5 Ants Most Common in the Summer

This article is a general guide to controlling ants most experienced in the summer. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of the five most common ant species encountered during the summer months.

Summer brings warmer weather and longer, drier days. Unfortunately, it also brings pests such as ants. The most commonly found in and around homes are carpenter ants, odorous house ants, little black ants, pavement ants, and imported fire ants.

These ants invade your home through the smallest cracks and crevices when searching for food, leaving behind a trail for other colony members to follow. Of course, this poses a problem to homeowners' food sources when ants are consistently found in grain, flour, honey, and other food items. Not to mention, these pests can thrive outside your home whenever they can access food and water.

A well-known fact about ants is their sociality, with colonies ranging from at least 100 individual ants in small concealed areas or within large ant mounds. While ants are considered a nuisance mainly due to their numbers, they can cause significant damage within time if not managed and inflict painful bites and stings.

Differentiating each common summer ant species can help homeowners quickly and effectively control indoor and outdoor ant infestations. Throughout this DIY guide, you will find professional products and links to each ant species for complete quality control.

Carpenter Ants

While some ants are a nuisance with their activities, others, like the carpenter ants, can potentially cause significant structural damage to your home. These ants like to tunnel through dead and rotting wood.

When fully mature, carpenter ants are 0.75 inches long with a prominent head followed by three-segmented bodies. These black ants are often confused with termites but can be separated by their three body segments, whereas termites have a two-segmented body.

Unlike termites, carpenter ants create smooth, clean tunnels without soil and other termite tubes. They will chew along or across the grain of wood, leaving behind piles of wood shavings or frass outside the tunnel entrance since they do not eat wood. Indoor carpenter ant infestations are often found in moist, decaying wood rotted by potential water leakage.

This could be found near porch pillars, bathtubs, and window and door frames. Decaying, moist wood outside your home is most prone to infestation, such as dead trees, stumps, logs, and wood piles.

Odorous House Ants

When squished or threatened, odorous house ants can release a foul odor similar to the aroma of a rotting coconut. They are 1/16 to 1/8 inches long with a dark brown to black coloration. These ants can quickly move when disturbed, raising their abdomen and ready to spray.

Besides the pungent odor, these pests are difficult to control because they nest in wall voids, crevices, and other tight areas near moisture, such as bathrooms under and around sinks, toilets, plumbing, water heaters, and kitchens near appliances. If the opportunity presents itself, odorous house ants will start colonies outdoors, such as under-yard debris, leaf litter, rocks, logs, woodpiles, mulch, and flower pots.

Little Black Ants

Despite their name, little black ants are not an ant species that can be dismissed easily. Ranging from 1.5 mm in length to 1/16 of an inch, these insects' small sizes encourage them to work as a group. Worker ants defend the colony against people and other ant species with a barely visible stinger. Little black ants are mostly jet-black but can be seen as dark brown in coloration.

When homeowners think of ants, this is the pest that most people encounter within and outside of homes. Little black ants are spotted in extensive and long trails on sidewalks, wall voids, tool sheds, where plumbing meets walls, and in kitchens where food and water collect.

Pavement Ants

Another nuisance ant is the pavement ant, which often nests within pavement cracks and homes. Pavement ants are often confused with little black ants, but they can be differentiated by their size. Pavement ants are slightly bigger than little black ants, measuring about 1/8 inch long.

Despite its size, this pest is known for its ability to be aggressive towards other ant species when they feel as if the nest is threatened. Pavement ant hills appear as misplaced soil along gaps and cracks in pavement with a small indention in the middle. Other than pavements, they can nest in gaps and cracks within driveways, patios, sidewalks, and foundations and inside your home near wall voids.

Imported Fire Ants

Imported fire ants are easily known to homeowners for their painful bites and stings. In the southern half of the United States, these pests are commonly found in open, sunny areas. They are aggressive insects, so be wary when examining them and their nests.

Often confused with native fire ants, these insects can be distinguished by their three-tooth-like projections in front of their heads, whereas native fire ants only have two. Antennae of imported fire ants have clubbed tips and are composed of 10 segments. Bodies of adult imported fire ants are black to reddish brown in head and thorax, with the abdomen being darker brown.

Extremely aggressive, these nuisance pests are often found outdoors near sources of moisture. Established imported fire ant mounds can be found beside or underneath sidewalks, against home foundations, mailboxes, or trees.

Key Takeaways

Why Are Ants Most Common In Summer?

• Ants are most common in homes during the summer because little moisture and food are found outdoors.

What Ants Are Most Common in Summer

• The most common ant species in the summer are the carpenter ants, odorous house ants, little black ants, pavement ants, and imported fire ants.

How to Get Rid of Ants in the Summer

• The treatment and products will vary depending on the ant infestation. For odorous house ants, pavement ants, and little black ants, use D-Fense Dust, Supreme IT Insecticide, and Ant-Trax. For carpenter ant control, apply Fipro Foaming Aerosol and Supreme IT Insecticide. Use Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules and Supreme IT Insecticide for imported fire ant control.