Ants

Ants

Get Rid of Ants with ETS Innovative IPM Plan

Introduction

Ants are social insects that are widely regarded as one of the most diverse and successful insect groups in terms of their ecological impact on the environments in which they live.  Many ants are ecologically beneficial as insect predators or as decomposers of dead plants and animals. Outdoor ants are common and generally harmless, but several ant species become pests when they invade structures while foraging for food.

Ants have developed an amazing living system because of the way they build their homes, organize work inside and outside the colony, the wide activity of their members, the distinctive specialization of each group of these individuals, the mutual cooperation between these individuals, and the nature of the distribution of work within their colonies. The queen is the mother of the colony, the female workers perform all tasks within the colony, and the soldiers specialize in defending it. This is a symbiotic, cooperative social life in which each member of the colony undertakes specific tasks that an individual ant does not pass on to others except in case of necessity, and when an individual ant realizes that it needs to do so or is asked to do so.

Ants are distinguished from bees by the phenomenon of polymorphism in the worker stage itself. There are small workers that work inside the house or facility, medium and large workers that work outside; and workers with huge heads and jaws that are soldiers.

Approximately 12,000 ant species have been identified worldwide. In the UAE, 134 species are identified, but few are considered significant or even occasional urban pests. Some species inflict painful stings caused by the ant venom, causing inflamed skin, cramps, or even headaches (Samsum ants in the UAE, as an example).

Many ant species can become indoor pests, but here we will focus on a few of the most common and troublesome building and commercial facilities infesting ants. The most commonly encountered ant species in UAE urban areas are listed below. Ants belong to the family Formicidae and the order Hymenoptera.

The most commonly encountered ant species in UAE urban areas are listed below. Ants belong to the family Formicidae and the order Hymenoptera.

1. Acrobat Ant – Crematogaster egyptiaca Mayr.
2. Carpenter Ant – Camponotusspp.
3. Crazy Ant (Longhorned) – Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)
4. Ghost Ant – Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius)
5. Odorous House Ant or Stink Ant – Tapinoma sessile (Say)
6. Pharaoh ant – Monomorium pharaonis (Linneaus)
7. Pavement Ant – Tetramorium caespitum (Linneaus)
8. Samsum Ant – Brachyponera sennaarensis (Mayr)
9. Tropical Fire Ant or Ginger Ant– Solenopsis geminata (Fabricus)

 

Click on each ant pest to learn about its general description, life cycle, common characteristics, feeding damage, and economic or health implications.

1. Acrobat Ant

General Description

Credit: April Nobile, www.antweb.org

 

• Six species of Crematogaster were identified in the UAE.
• Acrobat ants are a small species of ant. Workers are 5 to 3 mm long and have two segmented pedicle, the abdomen is flattened dorsally and convex ventrally.
• They vary in color from yellowish-brown, brown, to red and black, and some can even be multi-colored.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Acrobat ant colonies produce winged females and males called reproductive.
• The reproductive ants swarm from the colony in the fall to mate.
• The female flies away after mating and picks a new location to create a nest in.
• The female then removes her own wings, lay her eggs, and becomes the new queen of a new acrobat ant colony.
• Acrobat ants are the most dominant arboreal ant species. Their name is derived from the acrobatic pose of the workers when they are alarmed, with the abdomen raised and arch above the head and thorax.
• They nest in soil or rotting wood. They also nest in trees in the backyard or in decayed wood around the home. Nests may occur in the ground beneath objects
• Indoor, they infest damp or rotting wood often around windows and drain spouts. They are also found in damp foam boards or insulation.
• These ants are in a variety of sites, usually in dead wood, including branches and stems of the trees and other plants, rotten logs, tree holes, and stumps.

Damage and Economic & Medical Implications

• Acrobat ants are not a damaging species of ant, but they are nuisance insects for homeowners.
• Workers are aggressive and emit a repulsive odor when disturbed.
• These ants do minimal damage to
• Their presence indicates the presence of wet and/or decaying
• They contaminate the food inside homes.
• Acrobat ants can sting if their nests are threatened.

