What are thief ants?
Thief ant colonies are generally smaller than other ant colonies but can still have several queens and thousands of workers living together. Thief ants nest near other ant colonies and create narrow tunnels into those colonies in order to steal their food, larvae, and pupae. Thief ants are found invading homes throughout most of the United States, and are occasional invaders in RI, MA, and CT.
What do they look like?
Thief ants can come in a range of colors from yellow to light or dark brown. They have an uneven and rounded shape and their thorax lacks spines. Their antennae have 10 segments and a two segmented club at the end. Thief ants are very small with the adults only growing to be 1.5-2.2 mm in length.
Do thief ants bite?
Thief ants do have the ability to bite and sting people although they rarely do.
Are thief ants dangerous?
Yes, thief ants are considered to be dangerous. They forage for dead insects, rats, and rodents outside. When they then enter into your home they can transmit serious diseases and contaminate your food sources. They also serve as intermediate hosts for poultry tapeworm.
What are the signs of a thief ant infestation?
The most common sign of a thief ant problem is seeing the tiny ants roaming through your home, especially in the kitchen area when they are searching for foods that include nuts, breads, meats, fruits, animal fats, oils and dairy.
Why do I have a thief ant problem?
Thief ants often enter into homes when the weather becomes too hot for them to live comfortably outside. They enter into homes on the wires found in wall voids and use the same wires to travel throughout your home. Once inside they may nest behind wall voids and they will forage throughout your home for food.
How do I get rid of thief ants?
It is very difficult to eliminate an ant problem. A successful ant control program requires that the source of the infestation be found and the entire colony eliminated, including the queen. This requires professional assistance. If you have an ant control problem in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Eastern Connecticut then you should contact the best in pest control, Big Blue Bug Solutions.
Thief ant prevention tips
The most complete way to prevent thief ants at your home or business is to utilize a year round professional pest control service with the experts here at Big Blue Bug Solutions. You can, however, do some simple tasks that will aid in the battle against thief ants. Thief ant prevention tips include sealing cracks in your home’s foundation, caulking gaps around windows and doors, repairing or replacing damaged window and door insect screens, and installing door sweeps. You should also keep secure lids on outdoor trash cans. Inside of your home if you quickly clean up crumbs and spills, and don't leave dirty dishes in your sink overnight than you are removing some of the common things that temp thief ants. Having a year-round pest control program in place will prevent problems with thief ants and other common household pests.
