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Ants on Long Island—Your Complete Guide to the Most Common Species!

Serving Suffolk County | Nassau County | Long Island | Brooklyn

Ants are an inevitable pest Long Island homeowners encounter; in fact, these pests are one of the most common reasons people call Suburban for ant control in the first place! Did you know there are nearly ten different species of ants on Long Island? Read on to learn specifics about each type and how you can prevent ant invasions in your home. 

ant workersAcrobat Ants

  • Color: Light Brown or Black 
  • Size: 1/8 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Heart-Shaped Abdomen 

Acrobat ants are a common species of ant seen on Long Island, aptly named for their unique ability to lift their abdomen over the rest of their body, giving the illusion that they’re circus performers doing acrobatics! Acrobat ants will particularly show out when disturbed.  

Outside, acrobat ants nest inside tree cavities, decaying logs, underneath wood or leaves, and in or under decks, porches, sheds, and roof eaves. Inside, they’ll nest behind wall voids or in wood that’s been water damaged previously. 

Argentine Ants 

  • Color: Light Brown or Black 
  • Size: 1/8 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Heart-Shaped Abdomen 

Argentine ants are another common ant species we deal with on Long Island. The easiest way to identify Argentine ants is by their massive colonies; one single Argentine ant colony can have hundreds of thousands of workers and hundreds of ant queens. 

Most often, Argentine ants nest in areas where there is moist soil, such as alongside buildings or sidewalks, or beneath boards or landscaping. If the weather outdoors gets too wet or too dry, they’ll head indoors given the opportunity; a couple of their favorite indoor hiding places are behind appliances and in beds. 

Carpenter Ants 

  • Color: Dark Brown or Black 
  • Size: 1/16 to 1/4 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Segmented, Oval 

One of the largest species of ants on Long Island is the carpenter ant! These strong-jawed ants prefer to build nests in moist areas because their eggs have specific moisture needs.  

Outside, you’re likely to find carpenter ants in rotting tree stumps, fallen trees, standing trees, in landscaping, and in firewood piles. Inside, they’ll head straight toward wood that’s been previously water or mold-damaged, but if a carpenter ant infestation gets out of control over time, they will eventually attacked perfectly sound wood, too. 

Citronella Ants 

  • Color: Yellow to Yellow-Brown 
  • Size: 1/8 to 3/16 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Segmented 

Citronella ants are appropriately named due to the undeniable lemon or citronella-type smell they give off when they get crushed (sorry, guys). Also, fun fact: citronella ants are nocturnal, so many Long Island homeowners don’t even see them!  

Outdoors, citronella ants nest in moist soil along your home’s foundation, underneath concrete slabs, and under rotten trees or logs. When they make their way inside, they’ll nest in areas with high moisture levels, like behind the tiled walls in your bathroom, under bathroom or kitchen floors, and in moist crawl spaces. 

Field Ants 

  • Color: Pale Yellow to Reddish Brown to Black 
  • Size: 1/8 to 3/8 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Segmented 

Field ants are yet another nuisance for Long Island homeowners! This species of ants loves feeding on other live and dead insects, honeydew produced by aphids, and snacks you may have in your home, like sweets, liquids, and meats.  

Most often, field ants are found outdoors in fields, lawns, meadows, along sidewalks and building foundations, and near fences. When field ants enter homes, it’s usually just in search of snacks! 

Little Black Ants 

  • Color: Dark Brown or Jet Black 
  • Size: 1/16 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Two-Segmented Waist, Unevenly Rounded Profile 

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, little black ants are commonly spotted in Long Island homes. These ants live in large colonies with as many as 2,000 workers and forage in trails, often along sidewalks or headed straight into your kitchen cabinets in search of meats, greases, or sweets. 

Outside you’ll catch little black ants beneath stones, in the grass, and in generally dry areas, however if they do make their way into your home, you can bet they’ll seek out and contaminate your food. 

Odorous House Ants 

  • Color: Brown or Black 
  • Size: 1/16 to 1/8 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Segmented, Oval 

Odorous house ants, like some of the other species we’ve mentioned like acrobat ants and citronella ants, are very appropriately named; these ants will give off a potent, rotten, coconut-like smell if you crush them. 

Odorous house ants live in moderately-sized colonies with as many as several hundred to 10,000 members and many queens. Typically, they nest outside underneath exposed soil, under wood piles, or under rotten logs. Inside, they’ll make their way in search of food, if it’s raining a lot, or in the fall once leaves have fallen. They’ll hide behind siding and brick walls, in wall voids and crawl spaces, and near hot water pipes and heaters. 

Pavement Ants 

  • Color: Dark Brown to Black 
  • Size: 1/8 inch 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Segmented, Oval 

Pavement ants get their name from their preference to nest underneath pavement, sidewalks, foundations, and masonry walls. If pavement ants find their way inside a home while foraging for food, they will nest behind walls, in insulation, and underneath floors. 

Pavement ants will forage for food in trails, traveling approximately 30 feet from their nesting areas to search for food. Pavement ants feed on honeydew, plant sap, seeds, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese. They will enter homes through small cracks in the foundation, spaces around utility wires and pipes, and through heating and air-conditioning ducts. 

Pharaoh Ants 

  • Color: Pale Yellow to Light or Dark Brown 
  • Size: 1.5 to 2.2 mm long (very small!) 
  • Legs: 6 
  • Antennae: Yes 
  • Shape: Unevenly Rounded 

Pharaoh ants live in very large colonies that contain hundreds of thousands of workers and hundreds of reproductive females. Outside they tend to nest in shaded areas and underneath piles of organic debris. 

Inside they like to nest in warm humid areas that are located near their food sources (sweets, oils, proteins, and dead insects). The workers will create scent trails so they can easily find their way back and forth between their nests and food. They can typically be found behind baseboards and wall voids, under floors, and in furniture. Pharaoh ants will use electrical wires and telephone cables as “roads” to travel through walls and between the floors of homes and other buildings. 

If a Pharaoh ant colony is disturbed, the members of the colony will simply migrate to new locations and create new colonies through a process called budding. Budding only increases the amount of Pharaoh ants invading a home or business. 

How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Long Island Home 

The best way to prevent ant invasions before they begin is to implement a yearly pest control service. Suburban Exterminating offers several different plans which include highly effective ant control for all types of ants common on Long Island. To schedule a free estimate contact us today! 

Ants on Long Island—Your Complete Guide to the Most Common Species! Serving Long Island and surrounding areas

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