ANTS

The odorous house ant is probably the most common in Idaho. Soft-bodied, dark reddish brown to black in color. They forage for sweets in homes. They can nest in many locations, for example inside they may be in wall voids, areas under sinks, or any enclosed voids. They tend to stay close to warm areas. such as a water heater.

Outside they can be found in wood piles, refuse piles, under bark in bedding and more. Odorous house ants are very active while running along trails. But when disturbed they will scatter and be very erratic. when an individual is crushed a distinctive odor described as a rotten coconut is emitted.

The Pavement Ant is a small blackish-brown ant. As the name suggests their preferred nesting site is under pavement, large rocks and even possibly the slab under your home or garage. Because of their preferred nesting sites it is very easy for them to forage inside your home year round. During the summer they can be a nuisance in your yard and or gardens. They are omnivores feeders. able to eat dead and live insects, sugars, meats, grease, seeds and more.

Not only is the carpenter ant the largest of all the ants here in Idaho it is also the the only one that we have that is a wood destroying insect. While they do not feed on wood, they hollow it out to make chambers needed for their colony. This can weaken the wood that makes up the framework of your home. The saw dust left at the nest opening is the best way to detect if you have a Carpenter ant problem. They feed on protein based foods and on the honeydew insects, such as aphids.

The harvest ant is the responsible for the large dirt mounds out in the desert and mountains. They range in color from red to brown or black, and can also be a combination of those colors. They are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds and other plant materials. They clear large areas around there nesting site. They can bite and sting, this sting can be mildly painful.