2. Carpenter Ant

General Description

·        There are 14 species of carpenter ants occurring in UAE.  They have similar morphological characteristics.  The more commonly associated with human habitation in UAE is Camponotus thoracicus (Fabricius) ·        Carpenter ants have a one-segmented pedicel in the form of vertical scale. ·        Carpenter ant workers have a single segment or node on the pedicel. Also, the thorax appears evenly rounded in profile. ·        The queen size can range between 20-25 mm, medium worker size 7-12 mm, major worker 6-12 mm and males about 11 mm. ·        All castes have dark brown, black, and orange; except males they usually have dark brown color.  Coloration alone is not a good character for identification as there are a number of non-carpenter ant species that have similar coloration as carpenter ant species.

Zach Lieberman – AntWeb.org

 

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Carpenter ants apparently prefers dry habitats and colonies can be found under rocks, nesting under stone next to and under Acacia trees, in dry leaf litter next to a date palm tree
• In a large colony (i.e., 10,000 individuals), the queen can reach the age of 20 years.
• Carpenter ant colonies are initiated by a single queen, who begins a nest in a tree hole, in an insect-bored tunnel in a tree, or a similarly sequestered area in wood with sufficient moisture. The founding queen then lays a few eggs which hatch within 2-3 weeks.
• The first batch of workers is very small when they develop into adults and are known as minims. These workers begin to forage for food and water for the colony and also care for the young.
• A second clutch of eggs is not laid by the queen until the first clutch becomes adults and is able to care for them.
• The queen’s sole purpose from this point on is egg production.
• When a colony reaches a certain size, winged male and female reproductives, also known as swarmers, are produced.
• Female reproductives, which are prospective founding queens, are quite large in number of species, measuring 18 mm), while the males are smaller than 13 mm.
• Swarmers hatch into adults in late spring or early summer and stay within the colony, overwintering in the nest.
• Nuptial flights occur the following spring, from May to July. Males and females fly off from the nest in great numbers
• Mating occurs high in the air, with the male locating the female by pheromones. The male dies soon after mating and the inseminated queen lands, loses her wings, and begins the search for a suitable nesting site.
• The life cycle is estimated to be 6 to 12 weeks from egg to adult. In cold weather, the life cycle can stretch the development time up to 10 months.

Damage and Economic Implications

Damage to Wooden Structures

• Carpenter ants are considered some of the most serious pests to wood structures worldwide. They also nuisance pests.
• Carpenter ants enter to buildings to nest or They are called “carpenter” because they excavate their nests in wood, creating smooth tunnels and galleries (chewed out with their mandibles), and expand their nesting sites (preferably in dead, damp wood).
• They do not consume the wood (unlike termites), and sometimes, they hollow out sections of trees.
• They typically eat parts of other dead insects or substances derived from other insects. The also feed on honeydew produced by aphids. Their main food sources normally include proteins and carbohydrates.
• Most species of carpenter ants forage at night individually or in small or large groups.

A closeup of carpenter ant created galleries. Credit: Nwbeeson
Carpenter ants in a tree Credit: NaCl58	Sawdust like shavings from ants Credit: NaCl58

 

Biting People

• Carpenter ants bite when their nests are disturbed,
• The bite can be painful and potentially break the skin, this is because of their large size and powerful mandibles.

3. Crazy Ant (Longhorned)

General Description

Credit: April Nobile, www.antweb.org

 

• The worker is about 2.3 to 3.0 mm long with a brownish-black head, thorax, petiole, and gaster.
• The body has long, coarse, scattered, grayish, or whitish setae.
• The body has a few short, whitish bristles.
• The antennae and limbs are pale brown.
• The eyes are elliptical and set far back on the head.
• It has no sting, but the ant can bite and secrete formic acid onto its prey.
• They are too feeble to harm humans.
• Workers move around jerkily in apparently random directions.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Colonies of crazy ants are moderate to very populous.
• They typically nest outdoors in either dry or moist locations, such as associated with trash,
• mulched areas in plantings, in rotten wood, or behind thick vegetation around foundations.
• They can also nest indoors, in wall voids, under carpeting, in or under potted plants, or in cracks of masonry.
• The colonies may raise sexuals at any time of the year in warmer regions, but alate production is limited to the warm rainy months of May to September.
• Males gather outside nest entrances during the warm and humid environment and can be found on vegetation and structures nearby.
• Periodically, a dealate wingless queen emerges.
• Mating occurs in groupings around the nest entrance.
• Workers are omnivorous, and feed on seeds, honeydew, fruits, household foods, and on live and dead insects
• The crazy ant thrives in places such as gasoline stations, convenience stores, and sidewalk cafes.
• They feed on a high-protein diet, and during the summer months may refuse honey or sugar baits.
• They obtain honeydew by tending aphids, mealybugs, and soft scales.
• They are highly adaptable to different environmental conditions.
• The nest can be found at distance from its foraging area.
• The nest is found in the trash, rotten wood, cavities in plants and trees, and in soil.
• Crazy ants are slender and relatively fast moving, and while foragers will follow pheromone trails, they frequently exhibit erratic, jerky or seemingly “crazy motions disturbed or threatened.

