Little Black Ants

They have Monomorium minimum as the scientific name.

Appearance

The little black ants are dark brown, jet black or black in color. They are also very small and are native to the USA. The workers are also rather small and have a length of around 1.5mm. The queens can be up to 4mm. They have an antenna that has 12 segments and at the end, there is a club that is three segmented. The ant waist of the pedical has two segments. The little black ants don’t have a spine, but they do have a thorax that isn’t rounded evenly.

Behavior and Diet

Little black ants do have a stinger, but it is small and isn’t effective against any many threats. They are also omnivorous in water and will feed on plant secretions, corn meals, oily or greasy foods, vegetables, honeydew, sweets and even insects. The workers often forage in the trails and can be set on the foundation of the walls or the sidewalks. They can also be located at the junction between carpet and walls and inside walls.

Their habitat

The little black ants dwell in different areas within the United States, southern Canada as well as Mexico. They are quite widespread in the industrial and urban surroundings. Their colonies can actually hosts several thousand ants and can be located in the areas that are dark and protected.

The little black ants have got a preference of living indoors, especially where there is decaying wood. Usually, they may also build nests within wall cracks or within the cement. When outdoors, they may establish nests under the spines or rocks. They may also have nests in the rotting logs and in gardens. They also build nests within cavities and voids like wall voids.

Little black ants can decide to forage for food within the home. They usually forage using any scent marked trails. When indoors, they will feed on vegetables, fruits, meats, greasy items, sweets and even plant and aphids secretions.

The colonies are usually moderate to large and can have 2 or more queens within. The mating swarms are usually formed from June-august within the states. The ants can invade your home and a pest control professional should be contacted so as to deal with the infestation.

Reproduction

The little black ant colonies may have populations that are either large or moderate and two or more queens can be within a single colony. The winged swarms are quite common between June and August and at this time, mating occurs. When they mate, the females and the males will shed wings and the males die after mating. When newly established, the colonies usually grow quite rapidly and nests are built in wall voids, lawns, cement cracks and even rotting logs. Open areas can also be used.

Infestation signs

Little black ant infestation can be seen through some very visible signs. You can actually see the ants in the house as they crawl on the kitchen or bathroom floor. You can also see them in the cabinets as they look for water and food. Ants can also be seen entering a gap or a crack that may lead to the nest within the void.

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