How to Find and Destroy an Ant Nest

How to Tell What Kind of Ants Are in Your Home?

There are several common types of household ants. You can roughly identify them by size, color, and behavior. Knowing which species you're dealing with helps you choose the right control method.

Pharaoh Ants (Most Common)

• Smallest — workers are only 1.5-2.5 mm long
• Color ranges from pale yellow to light brown; appears semi-transparent in sunlight
• Love sweets and grease; form visible trails on kitchen counters
• Nest in wall cracks, gaps around electrical outlets, and floor crevices
• Worker lifespan is 1-3 months, but queens can live for years — that's why you must kill the queen to achieve lasting control

Carpenter Ants (Black Ants / Camponotus)

• Larger — workers are 3-5 mm long
• Deep black or dark brown with a glossy sheen
• Prefer meats and protein-rich foods
• Often nest in wood structures and dead wood; can chew through wood
• Have major and minor workers; major workers have distinctly large heads

Other Species

• Red ants — Reddish color, medium size; mostly active in gardens and lawns
• Odorous house ants — Crushed bodies smell like rotten coconut; slightly larger than pharaoh ants
• Carpenter ants — Large (5-12 mm), black or reddish-black; nest in wood

Quick Identification Guide

1. Check size — Sesame-seed size = pharaoh ant; grain-of-rice size = carpenter ant
2. Check color — Pale yellow, semi-transparent = pharaoh ant; deep black and glossy = carpenter ant
3. Check trails — In a neat line = pharaoh ants; in small scattered groups = other species
4. Check food preference — Clustered around the sugar jar = pharaoh ants; going for meat = carpenter ants