Damage and Economic & Medical Implications

• It is considered as a household pest and is found on the top floor of apartment buildings and in hotel kitchens searching for food.
• It is an agricultural pest and its feeding behaviors or preferences are varied. It can assist in the distribution and protection of phloem-feeding aphids, scale insects, and mealybugs.

 

4. Ghost Ant

General Description

Credit: April Nobile, www.antweb.org

• Ghost ant workers are extremely small, 1.3 to 2.0 mm long and dark brown in color.
  • Their legs and antennae are much longer in proportion to the other parts of their body compared to what is normal for other house-infesting ants.
  • They have 12-segmented antennae with the segments gradually thickening towards the tip. Antennal scape surpasses the occipital border.
  • Head and thorax are deep dark brown with gaster and legs opaque or milky white. The thorax is spineless.
  • The gaster (swollen part of the abdomen) has a slit-like anal opening that is hairless.
  • The abdominal pedicel (stalk-like structure immediately anterior to the gaster) consists of one segment that is usually hidden from view dorsally by the gaster.
  • Stingers are absent.
  • The small size, combined with the pale color, makes ghost ant workers hard to see and gives them their characteristic name.

 

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Ghost ants can develop very large colonies, with many queens.
• It can enter buildings or homes through exterior openings for utility lines or around door or window castings.
• They generally nest outdoors under mulch, rocks, boards, or items, or under loose bark of trees.
• Inside houses they are found behind baseboards, shower curtain rods, and potted plants.
• Foraging activity is typically concentrated in kitchens. They are attracted to honeydew-secreting insects and are observed to feed on dead and live insects
• They are especially fond of sugary food.
• Outside, they nest in the soil next to foundations, shrubs, porches, and trees.
• Workers excrete a distinct rotten coconut odor when crushed.
• The ants cannot withstand desiccation and thrive well in humid habitats.

Damage and Economic & Medical Implications

• It is observed as a significant urban pest capable of infesting residential kitchens and commercial food outlets in large numbers.
• It is a generally annoying pest.
• The health impacts of the ghost ant vary Some people suffer a slight irritation of the skin following contact with this ant.
• It can be found in hospitals and is capable of transporting pathogenic microbes including several types of

5. Odorous House Ant or Stink Ant

General Description

Credit: Photographer and AntWeb.org

 

• Medium size ant, workers are 1.5-3.0 mm long.
• Brownish-grey and shiny.
• Petiole with one node, somewhat hidden beneath the first abdominal segment
• From above, abdomen appears wider than thorax.
• Tip of the abdomen lacks distinct circle of hairs (unlike black carpenter ant).
• Soft-bodied.

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The queen lays the eggs which incubate between 11–26 days.
• After hatching, the larval stage lasts between 13–29 days, and the pre-pupal and pupal stages last between 10–24 days.
• The queen may live at least 8 months, workers at least a few months, while males live only about one week
• These ants form colonies of 3,000 to 4,000 individuals.
• They form polydomous colonies (with several egg laying queens, and one colony has multiple nests).
• They nest indoors or outdoors. Outdoors the nests are shallow and often located under rocks logs, boards, or exposed soil. Indoors, colonies are found near heat sources or in insulation, and can live in walls, under floors, house plants, in the lids of toilets, or in similar cavities.

Damages and Economic & Medical Implications

• The odorous house ant is a common indoor pest.
• This species feeds primarily on sweets, including honeydew. It often invades homes and other structures during cool weather or following heavy rain, when honeydew supplies diminish outdoors.
• It is a scavenger / predator ant. It eats most household foods, especially those that contain sugar, as well as other insects
• They release a foul odor when crushed, which lead to their nickname “stink ant”.

