Types Of Ants In Maine
Have you noticed the increase in daylight hours? How about the fact that temperatures in many Maine communities have been above freezing more than one day in the last couple of weeks? If you take a moment to really look around, you’ll see that spring has arrived in Maine and it won’t be long before we can put the shovels away and pack up the snow gear. Just in time too to prepare for the onslaught of mosquitoes, ticks, ants, and other springs pests. And speaking of ants, also known as America’s #1 nuisance pest, in today’s post we’re going to spend a few minutes discussing the types of ants commonly found in Maine.
Carpenter Ants
The largest ants in Maine, carpenter ants are also the most destructive. A native to wooded areas in our state, this type of ants plays an important role in breaking down dead and decaying wood. Unfortunately, carpenter ants also attack man-made structures, paying close attention to wood that has been water damaged and wood that is in some stage of decay. While carpenter ants do not eat wood, they do create tunnels and galleries, which will lead to larger problems for homeowners.
Identifying characteristics
Color: Black and/or red
Size: Workers grow up to ¾ of an inch in length
Other noteworthy characteristics: Carpenter ants have strong mandibles, cannot sting, and reproductive members or winged carpenter ants swarm to establish new colonies.
Odorous House Ants
While carpenter ants hold the distinction as being the biggest and “baddest” ants in Maine, odorous house ants are much smaller in stature and are not destructive. They will infest homes when the opportunity presents and often in large numbers.
Identifying characteristics
Color: Black or brown
Size: 1/8 of an inch long on average
Other noteworthy characteristics: Odorous house ants will release an unpleasant smell when crushed that is compared to the smell of rotten coconut. They often nest in walls and floor voids and raid the kitchen in search of sweets and meats. This type of ant also produces swarms in order to mate.
Pavement Ants
About the same size as odorous house ants, pavement ants are more small nuisance ants in Maine and ones that will enter homes and other structures throughs cracks in foundations and concrete slabs as well as other gaps and openings on the exterior.
Identifying characteristics
Color: Dark brown to black
Size: 1/8 of an inch in length
Other noteworthy characteristics: As their name might suggest, pavement ants are often found nesting along driveways and sidewalks but they will nest indoors too. Staples of their diet include, but are not limited to sugary items, food waste, insects, and pet food. These ants tend to swarm in the warmer months in order to establish new colonies.
How to eliminate ants on your property
To exterminate ants and other pests Advanced Pest Solutions offers home pest control services in Lewiston, Manchester, and Litchfield as well as throughout central and coastal Maine.
When you sign up for one of our ongoing plans, you can count on our locally owned and family-operated pest control company to eliminate your existing ant problem and to keep other bugs and rodents away all year-round.
For more information or to schedule an inspection with one of Advanced Pest Solutions’ owners, please give us a call today or simply click the button below!