![]() ![]() ![]() They enter the home inadvertently during the mating process. They are seed feeders and do not feed on sugar or grease foods in the home. Harvester ants ( Pogonomyrmex sp.) are a common species that form large mounds of sand or small pebbles. These intrusions are not cause for concern and are the result of a harvester ant behavior called “hill topping”. Winged ants and winged termites differ in their antennae, wings and waist.The presence of winged ants in the home causes much consternation among homeowners. For ant identification please contact your local extension office or the Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic. Just knowing it is a winged ant is a relief if you are concerned about termites, but it does not help at all in knowing if they are a species of ant that does form colonies inside homes, where to start looking for the colony, and what management techniques will be most effective in controlling the ants if there is an indoor colony. ![]() I do know that before any management is considered the first step is to properly identify the ant species. Fewer than 10 swarmers and I usually tell people to keep an eye out for ant activity, but it is likely these were accidental invaders from an outdoor colony. It is easy when there are hundreds indoors because it means the colony is almost certainly in the house somewhere – in the walls, or rotten wood, or under the slab. I always struggle a bit with what to advise people. See drawing below.įinding ant swarmers indoors could indicate that there is an ant colony indoors, or it may just be a colony near the foundation of the house, or it may be that some species are attracted to lights at night. Termites produce swarmers as well and the presence of winged termites in a home is a strong indication that a colony of termites may be eating the wood of the house. It is important to make sure it is a winged ant and not a winged termite. Most of us are fine with them outside, but become more concerned when we discover winged ants inside our homes. At some times of the year the air is full of winged ants. And all the ant colonies of the same species in an area produce swarmers at the same time. It is interesting to note that the worker ants you see are all females, males just mate and die.Ī well established ant colony may produce hundreds of swarmers. Once they have mated a queen finds a suitable habitat, begins digging out space for a colony, and lays eggs to produce her daughter, worker ants. Swarmers are queen and king ants that fly out to start a new colony of ants. With all the great variety in ant species commonly found in Iowa they do have one thing in common. Some ants prefer more sugary foods and many of them will feed on the honeydew of sap feeding insects. Their diet consists of proteins from other insects. ![]() Some species of ants, such as carpenter ants, are meat eaters. Many species are not terribly picky about where they set up home sweet home. Some ant species will form colonies in rotting wood. Some ants make colonies in the soil, and of these some prefer out in the middle of a lawn and others like to be under a rock or other object. Only a small percentage of ants are what we would categorize as pest ants (meaning that they come into house occasionally for food or shelter). We have many different species of ants in Iowa that live in different habitats and eat different foods. ![]()
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