• Home
• 
• Pest Identification
• 
• Ants
• 
• Moisture Ant

Moisture ants are generally about 1/8 inch in size. They are usually a brown to light brown color. Named because they require a high moisture content to survive, they are generally found in water damaged or rotting wood. Outside, moisture ants tend to nest in fallen logs, decaying tree stumps, or areas where wood members of a structure come in contact with soil. They can sometimes wander into a home, especially when winged reproductives swarm during summer to early autumn. Once inside a structure, they are attracted to sweets, but still require a high moisture content for nesting and survival. Common areas for nesting within a structure include bathrooms or kitchens where leaks may compromise the wood.

The presence of moisture ants nesting in a home structure is an indication of a moisture/water damage problem within that structure. Nests are constructed from soil the ants carry inside the structure, resembling hard clods of soil sometimes found around plumbing lines or other high moisture areas. Finding the source of that moisture/water damage can also solve your moisture ant problem. Check for leaking gutters and plumbing. Damaged wood should be replaced. Areas where wood members come into contact with soil should be corrected. Any wood debris in or around the soil of a structure should also be removed. Sealing exterior cracks and holes in the foundation and around windows and doors may help in prevention of an interior infestation.

Typically, removal of the moisture damaged wood and correcting leaks, etc will eliminate the moisture ant. After correcting these areas of concern, if populations remain in excess, a call to Long Pest Control can develop an Integrated Pest Control program to eliminate the sightings and provide an environment free of unwanted ground crawling insects year round.