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• Pavement Ant

Pavement ants originated in Europe and are found in the eastern United States, and in California and Washington. These ants get their name from the habit of nesting in or under cracks in pavement or concrete slab. They can also be found under debris or objects on the ground. These nests are very shallow, and can sometimes be identified by a small mount of cone shaped sand/soil nearby. These mounds are created in the summertime by the ants in order to vent the nest. Pavement ants are also known to nest inside a structure near a heat source. They can move throughout a structure through areas where plumbing pipes and/or electrical wires run. Colonies can have up to 4,000 ants with several queens. Swarming usually occurs in the spring, but can occur at other times of the year dependent on temperatures.

Pavement ant workers are 1/16-1/8 inch long, queens about 3/8 inches long. Full development time ranges from 36 to 63 days. They are dark brown to black in color and tend to travel at night. They will feed on honeydew (aphid excrement), insects, sweets, fruits, human foods, and even pet foods.

Pavement ant swarmers are sometimes confused with carpenter ants but can easily be distinguished through magnification by the distinct lines on the top of the head that run from front to back. They also have 2 nodes on the pedicel (back side of the body behind the thorax) and a pair of spines on the back portion of the upper thorax.

Cleanup of potential food sources both inside and outside can help with control. There are also several 'do-it-yourself' remedies including ant baits available at your local hardware store. If these are unsuccessful and population remains 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.