Pavement Ant ID Summary
Pavement ants are small dark brown to black ants that often nest under sidewalks, driveways, patios, and concrete slabs, especially where you see tiny cracks or shifting pavement. In Virginia, homeowners usually notice them in trails along foundations or in little piles of sand/soil pushed up between slabs or along sidewalk edges. They’re mainly a nuisance pest when they get indoors and don’t cause structural damage to your home.
- Body Size: 2 – 3 mm in size.
- Common Characteristics: Brownish-black in color with parallel lines on the head and thorax.
- Number of Legs: 6
- Wings: Male and female swarmers have wings.
- Habitat: Common in developed areas with disturbed soil. Commonly found under stones, concrete slabs, sidewalks, near patios, and in racks and crevices found in a home’s woodwork.
Introduction to the Pavement Ant
Pavement Ants originated in Europe but have spread across North America, which means you will find them all over Virginia. They get their name because it is common to find them nesting in the cracks of sidewalks and driveways. Pavement Ants belong to the family Formicidae and the order Hymenoptera. They are very unique because it’s common to find two Pavement Ant colonies at war when they come in contact with one another.
Pavement Ant Habitat
Pavement Ants are common in parks, waste ground, vacant lots, roadsides, sidewalks, driveways, and other areas where the soil is exposed. The ants do not like places with a lot of vegetation, which is why you oftentimes find their colonies outside under pavement and in cracks, but when they forage for food away from the colony, they can make their way into your house. These ants can eat a variety of different materials including live and dead insects, honeydew from aphids, meats, grease, and other food consumed by humans. Their numbers can increase quickly in your home if the population is controlled. When they are inside your home, they can easily find cracks in woodwork or masonry to nest.
Pavement Ant Behavior And Damage
Pavement Ants are routinely found around the foundations of homes and buildings, and are considered a nuisance pest. They can bite and sting, but they rarely attack humans. When they build their nests, they usually leave small piles of sand along the sides of driveways, sidewalks, and inside commercial buildings. Homeowners usually find it annoying to see so many sand piles next their garage or walkways. In the spring/summer months, the ants will swarm looking for new places to nest. These ants with wings are sometimes confused with termites and can appear in large numbers. However unsightly these ants are, they do not pose a danger to humans or property.
Think You Might Have Pavement Ants?
Contact Greenshield Home & Pest Solutions for a free, same-day pest inspection.