 

6. Pharaoh ant – Monomorium pharaonis (Linneaus)

General Description

Credit: April Nobile / AntWeb.org

 

• Workers are 0.5 mm – 2 mm Males are 2-3mm long and queens are about 4-6 mm long with a dark reddish color.
• The head and thorax are dull yellowish to orange to reddish brown.
• Shiny, darker-colored abdomen, especially at the tip.
• They have 12 segmented antennae with a three-segmented club.
• Petiole with two nodes.
• Lacks spines on the back side of the thorax.
• Body has very sparse (light) pubescence

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• The eggs, once laid take about 5-6 days to become a larva.
• Larval instars take 22-24 days to reach a prepupal stage, which lasts for 2-3 days, after which the pupa is converted to
• The pavement ant can complete its life cycle within 38-45 days.
• Queens can produce 400 or more eggs in batches of 10 to
• Queens can live four to 12 months, while males die within three to five weeks after mating.
• Pharaoh ants form large colonies made up of multiple nests and multiple queens. They are active year-round indoors and can reproduce at any time of the year.
• The ideal temperature and site for development are 26 to 30°C with a relative humidity of 80 % near sources of food and/or water, such as in wall voids, under floors, behind baseboards, windowsills, kitchens, sinks, and heating
• Pharaoh ants can form new nests at any time of the year.
• Nests may be in wall voids, beneath floors, in cabinets or drawers, or in stacks of paper or linens.
• An individual colony normally contains 1,000–2,500 workers but a high density of nests gives the impression of massive
• Colonies also lack nestmate recognition so there is no hostility between neighboring colonies, which is known as
• They can forage a considerable distance from the nest searching for a wide range of foods, including sweets, meats, fats, and liquid materials.
• A stinger is present but is rarely exerted (thrust outward).
• The Pharaoh ant is polygynous, meaning its colonies contain many

Damage and Economic & Medical Implications

• The Pharaoh ant is a notorious nuisance
• It is closely associated with humans and usually makes its nest in well-hidden crevices in warm areas of public buildings, including schools, office buildings, and hospitals.
• They feed on a wide variety of foods including jellies, honey, shortening, peanut butter, corn syrup, fruit juices, baked goods, soft drinks, grease, dead insects, toothpaste, and even shoe They can also gnaw holes in silk, rayon, and rubber goods.
• It is also known to feed on blood, medical wastes, intravenous feeding fluids, and biological cultures, making it a potentially serious pest in healthcare facilities.
• This ant has been shown to transmit a number of pathogens and is of great concern in hospitals and other healthcare facilities where it has become a difficult but important ant to control.
• Due to its habit of colony multiplication by budding, areas with repeated / residual application may lead to the development of various satellite colonies and infestation may spread over an entire

 

7. Pavement Ant

General Description

www.antweb.org

 

• Medium size, adult workers 4 to 4.5 mm long, and the queens are slightly larger
• Black or brown to reddish brown.
• Abdomen shiny. Head and thorax dull
• Twelve-segmented antennae with a three-segmented terminal club.
• Petiole with two nodes.
• One pair of spines on the dorsal side of the thoracic segment adjoining the petiole.
• The propodeum is armed with a pair of spines above, and a pair of flanges below near the insertion of the petiole (waist).
• The tip of the sting has a triangular to pennant-shaped extension projecting upward from the shaft.
• The reproductive members of the colony are winged.

 

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Pavement ants are one of the most common ant species to invade buildings.
• The stages of pavement ant development include egg, larvae, pupae, and adult.
• Reproductive members generally swarm from the colony in the spring.
• The queen, after mating, burrows underneath the soil and creates a nesting site to lay eggs.
• Workers develop within a period of 2-3 months and begin to care for new eggs and developing larvae.
• Colonies are small to moderate in They may contain 10,000 to 30,000 individuals, including winged reproductive that are present throughout the year.
• Nests are to be found in exposed soil or under stones, rotting logs, in plant stems, or under the
• When pavement ants expand an active nest, they often “dump” debris previously stored in the nest. These “dumps” contain a variety of materials, including seed coats, sand, insect parts, and sawdust.
• Pavement ants are most active at night.
• They forage within 3 meters of their nest
• They often nest in the soil under rocks or paved surfaces, including sidewalks, driveways, and building slabs. Therefore, they derive their name from their habits in these areas.
• Once inside the building or home, they forage along walls, baseboards, or beneath carpeting. They use pheromone trails, often beneath baseboards or in other protected areas. They follow pipes or conduit lines to move from one room or floor to another.

