The State of Utah is home to a variety of different types of ants and other household pests. According to Utah State University Extension System and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory, the 5 most common type of ants found include carpenter ants, field ants, pavement ants, velvety tree ants and harvester ants. Each of these types of ants cause different levels of damage and destruction to homes and require different methods for their eradication and control.
Here is some information about these common ant types. Use this information to determine what type of ant problem you have or to determine if the services of a professional exterminator and pest control service is warranted to address your pest problem.
Pavement Ants
Pavement acts are the most common type of ant pest that Utahans experience, according to the UT State. As their name suggests, these ants bore into cracks in your driveway, the foundation of your home and sidewalks. Once gaining access to your home, pavement acts can be a nuisance through their sheer numbers (they live in colonies upwards of 10,000 workers), making their way into your garbage and kitchen cabinets.
Harvester Ants
Harvester ants are a common household pest. They grow to one-fifth to one-fourth of an inch as adults and are reddish in color. Problems you typically encounter when dealing with these ants around the home include grass loss around the area where they construct their mounds. Harvester ants also produce painful stings.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are a concern because of their destructive nature. This makes identification important as different species of carpenter ants require different methods of control and eradication. Workers are generally black in color and range in size from 3/8 to ½ of an inch. There are also larger winged queens who grow to 1 inch in length and smaller winged males.
Field Ants
These pests can be brown, black, tan, red or even multicolor. The size of worker field ants ranges from 1/8 to 3/8ths of an inch. These ants, when provoked, will pinch the skin, releasing an acid foam that gives you a stinging sensation.
Velvety Tree Ants
Ranging in size from 1/8th to ¼ of an inch, velvety tree ants can be found in stumps, logs and old tree limbs in your home. Their name comes from the velvety fuzz that encases their bodies. They may be mistaken for carpenter ants in the home, but give a distinct, unpleasant odor when crushed.
Do you have a new or persistent ant problem in your Utah home? Contact Preventive Pest Control for professional Ant Control in Utah.