee, Wakulla, Gadsden, and Liberty county areas."
Carpenter ants excavate nests in wood but do not eat it.
Their presence often indicates an underlying moisture problem. Treatment focuses on locating and destroying the nests.
• The goal:
Colony elimination by directly treating the nest, along with addressing moisture problems that attracted the ants in the first place.
Methodology:
• Nest location:
The most critical step is finding the main and satellite nests, which can be hidden in wall voids, insulation, or moist wood.
• Targeted insecticides:
Insecticidal dusts or foams are injected directly into the nest galleries through small, drilled access holes.
•Baiting:
Baits are used to target foraging workers. They carry the bait back to the colony, where it eliminates the ants over time. Baits for carpenter ants must be specially formulated.
• Moisture control:
Removing sources of water damage or excess moisture is crucial for long-term prevention.
Professional vs. DIY:
While DIY options exist, finding all nests and ensuring complete colony elimination can be difficult. Professionals have the experience and equipment to effectively address the infestation at its source.
What they look like:
Tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva), also known as "Rasberry crazy ants," are reddish-brown ants about 1/8 inch long.
A key identifier is their fast, erratic, and unpredictable movement. Under magnification, their bodies are covered in numerous hairs.
Biology and behavior:
• Invasive species:
Originally from South America, tawny crazy ants are an invasive species in Florida.
• Super-colonies:
Unlike many ant species, they form massive "supercolonies" with multiple queens, which allows their population to explode to extraordinary numbers.
• Ecological impact:
Tawny crazy ants displace and overwhelm other ant species and local wildlife.
• Nesting:
They do not build centralized mounds but nest in any protected, moist areas, such as leaf litter, potted plants, and debris.
• Foraging:
They are omnivorous, foraging for sweets, proteins, and honeydew from aphids.
Their trails are wide and chaotic.
Commercial threat:
• Electrical damage:
They are notorious for invading electrical equipment, including A/C units, circuit breakers, and computers, where they can cause short circuits and failures.
• Overwhelming numbers:
Their immense population density makes them a major nuisance for businesses, crawling on everything and potentially contaminating products.
• Persistent pest:
Control is extremely difficult and often requires ongoing, multi-faceted
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
Re-infestation from neighboring supercolonies is a constant threat.
• Outdoor nuisance:
In large numbers, they can make outdoor areas like patios, lawns, and gardens unusable for guests and staff.
Our solution:
"Tawny crazy ants are one of the most challenging pests to manage. Our strategy involves a multi- layered Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach tailored to your specific commercial property in Tallahassee and the surrounding counties. We utilize professional-grade baits, targeted insecticide applications, and sanitation protocols to reduce and suppress their overwhelming numbers, protecting Our business from this persistent and destructive pest."
What they look like:
Ghost ants are extremely small (about 1.3 to 1.5 mm long). They are easily identified by their distinct coloration: a dark head and thorax contrasting with a pale, almost translucent abdomen and legs. This gives them a
"ghost-like" appearance as they move erratically and disappear against lighter backgrounds. When crushed, they may emit a foul, coconut-like odor.
Biology and behavior:
• Tramp species:
Ghost ants are a non-native, invasive species common in Florida and other warm climates.
• Mobile and adaptable:
They are highly adaptable nesters and can establish moderate-to-large colonies with multiple queens both indoors and outdoors. They are also known for
"budding," where a queen and some workers will break off to form a new colony, making them difficult to eradicate.
• Trail habits:
They forage in erratic and rapid movements when disturbed but will trail along defined paths when undisturbed.
• Nesting locations:
Outdoors, they prefer protected, moist areas like under leaf litter, in potted plants, or under tree bark. Indoors, they often nest in wall voids, between cabinets, or near moisture sources like sinks and bathtubs.
Commercial threat:
• Contamination:
Ghost ants can contaminate food and surfaces while foraging, posing a sanitation risk to food service businesses.
• Nuisance and reputation:
Their presence can be a persistent and widespread nuisance, potentially damaging a business's reputation and leading to customer complaints.
• Rapid spread:
Due to their budding behavior and ability to move between multiple nesting sites, a ghost ant infestation can spread quickly throughout a building, making it a persistent and challenging problem to solve.
• Our solution:
"Because ghost ant colonies can be spread across multiple locations, effective control requires a professional, multi-faceted approach.
Our technicians use professional-grade baits that the ants carry back to their nests, eliminating the colony at the source. We provide discreet and effective service to address your ghost ant problem in Tallahassee, Wakulla, Gadsden, and Liberty counties.
What they look like:
The odorous house ant is a native species, small in size (1/16 to 1/8 inch), and dark brown to black in color. When crushed, it gives off a distinct and unpleasant odor, often compared to rotten coconuts. They have a single-node pedicel that is hidden by their abdomen.
Biology and behavior:
• Adaptable nesters:
Odorous house ants are highly adaptable and can nest in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations. Outdoors, they nest under rocks, logs, mulch, and debris. Indoors, they favor moist and warm areas like wall voids, near hot water pipes, and beneath leaky fixtures.
• Mobile colonies:
These ants are known to move their nests frequently, sometimes every few weeks, in response to rain or disturbance. They form colonies with multiple queens and can grow to include thousands of individuals.
• Love for sweets:
They prefer sugary foods, including honeydew produced by aphids and scale insects. When these food sources become scarce, especially during heavy rains, they are more likely to move indoors.
Commercial threat:
• Contamination risk:
Because they forage on a wide range of food and crawl over dirty surfaces, odorous house ants can contaminate food and food preparation areas in commercial kitchens and pantries.
• Nuisance and reputation:
The sight of trails of these ants in a business, especially food-related, is a nuisance that can damage a brand's reputation and lead to customer complaints.
• Challenging to control:
Their ability to move colonies frequently and nest in multiple locations at once can make them a persistent and challenging pest to manage effectively.
• Our solution:
"Effective odorous house ant control requires a professional approach that can track down and eliminate all active colonies. We use professional-grade baits that foragers carry back to the nest, eliminating the colony at its source. We also use non-repellent insecticides to create a perimeter barrier that the ants cannot detect, ensuring long-term control for your business in Tallahassee, Wakulla, Gadsden, and Liberty counties."