Damages and Economic & Medical Implications

• Pavement ants are often considered invaders of homes because sidewalks, walkways, and patios make ideal habitats for these
• This species has been known to feed on a variety of foodstuffs in houses
• It is considered to be a minor urban nuisance ants entering houses and nesting in
• It is capable of

 

8. Samsum Ant

General Description

1. Esposito, www.antweb.org

 

• Body length of workers 4–6 mm, head broader than mesosoma (middle body), with convex sides and emarginated posterior margin.
• Gaster ending with a powerful sting. Dark brown to blackish brown.
• Petiole is a high and thick node with a straight anterior surface and a convex posterior surface.
• Gaster ending with a powerful sting.
• Eyes are relatively large.
• All body surfaces covered with fine and dense pubescence.

 

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• Samsum ant colonies are established by reproducing winged alates or reproductive. Males and female ants emerge from the nest via newly constructed flight holes.
• The swarming takes place during humid weather, particularly after rain.
• Males die after mating, and the inseminated queens seek to find new colonies.
• Samsum ants feed on seeds and insect prey during the rainy season, and their diet consists exclusively of seeds during the three months rainy season. In dry tropical regions, foragers react to the absence of seeds in the rainy season by adopting a 100% animal diet.
• New colonies form rapidly and alate queens are probably attracted to artificial lights.
• Humid soil conditions are needed for nest building. The irrigation of roadside plantations, gardens, and parks seems especially conducive to the spread of this species.

 

Damages and Economic & Medical Implications

• Samsum ants are aggressive ants with a painful sting. They disturb people resting on carpets and floor cushions.
• Samsum ants are now spreading rapidly into most human settlements, and are found along all major roadside developments, picnic areas, parks, oases, plantations, and urban areas.
• In UAE, they are considered to constitute a public health hazard owing to their painful sting which has been known to cause cases of anaphylactic shock that lead to the death of some persons. Since 1987 in Al Ain city, over 50 cases of human allergic reactions and two deaths due to stings from samsum ants.
• The generalized symptoms associated with hypersensitivity to Samsum venom are urticaria, edema, wheezing and shortness of breath, and laryngeal edema.
• Samsum ants are also scavengers feeding on food refuse and arthropods.
• They also raid beehives and destroy honey bees.

 

9. Tropical Fire Ant or Ginger Ant

General Description 

	April Nobile, www.antweb.org
Tropical fire ants come in a wide range of sizes – Credit: Eli Sarnat.		Tropical fire ant majors have large, square heads – Credit: Eli Sarnat.

• Workers consist of many sizes (polymorphic) between 4 to 6 mm (average of 3 mm).
• Body color is usually red to brown in color with a black
• Antennae is 10 segmented with 2 segmented antennal
• Pedicle is 2
• A stinger is
• Female reproductive is 8 mm long and is similar in color to
• Males are black in
• Workers come in a wide range of sizes (polymorphic), the larger majors have very square heads.

 

Life Cycle and Common Characteristics

• A mature queen lays hundreds of eggs each day.
  • Eggs hatch to grub-like larvae in 7-10 days and reach a pupal stage in the next 1-2 weeks.
  • Pupae look like a curled adult and cannot move and in 1-2 weeks they acquire reddish brown pigmentation and turn into an adult.
  • Multiple queen colonies have closer and more numerous mounds per acre of land.
  • Worker ant activities are found in gardens with nests occurring both in lawns and in shaded patches of exposed soil beneath trees and ornamental plants.
  • Peak worker activity coincides with the cooler hours of morning and afternoon.
  • The queen in multiple queen colonies produces more eggs as compared to a single queen.
  • When a mound is disturbed, ants emerge aggressively to bite and sting the intruder.
  • After heavy rain, the colony may move to higher ground or inside homes to take refuge from saturated soil.
  • The tropical fire ant does not build mounds, instead, dirt is spread widely around the nest entrance.

 

Damage and Economic & Medical Implications

• Tropical fire ants are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders and are found to feed on any plant or animal materials they
• Their primary diet is insects and other small vertebrates and acts as scavengers by feeding on
• Workers can damage plastic insulation on electrical wiring and are capable of damaging plastic irrigation pipes.
• It is known to inflict a painful sting and the sting causes a white pustule to form on the skin within 24
• The tropical fire ant is considered as the most notorious ant pest species. When the nest is disturbed the ant emerges aggressively to bite and sting the