House infesting ants

There are a few species of small brown ants that commonly invade homes. These house-infesting ants include odorous house ant, Argentine ant and pharaoh ant and a few others. These small ants are difficult for homeowners to tell apart but fortunately exact identification is not necessary for effective control. The good news is household nuisance ants generally do not cause damage and pose no particular health risk.

All ants live in colonies dominated by an egg-laying queen and worker ants (females) forage outside the colony for food. Typically, ants are attracted to a variety of food types including carbohydrates (sugars), proteins (meats), fats and oils. Colonies, or “nests”, are located in protected places in walls, under floors, under cabinets, and such and individual colonies can be quite large with thousands of ants.